He was the original King of Comedy, the Clown Prince of Hollywood. For decades, Jerry Lewis dazzled audiences with his pratfalls and monkeyin' around, first in seedy nightclubs, then on the silver screen.

Initially, Lewis was half of a brilliant comedy duo. Paired with suave Dean Martin, the two took the nation by storm. When they parted bitterly 10 years later, Lewis kept the comedic momentum going with his solo act, bringing classic, iconic movies like The Nutty Professor to life.

This E! True Hollywood Story reveals that with every laugh, Lewis suffered silently in pain. Years of abusing his body for jokes took its toll, and the pain led to an addiction to painkillers.

Yet throughout the health scares, Lewis remained strong through humor. And he turned his star power toward helping find a cure for muscular dystrophy. His fundraising efforts, spanning more than 50 years, have brought more than $1.8 billion--yes, that's billion--to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Through two wives, seven children, many grandchildren and even great-grandchildren, Lewis says he has tried to remain a nine-year-old kid, always ready with one more goofy face or voice.

So--hey, lady!--stop what you're doing and take some time to learn about the life of a remarkable man. Sixty million French people can't be wrong.