You may not recognize the name Richard Lewis, but you probably know who he is.

Whether it’s his recurring role as himself on Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, his part as Prince John in Mel Brooks’ 1993 classic, Robin Hood: Men in Tights or just his appearances making the rounds on late-night television, the 61-year-old comic is no stranger to the public eye. In an interview with The Diamondback, Lewis mused about David’s lack of singing ability, the family troubles he had as a child and his preparation for Saturday’s standup performance at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium.

The Diamondback: So how are you doing today?

Richard Lewis: Oh, you know, I’ve been answering that question so long for therapists that you don’t really care, do you? Actually, I’ve had a really extraordinary five days. … Over the last 48 hours, I’ve done my favorite shows – [Late Night with] Conan [O’Brien] and The Daily Show and [Keith] Olbermann’s show.

Now I’m heading to D.C. to do a show, and it shows that I still really care. Because I have no children, I just have puppets, and that makes it easier just to care about myself and my wife. Did you hang up already, scared?

DBK: No, not yet.

Lewis: Well, I’m very proud of you. This is the University of Maryland, right? You know, Larry David went to Maryland, and he humiliated the campus. I love all great music and I love rock and roll a lot. For some reason, Larry, as brilliant as he is … he’s just clueless about rock and roll. Every now and then, Larry sings great classic rock songs, like a great Led Zeppelin song, and butchers it. Then, I can never hear it again. On the set of Curb over the last seven years, he will go out of his way to say, ‘Let’s just ruin a Beatles song for Richard.’ It’s like an ongoing battle, and he gets a real sadistic thrill out of it, which really pisses me off.

But I’ll just shut up now. The bottom line is that I’m on the road, and it’s endless. … I got married late, so I told my wife if she wanted to marry me, it’s standup and a puppet show. You have to love me if you don’t want to have kids with me. But I’m not sure if I can have kids anymore. I have frightened sperm – apparently, they were smart enough to know that I would be too indulgent with my standup and wouldn’t be the best father, so maybe it’s best for my wife. Did you ask me a question yet? You’re so going to mock me, and you know what? I deserve to be mocked.

DBK: You’ve actually answered, like, half the questions I had, and I haven’t even had to say anything yet.

Lewis: Well, I have like, 2,000 pages of material on my computer, so every show is different and I have no idea what I’m going to say when I hit the stage Saturday night. I scroll [down] about 500 pages of new material and then I ad-lib half of the show, and I really need a good audience … A lot of comedians land, eat a lobster dinner and they know what their routine is, A to Z. I’m not saying that’s wrong, but boy, would that bore the hell out of me.

When I was a young comedian, I wanted to get on stage so I could be validated for my feelings. Because I felt so isolated, basically like a wolf. My parents and my family – they didn’t mean harm, but they were in their own world. I needed strangers to validate my existence, so I could feel some authenticity and know who I am. I’ve dedicated my life to this art form. When you hang up, you are going to say, ‘I talked to such a mental case.’ And I am mental case, but I’m not in an institution, so I’m hanging out with society.

DBK: No, it’s nice, because this is honestly the easiest interview I’ve ever had to do.

Lewis: I’m a recovered drug addict, but this is like taking drugs in the middle of a desert with Dennis Hopper when he used to do drugs. I hope that I’m making some sense. I’m basically trying to say that I’m dedicated to the arts and that I can’t wait to hit the stage, whether it’s a concert hall, a casino or a nightclub. All I care about are the people who take the time to take a shower, drive and put a little bread down and watch Richard Lewis. I don’t take any of that for granted, and I am going to rip that audience to shreds.

Can you tell I’m riddled with low self-esteem? You still haven’t asked me a question and you hate me. I just castrated your entire career.

DBK: OK – so what has it been like working on Curb Your Enthusiasm with David?

Lewis: I show up, he yells at me, I yell at him and I’m home. I don’t know what it is. It’s not even acting – I feel like an extraterrestrial. All I know is that I’m glad to be part of the show and that I’ve never worked a day in my life.

Richard Lewis will perform at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium on Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at 301-808-6900.

tfloyd1@umd.edu