Comedy actor Bob Einstein, who famously portrayed accident-prone stuntman Super Dave Osborne and Marty Funkhouser in Curb Your Enthusiasm, has died at the age of 76.
Einstein’s brother, actor-director Albert Brooks, confirmed his death on Twitter Wednesday.
“R.I.P. My dear brother Bob Einstein,” he tweeted. “A brilliantly funny man. You will be missed forever.”
Einstein’s death came shortly after he was diagnosed with cancer, the New York Times and Deadline Hollywood reported.
Einstein started his career as a comedy writer in the 1960s before transitioning into acting. He debuted his optimistic but hard-luck stuntman character, Super Dave, on The John Byner Comedy Hour in 1972, and went on to play the part in several other comedy-show appearances.
He eventually spun the character off into his own show, which was shot in Toronto and aired on Global Television in the late 1980s and early ’90s.
He also played the part on various talk shows after the show ended.
Einstein won two Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on The Smother Brothers Comedy Hour in 1969 and Van Dyke and Company in 1977.
He later appeared as Larry David’s grumpy friend, Marty Funkhouser, through several seasons of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm.
WATCH: ‘Super Dave Osborne’ dies at 76
Several cast members of Curb Your Enthusiasm also shared their grief over Einstein’s passing on Twitter Wednesday afternoon.
“I’m in shock,” tweeted actor Richard Lewis, who plays himself on the show.
David Mandel, former director and executive producer of Curb Your Enthusiasm, recollected one of his favourite Bob Einstein comedic contributions.
Mark Hamill, the actor best known for playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars film franchise, expressed thanks to Einstein for “a lifetime of laughs.”
Comedian and Star Trek actor Brent Spiner paid tribute to Einstein and the characters he portrayed on screen.
Sports Illustrated tweeted a video showing Einstein’s first stunt as Super Dave Osborne.
— With files from Rahul Kalvapalle
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