American entertainer Jerry Lewis has passed away at the age of 91.
He had many strings to his bow including acting, comedy, singing, writing, film producing and directing, as well as being a respected humanitarian.
His publicist Candi Cazau told the Associated Press: "Lewis passed away Sunday morning of natural causes at age 91 in Las Vegas with his family by his side."
Lewis became prominent as a comedian and actor following World War II as part of the comedy duo Lewis and Martin with Dean Martin.
Starting their performances in nightclubs, the pair later branched out into television and films and remained as partners for 10 years.
The duo split in 1956, with Lewis moving on to perform as a solo act. Despite their separation reportedly being on bad terms, the two were reunited before Martin's death in 1995.
Appearing on his own in hit films such as The Nutty Professor and The Bellboy, Lewis made many films for Paramount. He worked as an executive producer on the Eddie Murphy remake of The Nutty Professor in 1995, but had long moved away from his career as an entertainer to focus on his philanthropy.
Founding The Jerry Lewis MDA Labour Day Telethon, Lewis hosted the annual charity event from 1966 to 2010 to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, for whom he raised over $2.45 billion over the years.
Celebrities took to social media to pay tribute to Lewis, with many calling him "a legend".
Despite being in his nineties, Lewis performed stand-up comedy until last year. He is survived by his wife, SanDee Pitnick, and their daughter.
