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March 8, 2002/Adar 24, 5762, Vol. 54, No. 25
Richard Lewis: heaven sentGERRI MILLERKnown for angst-ridden, self-deprecating comedy routines that rely heavily on being Jewish, Richard Lewis has once again tapped into his heritage to play a rabbi on the popular WB family drama "7th Heaven." On Feb. 25, Lewis joined the cast for at least five episodes as Rabbi Glass, whose daughter Sarah (Sarah Danielle Madison) becomes romantically involved with Matt Camden (Barry Watson), Reverend Camden's son."He's hip, funny, a little nuts. It's going to be fun playing this rabbi," says Lewis, whose involvement began with a call from the show's writer-creator, Brenda Hampton. He readily signed on. "The scripts are very intelligent. The cast is sensational. It's won so many awards for all the right reasons. It really talks about stuff that matters without being exploitative." He's also pleased about working with old friends Stephen Collins (Rev. Camden) and Laraine Newman, who plays his wife, Rosina Glass. "I've known her for 25 years. So it's going to be like a family affair," says Lewis. Lewis reveals that Glass, a Reform Jew, will initially have reservations about his daughter's interfaith relationship, "and it will take a little time to feel comfortable" with it. Speaking Hebrew on the show, however, doesn't faze him, and he launches into the first of the Four Questions as proof. "I still know my Haftorah," he adds. While he considers himself "more spiritual than religious," Lewis considers the stories of his faith "beautiful" and says that he has "felt more in touch with my Judaism since Sept. 11. I go to temple on occasion, and I've been going more often." Lewis will also continue to appear as himself on HBO's improvised comedy series "Curb Your Enthusiasm," which was named AFI Comedy Series of the Year by the American Film Institute in January and will return for a third season later this year. "Playing secondary to Larry David, who's one of my oldest and best friends and a true genius, is a pleasure," says the 54-year-old, unmarried comic, who spends a few weeks every month on stage, continuing the stand-up career that began in 1971. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and raised in Englewood, N.J., Lewis wrote advertising copy after his 1969 graduation from Ohio State University, and supplied jokes to other comedians before trying his own luck on stage at New York's Improvisation. "That broke me," states Lewis, also citing his debut on "The Tonight Show" in 1974, touring with Sonny and Cher and appearing on their TV variety show, and his 1974 TV show "Diary Of A Young Comic," in which he starred and co-wrote, as important milestones. "But the biggest break, I did ("Late Night With David") Letterman in '82 and was on like 70 times or so," says Lewis, who has appeared on "The Tonight Show" just as frequently. "I have an open door everywhere and I'm proud of that." Lewis' filmed credits also include critically lauded comedy stand-up cable specials "I'm in Pain" for Showtime and "I'm Exhausted," "I'm Doomed," and "Magical Misery Tour," all for HBO, and the movies "Leaving Las Vegas," "Gameday," "Hugo Pool and Drunks." His performance in the latter, while well received, wasn't really a stretch: Lewis is a recovering alcoholic of eight years standing. He writes about that in "The Other Great Depression," his 2000 book of confessional essays subtitled "How I am Overcoming on a Daily Basis at Least a Million Addictions and Dysfunctions and Finding a Spiritual (Sometimes) Life," just released in paperback. Lewis spent four years on the ABC comedy series "Anything but Love" with Jamie Lee Curtis. He'd entertain the idea of his own TV series or a film vehicle "any day of the week, if it was a worthwhile role," he says. "But right now I'm grateful to be touring and working with Larry and on '7th Heaven.' " Ninety percent of the people in this business are looking for work," Lewis says. "I've been doing this for 32 years, so I feel really fortunate." Gerri Miller is a free-lance writer living in Los Angeles. |
