Movie Reviews from the Dark

by Blake J. Harris

No one should question whether a biography on Larry David is justified. Very few have achieved the level of success he’s had over the past thirty-plus years with not just one, but two of the most popular TV shows in history … one of which regularly appears on the lists of all-time bests. No, the only real question comes down to whether that’s worth 550 pages. As a huge “Seinfeld” fan and one who found much of his backstory quite interesting, I’ll admit, in Larry David language … it’s just too much.

Biographer and bestselling author Blake J. Harris divides the book into five sections, although it’s really three: David’s backstory and climb (approximately 200 pages), the “Seinfeld” era (the next 250 pages), and finally, the details on “Curb Your Enthusiasm”. Not surprisingly, the most interesting section is the first which details Larry David’s upbringing and years spent as a struggling stand-up comedian working to find his place, his voice, and his audience. He even worked as a taxi driver … he says, “because it was easy.”

Another ‘not surprising’ fact is that Larry David initially balked at the idea of a biography, imagining no one would be interested. It’s stated that there are ‘few things in life he enjoyed more than being left alone’. After relenting, off-and-on discussions between David and the author spanned nearly five years, producing some remarkable and detailed stories that all seem to fit the comedian, actor, and writer we’ve come to admire and tolerate. Reading about his bizarre approach to stand-up combined and his propensity for walking off stage mid-set if he was not satisfied with his material or the audience makes his ultimate success all the more impressive.

Despite being acknowledged by fellow comedians as ‘the least likely to succeed’, we learn about his comedy influences (Woody Allen and Mel Brooks), as well as a lifelong friendship with comedian Richard Lewis – the man likely most responsible for keeping David in the game. Observational humor, in contrast to what many say, is not ‘about nothing’. Larry David spent years taking notes on names, events, incidents – some seemingly meaningless to many. Those people and occurrences often fed the stand-up and later formed the foundation for characters, scenes, and episodes of “Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm”.

For a guy making the rounds at comedy clubs in New York, it was only a matter of time before he crossed paths with an up-and-comer named Jerry Seinfeld. The two would later create TV history together, but there’s so much more to the story. Larry David’s relationship with a fellow named Kenny Kramer became a cloudy mixture of real life and comedy, ultimately leading to one of the most outrageous TV characters anyone had ever seen … well that and David’s time on the comedy skit show “Fridays”, where he worked with a bizarre comic named Michael Richards.

“Seinfeld” fans will not only enjoy the stories about PROGNOSIS NEGATIVE, a movie script Larry David wrote, but also the numerous other bits of inspiration that led to some of the show’s most memorable lines, characters, and scenes. It is likely that many devotees of “Seinfeld” are unaware of the initial hurdles of the pilot, “The Seinfeld Chronicles”, what caused the title change, and how the show continued to secure another chance (on numerous occasions). These early challenges surely say more about network executives than about the creative forces of Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. The original idea of how a comedian gets his material seems like an obvious hit now, but in those days couldn’t have been more of a question mark. The multiple chapters on “Seinfeld” are informative and detailed, sometimes overly so. We get casting stories, as well as how it went from three leads to four. The stories speak not just to the success of the show, but also to the minds of its creators.

The “Curb Your Enthusiasm” section details what came next for Larry David after the rousing success of “Seinfeld”. It also put him front and center as an actor, something he had avoided with the previous show (except for the man in the cape and Steinbrenner’s voice). The casting stories come together here and we learn Cheryl Hines was previously Rob Reiner’s personal assistant at Castle Rock. ‘Curb’ gave Larry an outlet for the mounds of material he collected and provided a platform for his alter-ego … the one most assume is the real Larry David. Of course, the show became a bit of a crossover with the “Seinfeld” regulars making frequent appearances on ‘Curb’, giving credence to the rumors that the actors (not just Jerry) had bonded nicely in their previous venture with Larry David.

“Seinfeld ran for 172 episodes over nine seasons, while “Curb Your Enthusiasm” had 120 episodes over 12 seasons. This book from Blake J. Harris is thoroughly researched and goes quite deep on details for the two shows and for Larry David’s backstory. He’s quick to give credit to other behind-the-scenes folks (e.g., Larry Charles), which feeds right into the final shocker: Larry David is a pretty decent guy in real life. Sure, he’s a professional perfectionist sometimes filled with anxiety, but his observational skills and comedic instincts are gold, I tell ya’. If all that somehow isn’t enough, we even get an OJ Simpson story which may be the biggest surprise of all.

Available on Amazon beginning October 20, 2026