Richard Lewis reveals Parkinson's diagnosis: 'I'm finished' (2024)

Richard Lewis has revealed he has Parkinson’s disease and his career as a stand-up comedian is over.

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Lewis, 75, addressed his fans in an announcement on his Twitter page.

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“The last three-and-a-half years, I’ve had sort of a rocky time and people said, ‘I haven’t heard from you, are you still touring?’” Lewis said in the post Sunday.

“Here’s really what happened. Three-and-a-half years ago I was in the middle of a tour and I finally ended it with a show and I said, ‘You know I’m at the top of my game, after 50 years, almost, I’m going to call it quits.’

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“I felt great about that, and then out of the blue the s*** the fan. I had four surgeries back-to-back-to-back-to-back,” Lewis continued, revealing he had operations on his back, shoulder, a shoulder replacement surgery, and a hip replacement in quick succession. “On top of all of that, I was walking a little stiffly. I was shuffling my feet.”

Lewis said he went to a neurologist and was given a brain scan, which led to his Parkinson’s diagnosis.

“That was about two years ago,” he continued. “But luckily I got It late in life and they said it will progress slowly and I’m on the right meds, so it’s cool.”

The Curb Your Enthusiasm star, who just wrapped Season 12 on the HBO comedy, added that he’s “finished with stand-up.”

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“I’m just focusing on writing and acting. I have Parkinson’s disease, but I’m under a doctor’s care and everything is cool,” he said emotionally. “I love my wife. I love my little puppy dog and I love all my friends and my fans. Now you know where it’s been at the last three-and-a-half years.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system and the parts of the body controlled by the nerves.”

“Symptoms start slowly. The first symptom may be a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand,” they write. “Tremors are common, but the disorder may also cause stiffness or slowing of movement.”

Lewis said, “It was bad luck, but that’s life.”

On social media, Lewis’ celebrity pals showed their support for the comedian with Ben Stiller calling him “one of the funniest ever.”

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“Richard you’re an amazing person and I’ve been your fan since I was about 12 which is a very long time. And we’re both still here! Stay strong,” Stiller wrote.

“Wishing you all the best & thanking you for a lifetime of laughs,” Star Wars actor Mark Hamill added.

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Meanwhile, Lewis’ Curb co-star Cheryl Hines said she “loved” him before they ever worked together.

“I loved watching you perform. You’re just a beautiful person,” Hines wrote. “I hope the love you’re receiving from everyone will continue to make you stronger everyday.”

Lewis plays a fictionalized version of himself on Curb Your Enthusiasm, which began in 2000. The Larry David-led series also stars Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman and J. B. Smoove.

“I’m not a very happy man,” Lewis told The Washington Post in 2020. “I’m thrilled to be alive. I’m grateful for who’s in my life. I’ve got great friends, a great wife, a dog, and I have a great career, but there’s just a part of me that’s always going to be never totally happy, and I think that has a lot to do with my childhood.”

His dad, he said, was “never home” and his mom “didn’t get me at all.”

It was after he met with his last shrink with then-girlfriend Joyce Lapinsky that Lewis had a eureka moment.

His therapist’s suggestion — “This is as good as it gets” — led him to pop the question in 2004. He’s been married ever since.

mdaniell@postmedia.com

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