Larry David is an actor, writer, and producer who has cemented himself in TV history with shows like Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. In fact, the former was responsible for David gaining widespread recognition early in his career, not to mention his only two Primetime Emmy Award wins. Since his days on Seinfeld, and in between seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm, David has starred in several films and TV series, bringing his unique brand of comedy to each role he plays.
Like Chris Rock and Jim Carrey, David is a stand-up comedian turned actor. From films like Second Thoughts and Sour Grapes, he displays a talent for finding humor in even the smallest moments. With Curb Your Enthusiasm being renewed for a 12th season earlier this summer, now is as good a time as any to take a look back at David’s best movies and TV shows.
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7 Second Thoughts
Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, HBO Enterprises
Second Thoughts is a classic 80s film that follows Amy Ash, a lawyer played by Lucie Arnaz, who becomes involved with a client while her ex has not moved on from their relationship. The two end up competing for her affection in the midst of her discovering that she is pregnant. David plays the small part of Monroe Clark, and though we wish his role were bigger in the film, he ultimately proves that what they say about there being “no small parts” is true.
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6 Sour Grapes
Sour Grapes is another film that features David in a small role, but interestingly, he also directed and wrote this movie. The story follows two cousins, Richie and Evan Maxwell, who go to Atlantic City to gamble, and after Evan gives Richie two quarters, which resulted in big winnings, a feud erupts between the two about how the winnings should be divided. David gives himself three small cameos throughout the film, and delivers a comedic performance in each of them.
5 New York Stories
Touchstone Pictures
New York Stories is a film that involves the talent of three renowned directors, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Woody Allen, who all direct a different section of the movie connecting to themes of New York City. David appears in Woody Allen’s segment called “Opedius Wrecks” as a theater manager. New York Stories was relatively well-received overall, with Allen’s segment gaining the majority of the praise. In fact, Empire praised it as his “return to form” in their review.
4 The Three Stooges
20th Century Studios
The Three Stooges is a 2012 Farrelly Brothers movie that follows Moe, Larry, and Curly (played by Chris Diamantopoulos, Sean Hayes, and Will Sasso, respectively), based on the infamous film shorts from the 40s and 50s that starred the eponymous trio. David plays one of the antagonists, Sister Mary Mengele, who runs an orphanage and does not care for the trio. The movie did not get the best reception, but David’s turn as the unconventional nun was praised.
3 Seinfeld
Columbia Pictures Television
Seinfeld is one of the most famous credits in David’s filmography. The hit sitcom aired on NBC from 1989 to 1998, and starred David and Jerry Seinfeld as fictionalized versions of themselves. Over the show’s nine seasons, David starred as a stand-up comedian whose story bore parallels to his own in real-life. Seinfeld was a huge success, launching the careers of its cast, and has been influential for many other comedy shows to come afterwards.
2 Whatever Works
Sony Pictures Classics
Whatever Works was directed by Woody Allen, and follows a professor living in New York City named Boris Yelnikoff (David). He becomes involved with a woman, who is new to the city, named Melody (played by Evan Rachel Wood). The script for the film was actually written by Allen in the 70s, but the movie wasn’t made until 2009. This is perhaps why, upon its release, it received largely negative reviews for its seemingly outdated feel. Nevertheless, David fit perfectly within Allen’s sensibilities as a writer and director, turning in another memorable performance.
1 Curb Your Enthusiasm
Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, HBO Enterprises
Curb Your Enthusiasm is David’s latest and longest-running success. He created the series for HBO in 2000, drawing from his own experience in order to tell the story of a semi-retired TV writer and producer in Los Angeles. Heading into its 12th season, Curb Your Enthusiasm was an instant hit upon its premiere, and has only steadily grown in popularity since. For David, the series is his most decorated work today, effectively underscored by its willingly to shine a light on the film industry in a way we haven’t seen before.
