Sadly, Jerry Lewis passed away recently, leaving a hole in the comedy world. His sense of comedic timing was nothing short of legendary and will be remembered forever.
Though he was a leading man in many films, Lewis was hardly viewed as a Golden Age Heartthrob.
In an interview with GQ magazine in 2011, Lewis was asked about his time as a comedy legend during the height of his fame with Dean Martin.
The duo was making about $15,000 a week, which in 1950 was an even bigger deal than it would be now.
"They were sensational. Magnificent," Don Rickles said of the duo. "Jerry was a wonderful all-around clown. I wouldn't say he was a great talker, but physically, facially, and everything, he was a riot. And Dean onstage was dynamite"”a charming guy. A guy with style."
But of everything the duo loved about their fame, Lewis had one thing he loved the most: his sex life.
"This is when I'm f****** everybody in Hollywood," he told GQ flatly. After Lewis and Martin split, the rumor was that Lewis would sleep with all of his leading ladies from the movies he starred in. He joked that it wasn't true, saying some of his co-stars weren't attractive enough.
But it's what Lewis had to say about Monroe that really caught the attention of the interviewer.
Lewis admitted that even though he loved his wife and their relationship was great, that didn't stop him from enjoying his time on set with the attractive women he came across.
GQ asked for a list of people he had affairs with, but Lewis wouldn't oblige. "That's not good press," Lewis commented.
However, during another story, Lewis was speaking about his good friend President Kennedy when the topic of Marilyn Monroe came up. He put the rumors of that famed affair to rest, saying it never happened. When pressed, Lewis let another bombshell drop.
"I'm telling you what I know," he exclaimed. "Never! And the only reason I know is because I did. Okay?"
Naturally, the interviewer couldn't stop asking questions.
Lewis says Monroe used sex like he used humor: to make an emotional connection. "She needed that contact to be sure it was real."
As for how the experience was? Lewis didn't hold back.
"It was..." he says, taking a beat, "long." He smiled ruefully. "I was crippled for a month."
Losing Jerry Lewis was rough, but we're sure the stories of his life will live on forever!