Underwent surgery for prostate cancer in 1992.
Was best friends with Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. They starred in Lewis' home movies after Curtis complained about the parts he was being offered by his studio.
Was close friends with comic Lenny Bruce.
Was offered the role of Jerry/Daphne in Some Like It Hot (1959), directed by his friend Billy Wilder. He declined because he didn't want to dress in drag. The part, of course, eventually went to Jack Lemmon and he received an Oscar nomination for his performance. Lewis says that Lemmon would send him chocolates every year to thank him and he now regrets not taking the role.
Was one of the co-hosts of what may have been the only Academy Awards ceremony that actually ended earlier than expected, by almost twenty minutes - The 31st Annual Academy Awards (1959) (TV). He and several other celebrities gallantly tried everything they could to improvise and fill the extra time. NBC mercifully cut the broadcast short to air a short film about target shooting until the next scheduled program began, which in most cases was the local news.
Was teamed up with Dean Martin from 1946-56.
Was voted the 50th Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly. Although he is at the bottom of this list, perhaps a bit shockingly, Charles Chaplin didn't even make the list.
Wrote 10 scripts in 10 years.
Wrote, produced, and acted in the film The Day the Clown Cried (1972) which, because of legal difficulties, has not been released as of this date (March 2009). The film is a tale of a clown in Auschwitz during WWII.