Bob Einstein death: Curb Your Enthusiasm cast, including Larry David and Cheryl Hines, pay tribute to late actor

'Never have I seen an actor enjoy a role the way Bob did playing Marty Funkhouser'

(HBO/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)

The cast of Curb Your Enthusiasm have paid tribute to Bob Einstein, who has died aged 76.

The actor played Marty Funkhouser – a character best known for his combative relationship with Larry David’s lead – on the HBO show.

Einstein’s brother and a fellow actor Albert Brooks announced the news, calling Bob a “great brother, father and husband” and a “brilliantly funny man”.

Leading tributes was David, who said in a statement released by HBO: “Never have I seen an actor enjoy a role the way Bob did playing Marty Funkhouser on Curb. 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.”

Richard Lewis, who plays a semi-autobiographical version of himself on the show, posted on Twitter: “I’m in shock. I knew him forever... His long career is hard to match. His role on Curb was excruciatingly brilliant! Our cast and crew will be devastated. He was so loved.”

Einstein’s on-screen wife, Cheryl Hines, wrote on social media: “We lost a friend today. Thanks for all of the laughs on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Our love to Bob’s family.”

Einstein last appeared on screen in the ninth season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, which debuted last year. He was also known for his role on Arrested Development, where he played Larry Middleman.

Deadline reports that he had recently been diagnosed with cancer.

Einstein won his first Emmy as part of the writing team for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1969, and his second as a producer for Van Dyke and Company in 1977. He also created Super Dave Osborne, a satirical stuntman character, whom he appeared as on numerous sketch shows for decades.