Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro Offer Tributes to Jerry Lewis (original) (raw)

Movies

The ‘King of Comedy’ collaborators remember the late star

Posted on August 20, 2017 at 6:33pm EDT

Everett Collection

King of Comedy director Martin Scorsese and stars Robert De Niro and Sandra Bernhard were among those paying tribute to Jerry Lewis, who died Sunday at age 91.

“Jerry Lewis was a master. He was a giant. He was an innovator. He was a great entertainer. He was a great artist. And he was a remarkable man. I had the honor of working with him, and it was an experience I’ll always treasure. He was, truly, one of our greats,” Scorsese said in a statement.

Added De Niro in a statement, “Jerry was a pioneer in comedy and film. And he was a friend. I was fortunate to have seen him a few times over the past couple of years. Even at 91, he didn’t miss a beat… or a punchline. You’ll be missed.”

On Twitter, Bernhard added, “It was one of the great experiences of my career he was tough but one of a kind.”

The 1983 black comedy is arguably Lewis’ best onscreen performance as Jerry Langford, a late-night television host — a dramatic role that edged close to his real-life persona. “Look, I’m a perfectionist. I’m not always easy to work with. And if someone presses a button, I’ve been known to get crazy,” Lewis told EW about the performance in 2009.