Richard Philip Lewis is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He came to prominence as a stand-up comedian in the 1980s and became known for his dark, neurotic and self-deprecating humour.
As an actor, he is known for co-starring with Jamie Lee Curtis in the sitcom Anything but Love, and for playing the role of Prince John in the film Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
Lewis gained much wider exposure in the 1980s and 1990s with numerous appearances on talk shows such as The Tonight Show, both Late Night and the Late Show with David Letterman, and The Howard Stern Show.
He also produced the comedy specials I’m in Pain, which aired on Showtime in 1985, followed by I’m Exhausted, I’m Doomed and Richard Lewis: The Magical Misery Tour, which all aired on HBO in 1988, 1990 and 1997 respectively.
GQ magazine included Lewis on their list of “The 20th Century’s Most Influential Humorists”, and Lewis was ranked #45 on Comedy Central’s list of “100 Greatest Standups of All Time” released in 2004.
Did Richard Lewis actually need a kidney?
Yes, In 2004, doctors diagnosed Richard with kidney disease and told him that he needed a transplant to survive. His sister, Keyia, got tested and was found to be a perfect match. In February 2005, Richard received his new kidney from his life-saving sister.
Richard returned to full health until 2014, when the kidney he got from his sister began to fail. He began four-hour dialysis treatments three times a week, while once again adding his name to the organ transplant waiting list.
In July 2017, a local mother who tragically lost her son made the selfless decision to donate his organs. Her son was the match Richard was looking for. Richard underwent his second successful kidney transplant, as he and the spirit of his donor live on through the miracle of organ donation.
“It’s a blessing. I hope to continue to give my donor’s life purpose,” says Richard. “I think that everybody should be an organ donor. You can definitely make a difference in somebody’s life.”