WRITER · BORN 1947
Larry David
- Born
- 2 July 1947, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
- Known for
- Seinfeld (1989), New York Stories (1989)
16 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Larry David (born 2 July 1947) is a producer best known for Seinfeld and New York Stories.
16 Interesting Facts About Larry David
Interesting Facts (10)
- #001
During his stand-up comedy days, Larry David once walked on stage, looked over the audience, felt he had made no connection with them, said 'This isn't going to work,' and immediately walked off without telling a single joke. The incident is a striking anecdote showing his stage fright and his sensitivity about connecting with an audience.
- #002
Many stories in Seinfeld (1989) are based on events from Larry David's real life. For example, George returning to a job he had quit a few days earlier and acting as if he had never left was inspired by David's own experience. Such personal observations form the basis of the series' humorous treatment of the absurdities of daily life.
- #003
Larry David worked as a writer on Saturday Night Live (1975) for one season. Of the sketches he wrote that season, only one aired, and it was the last sketch of the night. Although this experience was one of his first steps in television writing, it laid the groundwork for him to develop his own creative vision later.
- #004
Wherever he goes, Larry David carries a notepad and pen, recording his ideas — usually spontaneous observations arising from interactions with people in real life. This habit forms the basis of his comedic approach, allowing him to capture even the ordinary moments of daily life from a humorous perspective.
- #005
Larry David, who as co-creator of Seinfeld (1989) amassed a fortune estimated by Forbes at over 200 million dollars, says that despite this wealth he has developed an allergy to caviar. He calls the situation 'a perfect metaphor for my life,' since this unexpected wealth, coming after years as a failed stand-up comedian, is an irony to him.
- #006
Larry David was the inspiration for the character George Costanza in Seinfeld (1989). The character's surname, however, was taken from Michael Costanza, an acquaintance of Jerry Seinfeld in real life. David's own personality traits and life experiences shaped George's neurotic and inept nature.
- #007
The popularity of Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000) led the term 'Larry David moment' to enter the American pop culture lexicon. The term means inadvertently causing a socially awkward situation. The series' success brought David's sense of humor to a wide audience and the concept began to be used in everyday language as well.
- #008
Larry David was a cast member on the TV series Fridays (1980). Another cast member on the show was Michael Richards, who would later play the character Kramer on Seinfeld (1989). This brought the two together and laid the foundation for their later collaborations, playing an important role in Seinfeld's success.
- #009
The surname of the character Elaine in Seinfeld (1989) was borrowed from Larry David's friend Terry Benes, a TV producer in Manhattan. This detail shows the series' tendency to draw on real life in naming its characters. Elaine's character portrays a strong and independent woman based on David's observations.
- #010
Larry David was once a neighbor of Kenny Kramer. Kenny Kramer is the real person who inspired the character Kramer on Seinfeld (1989).
Behind the Scenes (1)
- #011
Larry David served in the United States Army Reserve. This military experience formed an important period in his life and gave him a different perspective that he could later use as comedy material. His time in the military may also have influenced his relationship with discipline and authority.
Characters & Cast (1)
- #012
Roger Ebert gave zero stars to Sour Grapes (1998), Larry David's first feature film, which he both wrote and directed; it was a rating Ebert reserved for films he found especially bad and described as 'bad.' David responded to the review with his new series Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000). In the series, the thumbs of a food critic who used the thumbs-up/thumbs-down method in his reviews are accidentally broken by the character David played during a game of catch. Ebert loved the series, but recalled flinching while watching the thumb-breaking scene.
Life & Family (4)
- #013
Larry David is a distant cousin of the American politician Bernie Sanders. The family tie rests on their shared Jewish origins and has contributed to David occasionally including political references in his humor.
- #014
On the program Finding Your Roots (2012), Larry David learned that his paternal great-great-great-grandfather Henry Bernstein moved from Mittelfranken in the Bavarian region of Germany to Mobile, Alabama, in the mid-1800s. He also learned that Henry owned slaves and fought for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. This information revealed important and thought-provoking details about David's family history.
- #015
Larry David is the father of Cazzie David, born in 1994, and Romy David, born in 1996. His daughters hold an important place in his private life and occasionally appear in his humor as well. Cazzie David went on to pursue her own career as a writer and actress.
- #016
Despite growing up in Brooklyn, Larry David has always been a New York Yankees fan. However, he has a friendly relationship with Boston Red Sox owner John Henry, his neighbor on Martha's Vineyard, and attended his wedding.
Related pages
- Martin Scorsese — Larry David comes up in the facts on that page
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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