Jerry Lewis inspired generations of comedians and comedic filmmakers, as many of immediate tributes in the wake of his death at 91 prove. One of the more recent directors to emerge in American cinema to cite his work is Alex Ross Perry, whose 2011 sleeper hit “The Color Wheel” was a wily black comedy that owed much to Lewis’ madcap performances. Perry’s followup, “Listen Up Phillip,” showed similar influences.
Reached for comment following the news of Lewis’ death, Perry shared the following statement on his relationship to Lewis’ work.
Whenever I would cite Jerry Lewis as an influence, I would qualify the statement by saying he inspired me more as a philosopher than a comedian. The remark would get a laugh but I would elaborate, with total sincerity. The intellectual drive of this man, from the very beginning of his career through his instantly-legendary Hollywood Reporter interview last year (his final masterpiece,...
Reached for comment following the news of Lewis’ death, Perry shared the following statement on his relationship to Lewis’ work.
Whenever I would cite Jerry Lewis as an influence, I would qualify the statement by saying he inspired me more as a philosopher than a comedian. The remark would get a laugh but I would elaborate, with total sincerity. The intellectual drive of this man, from the very beginning of his career through his instantly-legendary Hollywood Reporter interview last year (his final masterpiece,...
- 8/21/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
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