Larry David
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Larry_David.jpg
Larry David (born July 2 1947) is an American actor, writer, producer, and film director from Brooklyn, New York. David is credited for co-creating and writing for the television series, Seinfeld. In addition, he created and stars in the HBO series, Curb Your Enthusiasm.
David, a former standup comedian, was a writer and cast member for ABC's Fridays television series from 1980 to 1982, and a writer for NBC's Saturday Night Live from 1984 to 1985. During his entire time at SNL, David only got one sketch included in the show — the last sketch of the night (where the weaker sketches are usually scheduled). David acted minor parts in two Woody Allen films, Radio Days (1987) and Oedipus Wrecks (1989).
In 1989, David teamed up with comedian Jerry Seinfeld to create The Seinfeld Chronicles for NBC. The show was later retitled simply Seinfeld, and became one of the most successful shows in television history. David appeared on the show many times as minor characters, including the voice of George Costanza's boss, George Steinbrenner. Larry David was the primary inspiration for the character of George Costanza on Seinfeld. David left Seinfeld, on amicable terms, after the seventh season. However, he returned to write the series finale in 1998.
David wrote and directed the 1998 film Sour Grapes, about two cousins who feud over a casino jackpot. It was not a commercial success.
In 1999, the HBO cable television channel aired David's special, Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm, a hybrid work using story outlines and improvised dialog, shot in a documentary style. Before it aired, HBO had suggested that David commit to a series using the same method. The result, entitled Curb Your Enthusiasm, first aired in 2000. It revisits many of the themes first brought up in Seinfeld.
In 2004, David's Curb Your Enthusiasm show was credited with helping clear a Los Angeles man named Juan Catalan of a death penalty murder case. Catalan, who was arrested on suspicion of murder, maintained his innocence, saying he was at a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game on May 12, 2003, during the time of the slaying. During the game, an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm was being shot in Dodger Stadium which contained footage of Juan Catalan with his daughter. When told that his show had released a wrongfully accused man, Larry David commented in a New Yorker article, "I tell people that I've now done one decent thing in my life. Albeit inadvertently." Template:Ref
In 2005, David was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in the "Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series — Musical Or Comedy" category, for his work on the show. In the same year, fellow comedians and comedy insiders, in a poll to select The Comedian's Comedian, voted him amongst the top fifty greatest comedy acts ever.
David graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park (Class of 1970) with a degree in history.
Since May 2005 he's been a contributing blogger at The Huffington Post.
References
External link
- Template:Imdb name
- Picture of Larry in cast of Fridays (http://whak.com/?url=ca.geocities.com/fridaysalways/index.htm)
- Larry David interview (http://www.kennykramer.com/LarryDavidInt.html)
- New Yorker Article about Larry David (http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?040119fa_fact)
- My War by Larry David (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/15/opinion/15DAVI.html?ex=1392181200&en=b2e2b0a395fc9eb4&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND)
- Onion A.V. Club interview of Larry David (1998) (http://www.theonionavclub.com/feature/index.php?issue=3315&f=1)