Richard Lewis retires from stand-up after Parkinson's diagnosis
"I have Parkinson’s disease but I’m under a doctor’s care and everything is cool," the Curb Your Enthusiasm actor shared on Twitter Sunday evening
Curb Your Enthusiasm actor and comedian Richard Lewis is officially retiring from stand-up after a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. Lewis made the announcement—and elucidated some of his struggles over the last few years—in a video shared on Twitter Sunday evening.
In the clip—recorded, per Lewis, a few weeks after he wrapped the highly-anticipated twelfth season of Curb—the comedian shares says that the past three and a half years have been “a rocky time” for him. Responding to those who’ve wondered why he hasn’t been out on the road, Lewis explains that he made a personal decision to stop touring while at the top of his game just before, as he puts it, “out of the blue the shit 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,” Lewis recalls. In quick succession, Lewis had a back surgery, a shoulder surgery, a shoulder replacement, and a hip replacement, all requiring extensive physical therapy post-op. Then, he noticed he had begun shuffling his feet, and walking unusually stiffly.