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Curb Your Enthusiasm's Bob Einstein Dead at 76
He played Marty Funkhouser on the HBO comedy
Curb Your Enthusiasm's Bob Einstein has died after being recently diagnosed with cancer. He was 76 years old. His brother Albert Brooks confirmed the somber news Wednesday in a heartfelt tweet.
"R.I.P. My dear brother Bob Einstein. A great brother, father and husband. A brilliantly funny man. You will be missed forever," Brooks wrote.
Einstein made audiences laugh as Marty Funkhouser, Larry's greatest foil, in more than a dozen episodes of Curb. Larry David also reflected on Einstein's life and legacy in a statement on his passing.
"Never have I seen an actor enjoy a role the way Bob did playing 'Marty Funkhouser' on Curb," David said in a statement, per Deadline. "It was an amazing, unforgettable experience knowing and working with him. There was no one like him, as he told us again and again. We're all in a state of shock."
Maintaining a lengthy career in Hollywood that spanned four decades as a writer, actor and producer, his projects includedThe Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour alongside Steve Martin, Arrested Development, Crank Yankers, Ocean's Thirteen and Roseanne. In 1977, Einstein won a Primetime Emmy for his work on the variety series Van Dyke and Company.
He is best known for creating Super Dave Osborne, a wacky stuntman who remained naively optimistic despite his stunts going spectacularly wrong. Einstein appeared as the memorable character in various shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Late Night with David Letterman, WWE Monday Night Raw, In Living Color, The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien and FX's Anger Management. The character was referenced by a number of rappers including Tupac Shakur, A Tribe Called Quest, Ice Cube and Fat Joe.
Others stars are paying their respects to the Hollywood great on social media including Patton Oswalt, Twin Peaks co-creator Mark Frost, Billions creator Brian Koppelman, who worked with Einstein on Ocean's Thirteen and Curb co-stars Cheryl Hines and Richard Lewis. See their tributes below.
R.I.P. My dear brother Bob Einstein. A great brother, father and husband. A brilliantly funny man. You will be missed forever.
— Albert Brooks (@AlbertBrooks) January 2, 2019
The scene with you two in MODERN ROMANCE always wrecks me. "I'm not perfect." RIP to a comedy genius and a slow-burn god. https://t.co/ftD2oB9yS9
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) January 2, 2019
Two weeks ago, @DavidLevien and I standing around on set with @kevinpollak telling Bob Einstein jokes. We said that night, and have said many times, that nobody made us laugh harder than Bob Einstein. He was the best joke teller of all time. Working with him on o13 was an honor.
— Brian Koppelman (@briankoppelman) January 2, 2019
RIP Bob "Super Dave" Einstein. We'll miss you 'Sup.
— Mark Frost (@mfrost11) January 2, 2019
We lost a friend today. ♥️ thanks for all of the laughs on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Our love to Bob's family. #BobEinstein #SuperDave. The comedy world will miss you. pic.twitter.com/aLIjq8LoVP
— Cheryl Hines (@CherylHines) January 2, 2019
I'm in shock.
— Richard Lewis (@TheRichardLewis) January 2, 2019
I knew him forever. ♥️to his loved ones. His long career is hard to match. His role on #curbyourenthusiasm was excruciatingly brilliant! Our cast and crew will be devastated.
He was so loved. He told me how much he loved LD and Curb. RIP buddy. @HBO pic.twitter.com/G8f5PoffuF