Jerry Lewis dies
Prolific Nutty Professor actor, comedian was 91
WASHINGTON — Veteran Hollywood comedian Jerry Lewis, who died on Sunday aged 91, perfected a goofy brand of slapstick that endeared him to millions over the course of a career spanning six decades.
One of the most popular US entertainers of the 1950s and 60s, Lewis made his name as the clown behind such quirky comedies like The Nutty Professor but also won acclaim as a writer, actor and philanthropist.
The comedy legend, who at the peak of his popularity was among the world biggest movie draws, died at his home in Las Vegas.
“I can sadly confirm that today the world lost one of the most significant human beings,” his publicist Nancy Kane said in a statement. “Jerry died peacefully at home of natural causes surrounded by family and friends.”
Honored with accolades at home and abroad, Lewis became known as much for his tireless efforts to promote awareness of Muscular Dystrophy as for his wacky comedy.
Over the course of 45 years, he raised some $2.45 billion for combating the disease with an annual television event.
Born Joseph Levitch in Newark, New Jersey to two New York City entertainers, Lewis first took center stage at the tender age of 5.
At the age of 20, Lewis embarked on arguably one of the most successful entertainment partnerships of all time with smooth crooner Dean Martin.
After 17 films together, the Lewis-Martin partnership split in 1956, but Lewis continued his career, winning acclaim for his dramatic role alongside Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese’s 1983 film The King of Comedy.
Lewis’ long career was not without controversy, however. News reports over the years have criticized him as volatile and ill-tempered and he once used a homophobic epithet on television.
In recent decades, Lewis had been plagued by health problems, but he was determined to keep working as long as possible, including on a Broadway musical adaptation of The Nutty Professor as recently as 2011.
“I have to finish what I’ve started,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 2010. “I want to do it before I leave.”