WASHINGTON - Hollywood comedian Jerry Lewis, who died Sunday aged 91, perfected a goofy brand of slapstick that endeared him to millions over the course of a career spanning six decades.

One of the most popular American entertainers of the 1950s and '60s, Lewis made his name as the clown behind such quirky comedies as "The Nutty Professor" but also won acclaim as a writer, actor and philanthropist.

The comedy legend, who at the peak of his popularity was among the world's biggest movie draws, died at his home in Las Vegas early Sunday morning.

"I can sadly confirm that today the world lost one of the most significant human beings," said his publicist Nancy Kane. "Jerry died peacefully at home of natural causes surrounded by family and friends."

Fans left flowers at the comedian's two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Honored with accolades at home and abroad, including a Nobel Peace Prize nomination and France's Legion of Honor, Lewis became known as much for his tireless efforts to promote awareness of Muscular Dystrophy as for his wacky comedy.

Over the course of 45 years, he raised some $2.45 billion for combating the disease with an annual television event.

Born Joseph Levitch in Newark, New Jersey to two entertainers, Lewis first took center stage at the tender age of five, when he performed "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" He began playing at resorts outside New York that catered to Jewish patrons, known by touring entertainers as the Borscht Circuit.

By age 15, he had assembled his own routine of lipsynching and made the rounds of New York talent agents, though to little avail.

At the age of 20, however, everything changed as Lewis embarked on arguably one of the most successful entertainment partnerships of all time with smooth crooner Dean Martin.

The two fed off each other in now-classic comedy gags, including pratfalls, slapstick and lots of seltzer water, signing a long-term contract with Paramount Pictures.

Tributes poured in Sunday from Hollywood royalty.

"Jerry Lewis was a master. He was a great entertainer. He was a great artist. And he was a remarkable man," said Martin Scorsese, who directed Lewis in 1983 film "The King of Comedy."

"That fool was no dummy," tweeted comic star Jim Carrey, who cited Lewis as an inspiration. "Jerry Lewis was an undeniable genius an unfathomable blessing, comedy's absolute! I am because he was!"

The White House called Lewis "one of our greatest entertainers and humanitarians."

"Jerry Lewis kept us all laughing for over half a century, and his incredible charity work touched the lives of millions. Jerry lived the American Dream - he truly loved his country, and his country loved him back," press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. - AFP