Legendary American comedian, actor, filmmaker and singer Jerry Lewis has passed away at his home in Las Vegas, aged 91.
Born in Newark, New Jersey in 1926, Lewis began his career as an entertainer in the 1940s and initially rose to prominence as part of the double-act Martin and Lewis with Dean Martin.
After finding success on the club circuit, radio and television, the duo made the switch to the big screen in 1949’s Mr Friend Irma, and followed that up with the sequel My Friend Irma Goes West. They would then go on to headline a total of sixteen movies together for producer Hal B. Wallis between 1951 and 1956, before going their separate ways.
Going solo, Lewis would soon begin writing and directing his own projects, including the likes of The Bellboy, The Ladies Man, The Errand Boy and The Nutty Professor, as well as the unreleased The Day the Clown Cried. His later credits would include the likes of The King of Comedy, Mr. Saturday Night, Arizona Dream, Funny Bones, Max Rose, and his last film The Trust, which was released in 2016.
In addition to his film and TV work, Lewis was also the chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, hosying a live Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon for 44 years between 1966 and 2010.
