Larry David
Template:Short description Template:Good article Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox comedian Lawrence Gene David (born July 2, 1947) is an American comedian, writer, actor, and television producer.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> He is known for his dry wit, portrayals of awkward social situations, and brutally honest takes on everyday life. He has received two Primetime Emmy Awards as well as nominations for three Golden Globe Awards and six Screen Actors Guild Awards. He received the Writers Guild of America's Laurel Award in 2010.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
David started his career as a stand-up comedian before transitioning into television comedy, where he wrote and starred in ABC's Fridays (1980–1982) and wrote briefly for Saturday Night Live (1985–1986). He gained prominence and acclaim when he and Jerry Seinfeld created the NBC sitcom Seinfeld (1989–1998). He won two Primetime Emmy Awards in 1993, for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He gained further recognition for creating, writing, and starring in the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000–2024).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Since 2015, David has made guest appearances on Saturday Night Live impersonating 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who is his sixth cousin once removed.<ref name="Worland">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="npr.org">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="variety">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He has also acted in three films directed by Woody Allen, including Radio Days (1987) and Whatever Works (2009), and the HBO movie Clear History (2013). On stage, he made his Broadway debut writing and starring in the comedic play Fish in the Dark (2015). He has written several comedic pieces for The New Yorker and The New York Times.
Early life and educationEdit
David was born on July 2, 1947, in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. His parents are Rose (née Regina Brandes) and Mortimer Julius "Morty" David, a men's clothing manufacturer, and he has an older brother, Ken.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> David's family is Jewish. His American Jewish father's family moved from Germany to the U.S. during the 19th century. David's mother was born into a Polish-Jewish family in Ternopil, now in Ukraine; her mother's family name was Superfein.<ref name="FYR 10-3-17">Template:Cite episode</ref>
David graduated from Sheepshead Bay High School, now defunct and operating as Frank J. Macchiarola Educational Complex, in 1965. A sign with his photo is displayed in one of the complex's hallways. He then attended the University of Maryland, College Park, where he was a brother in Tau Epsilon Phi.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts in history.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> At college, he discovered that he could make people laugh simply by being himself.<ref name="FYR 10-3-17" /> After college, David joined the United States Army Reserve and received training as a petroleum storage specialist.<ref>My War, by Larry David. The New York Times via Internet Archive. Published February 15, 2004. Retrieved August 22, 2011.</ref> To avoid the final year of his six-year enlistment, he paid a psychiatrist to write a letter declaring him unfit for duty.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
CareerEdit
1980–1987: Stand-up and SNLEdit
While a stand-up comedian, David also worked as a store clerk, limousine driver, and historian. He lived in Manhattan Plaza, a federally subsidized housing complex in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, across the hall from Kenny Kramer, the inspiration for the Cosmo Kramer character in Seinfeld.<ref>McShane, Larry. "The real Kramer says actor no racist: But Richards is 'paranoid,' 'very wound-up'" Template:Webarchive, Chicago Sun-Times , November 26, 2006. Accessed August 11, 2009. "The real Kramer lived for 10 years in a Hell's Kitchen apartment across the hall from Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, and his life became the framework for Richards' quirky, bumbling Seinfeld sidekick."</ref> From 1980 to 1982, David became a writer and cast member for ABC's Fridays, where he worked with Michael Richards, who later played Kramer on Seinfeld.<ref name="odds">Template:Cite news</ref>
From 1984 to 1985, David was a writer for NBC's Saturday Night Live (SNL) and met Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who also worked on the show during this period.<ref name="last laugh">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="odds" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During his time at SNL, he was able to get only one sketch on the air, which aired at 12:50 am, the show's last time slot.<ref name="last laugh" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> David quit his job at SNL in the first season, angrily disparaging the quality of the show to producer Dick Ebersol, only to show up to work two days later as if nothing had happened.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> That event inspired the second-season Seinfeld episode "The Revenge".<ref>Template:Cite video</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He can be heard heckling Michael McKean when McKean hosted SNL in 1984, and can be seen in the sketch "The Run, Throw, and Catch Like a Girl Olympics" when Howard Cosell hosted the season finale in 1985.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Transcript of Michael McKean's monologue Template:Webarchive, voice of audience member: Larry David</ref> In 1987, David was a writer and performer for Way Off Broadway, a variety talk show on Lifetime hosted by Joy Behar.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
1989–1998: Breakthrough with SeinfeldEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} In 1989, David teamed up with comedian Jerry Seinfeld to create a pilot for NBC called The Seinfeld Chronicles, which became the basis for Seinfeld, one of the most successful shows in history,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> reaching the top of TV GuideTemplate:'s list of the 50 greatest TV shows of all time. Entertainment Weekly ranked it the third-best US TV show of all time. David made occasional uncredited appearances on the show, playing such roles as Frank Costanza's cape-wearing lawyer and the voice of George Steinbrenner. He was also the primary inspiration for the show's character George Costanza.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> David left Seinfeld amicably after the show's seventh season and returned two years later to write the series finale in 1998.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He also continued to voice Steinbrenner.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
David wrote 62 Seinfeld episodes, including 1992's "The Contest", for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award and which TV Guide ranked as episode Template:Abbr 1 on its list of "TV's Top 100 Episodes of All Time".<ref>"TV's Top 100 Episodes of All Time" TV Guide; June 15, 2009; Pages 34–49</ref> He has also been involved in other films and television series. David wrote and directed the 1998 film Sour Grapes, about two cousins who feud over a casino jackpot. It was neither a commercial nor a critical success.<ref name="sour grapes">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He has also appeared in bit roles in Woody Allen's Radio Days (1987) and New York Stories (1989).<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
1999–2024: Curb Your Enthusiasm and acclaimEdit
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The HBO cable television channel aired David's one-hour special, Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm, on October 17, 1999.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This was followed by Curb Your Enthusiasm, an HBO television series whose first episode aired on October 15, 2000.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The show revisits many of the themes of Seinfeld<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and is improvised from a story outline only several pages long written by David (and, from the fifth season onward, additional writers).<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
The actors improvise their dialogue based on the outline and direction. David has said that his character in the show, a fictionalized version of himself, is what he would be like in real life if he lacked social awareness and sensitivity.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The character's numerous and frequent social faux pas, misunderstandings, and ironic coincidences are the basis of much of the show's comedy and have led to the entry into the American pop culture lexicon of the expression "Larry David moment", meaning an inadvertently created socially awkward situation. Curb Your Enthusiasm has been described as depicting "the things nobody wants to say, but wish they could".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The show is based on David's life following the fortune he earned from Seinfeld; semi-retired, he strives to live a fulfilled life.<ref name="mexico" /> Alongside David is his wife Cheryl (Cheryl Hines), his manager and best friend Jeff (Jeff Garlin), and Jeff's wife Susie (Susie Essman). Celebrities, including comedians Richard Lewis, Wanda Sykes, and Bob Einstein, appeared on the show regularly. Actors Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen have had recurring roles as themselves.<ref name="mexico">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The show is critically acclaimed and has been nominated for 30 Primetime Emmy Awards, with one win, as well as a Golden Globe win. In the first six seasons, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jason Alexander appear in several episodes, and Jerry Seinfeld has a cameo. In season 7, the cast of Seinfeld, including Michael Richards, return in a story arc involving David's attempt to organize a Seinfeld reunion special. On June 2, 2010, the series premiered on the TV Guide Network, its network television debut. TV Guide Network also produced a series of related discussions with high-profile guest stars, media pundits, and prominent social figures called "Curb: The Discussion" debating the moral implications of each episode. David is quoted as saying "Finally, thanks to the TV Guide Network, I'll get a chance to watch actual, intelligent people discuss and debate the issues addressed on 'Curb'. Now if only someone could tell me where this alleged 'Network' is, I might even watch it."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The show's 12th and final season premiered in January 2024.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
David played the leading role in Woody Allen's 2009 comedy film Whatever Works alongside Evan Rachel Wood.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> He had a cameo appearance on the HBO series Entourage as a client of Ari Gold, and because his daughters were Hannah Montana fans, David and his daughters guest-starred as themselves in the episode "My Best Friend's Boyfriend", in which they wait for a table at a fancy restaurant.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> David appeared as a panelist on the NBC series The Marriage Ref and also played Sister Mary-Mengele in the 2012 reboot of The Three Stooges.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He co-wrote and starred in the 2013 HBO television film Clear History. David wrote and starred in the Broadway play Fish in the Dark. Also appearing were Rita Wilson, Jayne Houdyshell, and Rosie Perez. The play centers on the death of a family patriarch. It opened on March 5, 2015. Jason Alexander took over David's role in July. The play closed in August.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="fish">Template:Cite news</ref> As of February 1, 2015, its advance sale of $13.5 million had broken records for a Broadway show.<ref name="fish" />
Portrayal of Bernie SandersEdit
Since 2015, David has made multiple guest appearances portraying 2016 and 2020 United States presidential election candidate Bernie Sanders on Saturday Night Live; he also hosted the show on February 6, 2016, with musical guest The 1975 and a cameo by Sanders himself, and on November 4, 2017, with musical guest Miley Cyrus.
In 2017, PBS's Finding Your Roots discovered through genealogical research that David and Sanders are distantly related. Sanders told David the news. "I was very happy about that," David said, according to Variety. "I thought there must have been some connection." The comedian explained that Sanders is "a third cousin or something".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="variety" /> He is in fact David's sixth cousin once removed.<ref name="variety"/><ref name="Worland"/><ref name="npr.org"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
On January 8, 2020, David joked on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, "I would say, I would beg him [Bernie] to drop out so I don't have to keep flying in from Los Angeles to do SNL. I thought when he had the heart attack that would be it, I wouldn't have to fly in from Los Angeles. But, you know, he's indestructible. Nothing stops this man!" He later added, "If he wins, do you know what that's going to do to my life? Do you have any idea? I mean, it will be great for the country—great for the country, terrible for me."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
"My Dinner With Adolf" essay and controversy (2025)Edit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} On April 21, 2025, The New York Times published an opinion essay by David titled "My Dinner With Adolf".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Framed as a fictional 1939 dinner between the narrator and Adolf Hitler, the satirical piece uses dark humor to explore how personal charm can dangerously obscure the true nature of monstrous people. Without directly naming any contemporary figures, the essay mirrors the language Bill Maher used when describing his dinner with Donald Trump. Despite being a longtime critic of Trump, Maher characterized Trump as "gracious and measured" in private.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
InfluencesEdit
David has named Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Phil Silvers, Abbott and Costello, Jackie Mason, Alan King, Don Rickles, and Mad magazine as influences.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
Personal lifeEdit
David lives in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. He was married to Laurie Lennard from 1993 to 2007.<ref name="birthname">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> They have two daughters, Cazzie David and Romy David.<ref name="birthname" /> Larry and Laurie became contributing bloggers at The Huffington Post in 2005.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2017, David was introduced to producer Ashley Underwood at a birthday party for Sacha Baron Cohen. They married in 2020.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> David's niece is actress Julie Claire, who appears in Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref>
David is an atheist<ref>Dolan, Deirdre (2006). Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Book. Gotham Books. p. Front Matter.</ref> and an avid sports fan. A native New Yorker, he supports the New York Jets, Yankees, Knicks, and Rangers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> David is also a supporter of the Democratic Party.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2010, he wrote an article for The New York Times criticizing the extension of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. He ended the article with a sarcastic thank-you to then-President Barack Obama for approving the extension.<ref name="cut">Template:Cite news</ref>
WealthEdit
In 2013, Charlie Rose estimated David's net worth at around $500 million.<ref name="absurd">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Two years later, two other estimates put the number between $400 million<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and $900 million.<ref name="billion">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2020, National Review offered an estimate of about $400 million.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Most of David's wealth originates from syndication deals of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm, the former having netted $3.1 billion in rerun fees as of 2013.<ref name="billion" /> The syndication of Seinfeld earned David an estimated $250 million in 1998 alone.<ref name="richest">Template:Cite news</ref> In 2008, David was reported to have grossed $55 million, mostly from Seinfeld syndication and work on Curb Your Enthusiasm.<ref name="richest" /><ref name="forbes">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
David's net worth was parodied in a 2001 episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, "The Shrimp Incident", in which HBO executive Allan Wasserman yells at David: "If you want shrimp, take your $475 million, go buy a shrimp boat."<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref>
In a 2015 interview with CBS, David confirmed that his 2007 divorce reduced his wealth by half in the community property state of California.<ref name="absurd" /> "I have a lot of money", he said, but added that the "figures out there are crazy".<ref name="absurd" />
Legal issueEdit
David was among several celebrities who appeared in commercials for the cryptocurrency exchange FTX that aired during Super Bowl LVI.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In November 2022, FTX filed for bankruptcy, and David, alongside other spokespeople, were sued in a class-action lawsuit.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In February 2022, the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a lawsuit against Bitconnect that the Securities Act of 1933 extends to targeted solicitation using social media.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
FilmographyEdit
FilmEdit
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | It Happened at Lakewood Manor | Extra in crowd near hotel |
| 1983 | Can She Bake a Cherry Pie? | Mort's Friend |
| Second Thoughts | Monroe Clark | |
| 1987 | Radio Days | Communist Neighbor |
| 1989 | New York Stories | Theater Manager |
| 1998 | Sour Grapes | Studio Executive/Annoying Doctor/Singing Bum |
| 2009 | Whatever Works | Boris Yelnikoff |
| 2012 | The Three Stooges | Sister Mary-Mengele |
| 2013 | Clear History | Nathan Flomm |
| 2015 | Misery Loves Comedy | Himself |
| 2016 | The First Monday in May | |
| All the Rage | ||
| 2017 | Where Have You Gone, Lou diMaggio? | |
| Miracle on 42nd Street | ||
| Long Shot | ||
| 2021 | The Super Bob Einstein Movie | |
| 2023 | Albert Brooks: Defending My Life |
TelevisionEdit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980–1982 | Fridays | Various | 54 episodes; also writer |
| 1984–1985 | Saturday Night Live | 7 episodes; also writer | |
| 1987 | It's Garry Shandling's Show | Wrote episode: "Sarah"; Credited as Mac Brandes | |
| 1987 | Way Off Broadway | Various | Also writer |
| 1989–1998 | Seinfeld | George Steinbrenner / Newman (voices)Template:Efn | 180 episodes; co-creator, writer and producer |
| 1993 | Love & War | Himself | Episode: "Let's Not Call It Love" |
| 1999 | Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm | One-hour special; also creator, writer and executive producer | |
| 2000–2024 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Also creator, writer and executive producer | |
| 2004 | Entourage | Episode: "New York" | |
| 2007 | Hannah Montana | Episode: "My Best Friend's Boyfriend" | |
| 2011 | The Paul Reiser Show | Episode: "The Father's Occupation" | |
| 2012 | Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee | Himself (guest) | Episode: Larry Eats a Pancake |
| 2013 | Clear History | Nathan Flomm | Television film; also writer and producer |
| 2014 | TripTank | Himself (voice) | Episode: "Roy & Ben's Day Off" |
| 2015 | The League | Future Ruxin | Episode: "The Great Night of Shiva" |
| 2015–2020 | Saturday Night Live | Himself (host) / Bernie Sanders | 15 episodes |
| 2015 | SNL40: The Anniversary Special | Himself | Television special |
| 2016 | Maya & Marty | Himself | Episode: "Jimmy Fallon & Miley Cyrus" |
| 2022 | Toast of Tinseltown | Sola Mirronek | Episodes: "Anger Man" and "The Scorecard" |
| 2025 | SNL50: The Anniversary Special | Himself | Television special |
| SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night | Himself | Episode: "Written By: A Week Inside the Writers Room" |
TheaterEdit
| Year | Title | Role | Theatre | Notes | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Fish in the Dark | Norman Drexel | Cort Theatre, Broadway | Also writer | citation | CitationClass=web
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Written worksEdit
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Awards and nominationsEdit
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David has received numerous awards, including two Emmy Awards, three Producers Guild of America Awards, and three Writers Guild of America Awards. He has been nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and six Screen Actors Guild Awards. Fellow comedians and comedy insiders voted David the 23rd-greatest comedy star ever in a poll to select The Comedian's Comedian.<ref name="poll">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
NotesEdit
ReferencesEdit
Further readingEdit
- Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Good: Larry David and the Making of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm by Josh Levine (ECW Press, 2010)
External linksEdit
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