LAS VEGAS. 20 Aug (TNS): Veteran American entertainer Jerry Lewis has died in Las Vegas early Sunday morning.
“Very sadly Jerry Lewis has passed,” His agent Jeff Wijtas, while confirming the death of legendary comedian has said.
Lewis was known for his goofy brand of physical comedy that endeared him to millions in a career spanning six decades
One of the most popular comic actors of the 1950s and ’60s, Lewis perfected the role of the quirky clown in slapstick comedies like “The Nutty Professor” but also won acclaim as a writer, actor and philanthropist.
Honored with accolades at home and abroad, including a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977, Lewis became known as much for his tireless efforts to promote awareness of Muscular Dystrophy as for his unique brand of physical 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 five, when he performed “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”
