Richard Lewis Stunned Joe Rogan With His ‘Organic’ Comedy Years Before Tragic Demise

‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ star Richard Lewis passed away on Tuesday. The comedian, who played himself as Larry David’s best friend and voice of conscience, died of a heart attack at the age of 76, which has led to an outpouring of grief and tributes. Meanwhile, Joe Rogan gave tributes to the star. 

Following his death, Larry David spoke about how Lewis had the rare ability to be the kindest and the funniest person in the room and expressed his sorrow at losing his on and off-screen friend. An integral part of the multiple Emmy-winning comedy shows, Lewis was an indispensable part of the success of the ad-lib and improvisation-based show, which has gained the admiration of many, including Joe Rogan.

Joe Rogan fan of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’

Among his admirers was the UFC commentator and JRE podcast host Joe Rogan. Speaking to Jeff Garland, who plays Larry David’s henpecked manager on ‘Curb’, Rogan expressed dismay at the state of modern sitcoms, telling Garland that he did not find them funny.

“There’s a lot of sitcoms and I don’t want to name names, but I watch them and I know they’re very very and I’m stunned I don’t understand it, it’s like they’re speaking a different language,” Rogan told Garland on the JRE podcast.

Later in the podcast, Joe Rogan contrasted it to the genuine and organic comedy of ‘Curb’, which relies heavily on its cast, improvising the dialogue, something Richard Lewis excelled at. “One of the reasons why the show is so good because it seems so organic when you guys are talking,” he added. And while he was best known for playing himself on the show, he had a significant body of work before it.

Who was Richard Lewis?

Richard Lewis started his showbiz career as a stand-up comic and was a successful comic in the eighties due to his neurotic and self-deprecating style of comedy. He went on to star in ‘Anything But Love’ with Jamie Lee Curtis, who credited him for helping her get sober, as well as playing memorable characters in ‘Robin Hood: Men in Tights’ (1993), ‘Drunks’ and ‘Leaving Las Vegas’ (1995)

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He joined the cast of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ as a recurring character as he was friends in real life with show creator and star Larry David, with whom he shared great on-screen chemistry. The current season of the show was also supposed to be its last, and the comedian was at least able to conclude his magnum opus.

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