Richard Lewis Said He Was ‘Doing Quite Well’ amid Parkinson's Less Than 3 Weeks Before His Death (Exclusive)

The comedian and 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' actor died Tuesday night at age 76

Richard Lewis said he was “doing quite well” in one of his final interviews.

Less than three weeks before he died of a heart attack on Tuesday night at age 76, the Curb Your Enthusiasm actor and comedian spoke to PEOPLE Feb. 9 about his friend John Candy, who died 30 years ago.

But Lewis, who announced last year he has Parkinson’s disease, also gave a brief update about his own health after missing the season 12 premiere party for Curb on Jan. 30.

“I have some occasional walking difficulties with Parkinson's the last couple of years. It's not major. I'm getting through it fine so far, but I didn't want to go to, spend five or six hours mingling with so many people,” he explained of skipping the event. “It's just asking for trouble.”

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He said he was “disappointed” to have missed the festivities, but added that “all things considered, I'm doing quite well.”

In an emotional video he posted to Twitter last April, Lewis told his followers about his Parkinson’s diagnosis, explaining he started walking a little stiffly" and was "shuffling" his feet two years prior.

"I went to a neurologist and they gave me a brain scan and I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and that was about two years ago," he said. "But luckily I got it late in life and they say you progress very slowly if at all and I'm on the right meds so I'm cool."

He explained that he was updating fans because people had been asking him where he had been.

"Hey listen, I just wrapped a couple of weeks ago season 12 of Curb Your Enthusiasm and it was just an amazing season and I'm so grateful to be a part of that show," he said. “But you know 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?'”

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"Here's really what happened," he added. "Three and half years ago I was in the middle of a tour and I finally ended it with a show. I said, 'You know I'm at the top of my game, after 15 years almost I'm going to call it quits,' and I felt great about that and then out of the blue the s--- hit the fan.”

“I had four surgeries back to back to back to back, it was incredible, I couldn't believe it, it was bad luck, but that's life,” he continued.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in New Jersey, Lewis got his start in standup comedy before transitioning to television series and movies like Once Upon a Crime and Wagon’s East!, both of which he made with Candy.

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Lewis was known for his trademark self-deprecating humor, which he showed in countless standup performances and TV and film roles. He held a long-standing role on Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm, appearing in more than 40 episodes between 2000 and 2021. He was also known for being a regular guest on The Late Show with David Letterman and The Howard Stern Show.

He is survived by his wife Joyce Lapinsky.

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