(CNN) Bob Einstein, whose 50-year career as a comedy writer and performer ranged from "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" to Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," has died. He was 76.

Part of a show-business family, Einstein's comedic resume included playing the fictional daredevil Super Dave Osborne, and, most recently, the dour Marty Funkhouser on David's HBO series.

His brother, writer, director and actor Albert Brooks, remembered Einstein on Twitter as "a great brother" and "a brilliantly funny man."

David, through HBO, issued a statement that said, "Never have I seen an actor enjoy a role the way Bob did playing 'Marty Funkhouser' on 'Curb.' It was an amazing, unforgettable experience knowing and working with him. There was no one like him, as he told us again and again. We're all in a state of shock."

R.I.P. My dear brother Bob Einstein. A great brother, father and husband. A brilliantly funny man. You will be missed forever. — Albert Brooks (@AlbertBrooks) January 2, 2019

Einstein's parents were both performers. His mother, Thelma Leeds, was an actress, and his father, Harry Einstein, a comic. (Brooks changed his name, joking about having been originally saddled with the name "Albert Einstein.")

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