Legendary American actor and comedian Jerry Lewis passed away this Sunday, August 20 in his house in Las Vegas and surrounded by his family, confirmed his agent. Lewis was 91 years-old.

Lewis, a native of Newark, New Jersey, jumped to fame when he partnered with singer Dean Martin in the Martin and Lewis comedy team in 1946; in the following decade they made regular appearances in comedy clubs, television shows and movies. He also starred in movies such as “The Nutty Professor” and “The Bellboy”.

The actor suffered from muscular dystrophy and served as the chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, hosting telethons to raise funds for the treatment of this condition.

As he grew older he was involved in controversy for making racist and misogynistic jokes, he was always known for having a cranky personality.

He once said in an interview referring to the secret of his success: “I’ve had great success being a total idiot”.

His last role in the big screen was in the movie “Max Rose”.

Lewis received several awards for lifetime achievements from the American Comedy Awards, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Venice Film Festival, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.