Richard Lewis Reflects on His Relationship with Larry David
First Impressions
Richard Lewis did not always get along with “Curb Your Enthusiasm” creator and longtime friend Larry David.
The Early Days
In a recent interview with The Spectator, the comedian shared his first impressions of David when the two met at a summer sports camp at the age of 12.
Arch Rivals
“I disliked him intensely. He was cocky, he was arrogant,” Lewis recalled. “When we played baseball I tried to hit him with the ball: we were arch rivals. I couldn’t wait for the camp to be over just to get away from Larry. I’m sure he felt the same way.”
A Reunion
More than a decade later, Lewis and David reunited while working as stand-up comedians in New York and eventually developed a friendship. According to Lewis, they didn’t recognize each other at first.
An Unexpected Encounter
“I looked at his face and I said, ‘There’s something about you, man, that spooks me.’ Just saying that spooks everyone!” Lewis said, adding that David replied, “‘You’re Richard Lewis!’”
Yelling at Each Other
“’You’re Larry David!’… I was yelling at him, he was yelling at me.”
Retirement and Diagnosis
Back in April, Lewis revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that he wrapped on Season 12 of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” saying, “It was just an amazing season and I’m so grateful to be a part of that show.”
The actor and comedian then announced his retirement from stand-up after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
A Farewell to Stand-Up
“I’m finished with stand-up. I’m just focusing on writing and acting,” he said. “I have Parkinson’s disease but I’m under a doctor’s care and everything is cool. I love my wife, I love my little puppy dog and I love all my friends and my fans. And now you know where it’s been at the last three and a half years. God bless you.”
A Special Bond
Lewis told The Spectator he would be in approximately half of “Curb Your Enthusiasm’s” 12th season. Although he and David often fight in the long-running sitcom, Lewis said of the “Curb” creator, “In truth, he loves me and I’m his dearest friend.”
He continued, “But it would be rare for him to go deep like that. I could blabber about how much I love the guy. In one of my favorite lines from ‘Curb,’ I told him that I cared about him and he said, ‘You’re a babbling brook of bullshit.’”
