'Curb Your Enthusiasm' star Bob Einstein dead at 76

Actor Bob Einstein, star of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and many other credits, died at age 76 (Getty Images)

Bob Einstein, who starred as Larry David's pal Marty Funkhouser on "Curb Your Enthusiasm," died Wednesday, his manager confirmed to Fox News.

He was 76 years old.

Einstein reportedly had been diagnosed with cancer shortly before his death.

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Before "Curb," Einstein made a name for himself as not just an actor, but also a writer, winning his first Emmy in 1969 for Oustanding Writing Achievement in Comedy, Variety or Music for "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour."

Bob Einstein, pictured here on an episode of HBO's 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' also created the Super Dave Osborne character. (HBO)

Einstein initially pursued a career in advertising but was discovered when Tom Smothers spotted him performing on a local access cable show as a favor for a pal.

Einstein was 26 at the time, and reportedly said of the experience, “I go over and now I’m sitting and watching rehearsals and my mind is burning and all of sudden out of nowhere I want this, a bee has stung me in the back, and I want this.”

After working with The Smothers Brothers, Einstein — older brother to fellow actor and writer Albert Brooks — created the character Super Dave Osborne, who appeared in various series from 1979 to 2009.

Brooks posted a tribute to Einstein on Twitter Wednesday, writing, "R.I.P. My dear brother Bob Einstein. A great brother, father and husband. A brilliantly funny man. You will be missed forever."

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" writer David Mandel also tweeted about the loss.

"Very sad," he wrote. "Got to work with him on #Curb. Had heard he was sick. Will never forget him telling @jerryseinfeld the dirty joke about the newlyweds."

Actor Richard Lewis also eulogized the late actor on social media.

"I knew him forever," Lewis wrote on Twitter. "His long career is hard to match. His role on #curbyourenthusiasm was excruciatingly brilliant! Our cast and crew will be devastated. He was so loved. He told me how much he loved LD and Curb. RIP buddy."