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Jerry Lewis, legendary entertainer and humanitarian, is dead at 91

He was a lot of things to a lot of people, and one of the few modern renaissance men.

Adam Rosenberg

on August 20, 2017

Jerry Lewis, legendary entertainer and humanitarian, is dead at 91

Credit: ERIK PENDZICH/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

He called Dean Martin a pal, he was absolutely adored by the French, and he did true good in the world as the national chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Jerry Lewis will be missed.

The legendary comedian, singer, actor, filmmaker, producer, and all-around creator died in his Las Vegas home on Sunday morning, his family confirms. He was 91.

Lewis got his start in the late-1940s as one half of a nightclub act that also featured Dean Martin. Their sharp comic timing and natural patter opened the door to a radio program and, later, early television.

Film was a natural next step, and -- as Martin and Lewis -- the comedy duo appeared in close to 20 films throughout the early/mid-'50s. Such was their popularity as a two-man team that they even landed in a comic book series: DC's The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, with 40 issues released between 1952 and 1957.

After the duo split up in 1956 -- for reasons that have never been fully detailed -- Lewis carried on doing the work he knew best: entertaining. He sang, he acted, he made people laugh -- frequently from the comfort of a long-running Las Vegas residency.

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It wasn't until 1960 that Lewis reached the second stage of his career: he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in The Bellboy, a Paramount Pictures comedy about a bumbling bellboy. Lewis always had a knack for slapstick comedy, and his directorial debut was the perfect platform to showcase it.

Over the next half-decade, Lewis appeared in some of the movies that he is still best known for today, including The Nutty Professor and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. He never stopped working after that, though he did slow down as the years piled on.

Alongside his work as an entertainer, Lewis also made a name for himself as a humanitarian. He was a fundraising force for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, hosting annual telethons from 1952 to 1959, and later, from 1966 to 2010. Estimates point to $2.6 billion in funds raised overall during that time.

Lewis very recently became a pop culture hero once again after an infamous video interview with The Hollywood Reporter went south. His notoriously media-unfriendly attitude was on full display, and that saltiness immediately endeared Lewis to an internet that celebrates unconventional figures.

It should come as no surprise that news of Lewis' death was greeted by an outpouring of condolences from all corners of pop culture. Many of the most popular names today grew up idolizing the 91-year-old entertainer.

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Adam Rosenberg

Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.