Larry David Biography

Summary

"Lawrence Gene 'Larry' David" (born July 2, 1947) is an American actor, writer, comedian, producer, and film director. David is the co-creator and producer of two successful television comedies, "Seinfeld" (1989-1998) and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (1999-present), which has recently finished filming its seventh season.

In 1989, he teamed up with Jerry Seinfeld to co-create the television series "Seinfeld", where he also acted as head writer and executive producer. David's work won him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1993. In 1999, he created the HBO series "Curb Your Enthusiasm", a mostly improvised sitcom in which he stars as a fictionalized version of himself.

Formerly a standup comedian, David went into television comedy, writing and starring in ABC's "Fridays", as well as writing briefly for "Saturday Night Live". He was voted by other comedians the 23rd-greatest comedian of all time in the Channel 4 poll "The Comedians' Comedian".

Biography

David was born to a Jewish family in the neighborhood of Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from Sheepshead Bay High School and then the University of Maryland, with a bachelor's degree in history (1969) and then in business (1970).

While a standup comedian, David worked as store clerk and a TV repairman to pay his bills. He lived in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan across the hall from Kenny Kramer, the inspiration for the Cosmo Kramer character in "Seinfeld". David then became a writer for and cast member of ABC's "Fridays" from 1980 to 1982, and a writer for NBC's "Saturday Night Live" (SNL) from 1984 to 1985. During his time at SNL, he was able to get only one sketch on the show, which aired at 12:50 AM, the last time slot on the show. David quit his writing job at SNL midseason, only to show up to work a few days later acting as though nothing had happened. That plot inspired a second-season episode of "Seinfeld" entitled 'The Revenge.' David met his future "Seinfeld" stars during that early stage of his career: He worked with Michael Richards (Kramer) on "Fridays" and with Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine) during his one-year stint as a writer on "SNL". He can be heard heckling Michael McKean when McKean hosted the show in 1984, and he can be seen in the sketch 'The Run, Throw, and Catch Like a Girl Olympics' when Howard Cosell hosted the season finale in 1985.

David married Laurie Lennard on March 31, 1993. They have two daughters—Cazzie and Romy—and lived in Pacific Palisades, California. Like her counterpart in "Curb Your Enthusiasm"—Cheryl David (played by Cheryl Hines)—Laurie is an environmental activist. From May 2005, both Larry and Laurie were contributing bloggers at The Huffington Post. On June 5, 2007, the couple announced their intention to amicably separate. Laurie David filed for divorce on July 19, 2007, citing irreconcilable differences and seeking joint custody of the couple's two daughters.

Career

Seinfeld

In 1989, David teamed up with comedian Jerry Seinfeld to create NBC's "The Seinfeld Chronicles". Later retitled "Seinfeld", the program became one of the most successful shows in United States television history. David occasionally appeared (uncredited) on the show, playing roles such as George Steinbrenner and Frank Costanza's lawyer, and he was the primary inspiration for the show's George Costanza character. David left "Seinfeld" on amicable terms after the seventh season but returned to write the series finale in 1998, two years later. He continued to provide the voice for the character of George Steinbrenner.

As well as re-writing and re-working all of the show's scripts with Jerry during the first seven seasons, Larry himself wrote/co-wrote 57 episodes during the entire run of 180.

Syndication and DVD releases of "Seinfeld" alone have earned David an estimated US$250 million. He was nominated for an Emmy award 19 times for "Seinfeld", winning twice—once for best comedy and once for writing.

"Curb Your Enthusiasm"

David in New York City's , 2009.

The HBO cable television channel aired David's 1-hour special, "Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm", on October 17, 1999. This was followed by "Curb Your Enthusiasm", a television series on HBO that aired its first episode on October 15, 2000.

It revisits many of the themes first brought up in "Seinfeld". The show is improvised, with the actors receiving a synopsis of their scene for them to act out. David has commented that his character in the show, which is a fictionalized version of himself, is what he would be like in real life if he lacked social awareness and sensitivity. Indeed, fictional Larry's numerous and frequent social faux pas and misunderstandings are the basis of much of the show's comedy and have led to the expression 'Larry David moment,' meaning inadvertently creating a socially awkward situation, entering the American pop culture lexicon.

The basis of the show is Larry's life now that he has earned a fortune and has very little to do in semi-retirement. Alongside David is his wife Cheryl (played by Cheryl Hines), his manager and best friend Jeff (played by Jeff Garlin), and Jeff's wife Susie (played by Susie Essman). Celebrities including comedians Richard Lewis, Bob Einstein, and Wanda Sykes have featured on the show regularly. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, whom Larry had worked with on Seinfeld, has made several appearances as herself. Also from Seinfeld, Jason Alexander has appeared on the show, and Jerry Seinfeld has appeared in the first special as well as in cameo capacity. Actors Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen have had recurring roles as themselves.

Other projects

Apart from David's major roles in creating "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm", 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. He has also appeared in minor parts in two Woody Allen films—"Radio Days" and "New York Stories". David stars in Woody Allen's New York–based comedy film titled "Whatever Works". Because his daughters are "Hannah Montana" fans, David, along with them, guest-starred in the episode 'My Best Friend's Boyfriend' as themselves. In this episode, they are waiting to get a table at a fancy restaurant. David also had a cameo appearance on the HBO series "Entourage" as a client of Ari Gold.

Awards

David was nominated in 2003 for a Golden Globe Award in the 'Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series – Musical Or Comedy' category, for his work on "Curb Your Enthusiasm". He was nominated for the same category and series again in 2005 and 2006. In the same year, fellow comedians and comedy insiders voted him number 23 of the top 50 greatest comedy acts ever in a poll to select 'The Comedian's Comedian.' David was nominated for a 2006 Emmy Best Actor Award.