Larry David pays tribute to childhood friend and co-star Richard Lewis

Comedian Richard Lewis died at 76 after suffering a heart attack, his publicist announced on Wednesday. The comedian, most recently known for playing himself on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” was remembered by his friend and show creator Larry David and other stars.

“Richard and I were born three days apart in the same hospital and for most of my life he has been like a brother to me,” David said in a statement shared on the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” Instagram page. “He had that rare combination of being the funniest person and also the sweetest. But today he made me sob and for that I will never forgive him.”

Lewis and David met at age 12 at summer camp. The couple played fictional versions of themselves in the long-running HBO comedy about David, who co-created “Seinfeld.”

Other “Curb” stars also remembered Lewis, who had a decades-long comedy career and dozens of film and television roles.

“He took the time to tell the people he loved what they meant to him,” Cheryl Hines, who plays David’s ex-wife on the show, wrote in X. “Between takes of Curb, he would tell me how special he was.” “For him and how much he loved me. To be loved by Richard Lewis. A true gift. I love you, Richard. You will be missed.”

in a statement to Entertainment Tonight, Susie Essman, who played Susie Green, the wife of David’s best friend and manager on the show, called Lewis a “brilliant original voice that cannot be replaced.”

“I was lucky to be able to call him my friend. He made me laugh and was one of the most understanding and kind people I’ve ever met,” she said.

Other stars also recalled working with Lewis, including Jamie Lee Curtis, who starred with him in the comedy “Anything But Love.” The pair played a couple on the show. “He got the role where I snorted and laughed when he mispronounced the word Bundt cake,” he wrote on Instagram.

He remembered Lewis’s trick of hiding scripts around the set to remember his lines. “Turns out he was a wonderful actor. Deep and tremendously funny.”

“He found love in Joyce and that, of course, along with his sobriety, is what mattered most to him. I’m crying as I write this,” he said, mentioning Lewis’ wife, Joyce Lapinsky. “Strange way to thank a sweet, funny man. Rest laughing, Richard.”

Ben Stiller wrote on social media: “I’ve never met a kinder, more empathetic comedic genius. He was so funny. And profound. As a stand-up he was truly iconic in the ’70s. Great, funny, self-deprecating and modern. He was a friend of my parents and the entire Stiller family.”

Director Paul Feig said Lewis was his “hero.” “Absolutely devastated by this news. Richard was my hero when I was a stand-up. I was lucky enough to meet him and he was the most wonderful man. So understanding, kind and truly one of the funniest people on the planet,” he wrote on social networks.

Cary Elwes, who starred alongside Lewis in “Robin Hood: Men in Tights,” said he and Lewis were recently making plans to get together. “Aside from your remarkable talent, there was no one sweeter or more generous than you, my friend. I miss you always and forever. Rest in power, Richard. Our deepest condolences to Joyce, her family and her fans,” he wrote on social media.

HBO also released a statement about Lewis. “We are heartbroken to learn that Richard Lewis has passed away. His comedic brilliance, wit and talent were incomparable,” the social media post reads. “Richard will always be a beloved member of the HBO and Curb Your Enthusiasm families. Our deepest condolences go out to his family, his friends, and all the fans who could count on Richard to brighten his days with laughter.”

Lewis revealed last year that he had Parkinson’s disease and was retiring from stand-up, he said in a video posted on social media. Despite his illness, she continued filming scenes for the final season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” In a recent episode, he and David argue over what Lewis will leave her in his will. David insists that he doesn’t need the money.

“When I die I want you to know how much I care about you,” Lewis tells him on the show. “You’re my best friend, you’re getting it.”