A Look at Larry David's Greatest Works

Larry David is a major figure in American comedy, but it took him many years—and various odd jobs—to reach that point. Born in Brooklyn in July 1947, David graduated from high school in 1965 and went on to major in history at the University of Maryland, College Park. After college, he served in the Army Reserves for five years.

In 1980, Larry David finally got his big break when he joined ABC’s late-night comedy show, 'Fridays', as a writer and cast member. David worked on Fridays for two years. During his time on the show, he worked with Michael Richards, who later starred as "Kramer" in 'Seinfeld'.

In 1984, Larry David joined 'Saturday Night Live' as a writer but saw only one of his sketches air, which landed in the final time slot before he departed the show in 1985. Nearly three decades later, David disclosed that he quit the writing role during his first season. After regretting his decision, he returned to work as if the incident had never occurred. This experience later inspired an episode in season 2 of 'Seinfeld'. In 1989, Larry David teamed up with Jerry Seinfeld to create a pilot for NBC, which eventually became the iconic sitcom 'Seinfeld'. Drawing from their personal experiences, the comedians crafted numerous memorable episodes. While primarily a writer, David also made a few cameo appearances as an actor on the show.

By 1991, David earned his first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for his work on 'Seinfeld'. The long-running series became one of the most successful shows in television history, spanning nine seasons. David departed from the series during season 7.

In 1993, two years after his first Emmy nomination, Larry David won two Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. That same year, David married his first wife, Laurie Lennard. The couple remained married from 1993 to 2007. They have two daughters together, Cazzie and Romy, born in 1994 and 1996, respectively.

In 1998, after nine successful seasons, 'Seinfeld' concluded with Larry David returning to write the series finale. Although the finale received mixed reviews and was controversial among fans, David has consistently defended the creative decisions made.

In 1999, Larry David made his solo debut with his one-hour HBO special, 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'.

In 2000, following the success of his HBO special, Larry David created the sitcom 'Curb Your Enthusiasm', which became a fictionalized portrayal of his life. David starred as himself alongside Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines, Susie Essman, J.B. Smoove, and others. 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' has received 51 Primetime Emmy Award nominations and has won two trophies.

In 2004, Larry David made a cameo appearance in the series 'Entourage' as a client of "Ari Gold" (Jeremy Piven).

In 2015, three decades after leaving 'Saturday Night Live', Larry David returned to portray Senator Bernie Sanders. In 2020, David married his second wife, Ashley Underwood, three years after they began dating.

In 2024, Larry David attended the season 12 premiere of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' in January. The following month, he mourned the loss of his friend and colleague Richard Lewis, who passed away at the age of 76 due to a heart attack. “Richard and I were born three days apart in the same hospital, and for most of my life, he’s been like a brother to me,” David told 'USA Today' in a statement. “He had that rare combination of being the funniest person and also the sweetest. But today he made me sob, and for that, I’ll never forgive him.”