After a long battle with Parkinson’s disease…

Richard Lewis spent his life turning pain, anxiety, and self-doubt into something strangely comforting for millions of people who saw themselves in his humor. Long before he became a familiar face on television and in stand-up comedy, he was already someone who lived with a heightened sense of emotional awareness.

That sensitivity, which could have overwhelmed him, instead became the foundation of his voice as a performer. Born and raised in New York City, Lewis grew up in a world that constantly tested his confidence.