Richard Lewis Net Worth

What Is Richard Lewis’ Net Worth?

Richard Lewis, the celebrated American comedian, actor, writer, and producer, had a net worth of $7 million at the time of his death on February 27, 2024, at the age of 76. This figure primarily reflects his decades-long career in stand-up comedy and his prominent roles in television and film.

Breakdown of Richard Lewis’ Earnings and Career Highlights

Lewis’ career began in the 1970s as a stand-up comedian while he simultaneously worked at an advertising agency. His net worth accumulated over the years, and it’s a reflection of various income streams, including stand-up performances, acting roles, writing credits, and producing ventures. Specific figures for each of these categories are not publicly available. His work in stand-up comedy significantly contributed to his financial status. He starred in several comedy specials, including “The Richard Lewis ‘I’m in Pain’ Concert” (1985), “The I’m Exhausted Concert” (1988), “I’m Doomed” (1990), and “The Magical Misery Tour” (1996). While the exact revenue generated from these specials isn’t public, they undoubtedly increased his visibility and earning potential. Lewis had over 55 acting credits to his name, which is another large contributor to his net worth. Notably, he starred in “Anything But Love” (1989–1992) on ABC, appearing in 56 episodes. He also had a recurring role in HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (2000–2024), with 39 episodes as of this writing, playing a semi-autobiographical version of himself. Specific salary details per episode for these shows aren’t publicly accessible.

His film roles included appearances in “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” (1993) and “Leaving Las Vegas” (1995). While the exact figures he earned from these films are not public, these roles further enhanced his career and increased his financial stability.

In addition to acting and stand-up, Lewis also wrote and executive produced the 2014 documentary “House of a Lifetime: Richard Lewis.” He also wrote and starred in the 1979 TV movie “Diary of a Young Comic,” and authored the book “The Other Great Depression: How I’m Overcoming, on a Daily Basis, at Least a Million Addictions and Dysfunctions and Finding a Spiritual (Sometimes) Life” in 2000. The financial gains from these ventures, including royalties and potential advances, contributed to his net worth over time.

In 2004, Comedy Central ranked Lewis at #45 on their list of “100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time.” This recognition likely had a positive impact on his career, resulting in more opportunities and increased earning potential.

Richard Lewis’ Real Estate Holdings

In November 2016, Richard Lewis listed his 2,508 square foot Hollywood Hills home for $1.56 million. He had purchased this three-bedroom, two-bathroom property in 1989 for $720,000 and sold it in January 2017 for $1.354 million, resulting in a profit of $634,000 before taxes and other selling expenses.

Also in 2016 Richard paid $1.5 million for a home in LA’s Lake Hollywood Estates area. Specific information regarding the current status of this property is not publicly available.

The sale of his Hollywood Hills home significantly impacted his financial standing, demonstrating a successful real estate investment strategy. These real estate transactions further contributed to his overall net worth.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Richard Philip Lewis was born on June 29, 1947, in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in Englewood, New Jersey, and graduated from Dwight Morrow High School in 1965. Subsequently, he attended Ohio State University, where he joined the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity and earned a degree in marketing and communications in 1969. These early life details provide context to the formative years that shaped his career trajectory, although specific financial details from this period aren’t available.

Richard Lewis began his stand-up comedy career in the 1970s. He appeared on “Late Night with David Letterman” numerous times throughout the ’80s. In 1987, he played Richard Breskin on the ABC series “Harry,” and from 1989 to 1992, he co-starred with Jamie Lee Curtis on “Anything But Love”. The specific financial agreements and salaries associated with these early roles aren’t publicly accessible.

In 1992, Lewis appeared in the film “Once Upon a Crime…” and the TV movie “The Danger of Love: The Carolyn Warmus Story.” The following year, he played Prince John in “Robin Hood: Men in Tights,” guest-starred on “Tribeca” and “The Larry Sanders Show,” and co-starred with Don Rickles on the Fox series “Daddy Dearest.” Financial agreements and salaries associated with these roles are not publicly accessible.

Richard appeared in the films “Wagons East” (1994), “Drunks” (1995), “The Elevator” (1996), “Hugo Pool” (1997), “The Maze” (1997), and “Game Day” (1999), and he co-starred with Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue in the critically-acclaimed 1995 film “Leaving Las Vegas.” In the 90s, he also guest-starred on “Tales from the Crypt” (1994) and “V.I.P.” (1999), portrayed Edgar Allan Poe on “A.J.’s Time Travelers” (1995), and had a recurring role as Harve Schwartz on Showtime’s “Rude Awakening” (1998).

In 2000, Lewis began playing a semi-autobiographical version of himself on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and he has appeared in 39 episodes as of this writing. From 2002 to 2004, he played Rabbi Richard Glass in nine episodes of The WB series “7th Heaven,” and around this time, he guest-starred on “Alias” (2003), “Two and a Half Men” (2004), “The Dead Zone” (2004), “Las Vegas” (2005), “George Lopez” (2005), and “Everybody Hates Chris” (2006). Specific salary information is not publicly available.

Richard appeared in the films “Sledge: The Untold Story” (2005) and “Vamps” (2012), and he co-starred with Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson, Kathryn Hahn, and Will Forte in “She’s Funny That Way” (2014). He appeared in the 2007 documentary “Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project” and had recurring roles on Fox’s “‘Til Death” (2010) and the Starz sitcom “Blunt Talk” (2015), then he co-starred with Adam Sandler in the 2017 film “Sandy Wexler.” Specific salary details for these roles are not accessible to the public.

Lewis lent his voice to several animated projects, such as “Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist” (1997), “The Simpsons” (2006), and “BoJack Horseman” (2018). Details regarding his compensation for these voice acting roles are not publicly available.

Richard married Joyce Lapinsky in January 2005. In 2016, Lewis shattered his hand after falling off his roof, and the accident “started a two-year journey into four or five surgeries.” In September 2019, he underwent surgery to relieve excruciating back pain, and in January 2020, he slipped while getting out of a swimming pool and shattered his shoulder, which resulted in another surgery. In August 2021, Richard celebrated 27 years of sobriety, tweeting, “August 3, 1994 I thought that I was near death from alcoholism. Early the next day I was rushed to the ER and turned my life around a day, sometimes a minute at a time.”

In 1989, Lewis received a CableACE Award nomination for Writing a Comedy Special for “The I’m Exhausted Concert.” In 1991, “Anything But Love” earned him a Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series nomination from the Viewers for Quality Television Awards. In 2006, Richard shared a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series with his “Curb Your Enthusiasm” castmates Larry David, Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines, Susie Essman, and Shelley Berman.