What is Jerry Lewis?
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = Jerry Lewis | image = Jerry Lewis (Paramount photo by Bud Fraker).jpg | alt = Black-and-white portrait photograph of a smiling man with short hair | caption = Lewis in 1957 | birth_name = Joseph Levitch | birth_date = {{Birth date|1926|3|16}} | birth_place = [[Newark, New Jersey]], U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2017|8|20|1926|3|16}} | death_place = [[Las Vegas, Nevada]], U.S. | occupation = {{hlist|Comedian|actor|singer|director|humanitarian}} | years_active = 1931–2017<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-features/whats-so-funny-about-jerry-lewis-83843/|title=What's So Funny About Jerry Lewis?|first1=Lynn|last1=Hirschberg|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=October 28, 1982}}</ref> | spouse = {{ubl|{{marriage|Patti Palmer|1944|1980|end=divorced}}|{{marriage|SanDee Pitnick|1983|<!--As marriage ended with his death, year is omitted per Template:Marriage instructions--->}}}} | children = 7, including [[Gary Lewis (musician)|Gary]] | website = {{URL|jerrylewiscomedy.com}} | signature = Jerry Lewis signature.svg }} '''Jerry Lewis''', born as '''''Joseph''''' '''Levitch''', (March 16, 1926 &ndash; August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, director and humanitarian. He was of [[Jewish]] descent. He was best known for acting in [[comedy]] [[movie]]s in the 1950s and 1960s such as ''[[The Nutty Professor]]''. He also helped to raise money for people with [[muscular dystrophy]], through the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Lewis was born in [[Newark, New Jersey]]. He studied at [[Irvington High School (New Jersey)|Irvington High School]] though he dropped out in his sophomore year. Lewis first became famous as part of '''Martin & Lewis''', working with singer [[Dean Martin]]. They worked together for ten years. They appeared on stage, [[radio]] and [[television]]