When “Curb Your Enthusiasm” wrapped up its 24-year-run in 2024, followers have been involved it will be the final time they’d see Larry David on display screen. He had been saying the HBO sitcom was ending for the higher a part of the sequence’ run, and with Season 12 he lastly referred to as it quits. (“I stated it earlier than,” he instructed Selection on the time. “However I wasn’t 76 once I stated it.”)
However his longtime collaborator Jeff Schaffer — who, in his early 20s, joined “Seinfeld” as a author earlier than changing into a significant pressure behind the scenes of “Curb” — at all times knew David can be again on TV.
“I suppose we’re like a plague of locusts, however you don’t have to attend 17 years,” he says over Zoom forward of the premiere of “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness,” a historic sketch comedy present that he describes as “‘Curb’ in costume.” (Schaffer co-created the undertaking with David and directed all seven episodes.)
The sequence, which premiered on HBO on June 26, is government produced by Barack Obama, who additionally seems in a sketch. In typical David trend, the “Curb” star performs egocentric, petty and unfiltered males all through historical past. For each Founding Father trying to free the colonies from British tyranny, there was a Larry (usually referred to as Lawrence right here) who means that sharing desserts and umbrellas ought to be prohibited by the Declaration of Independence. And on this model of historical past, Larry takes a stand for Rosa Parks when a white bus driver calls for she surrender her seat — not as a result of Larry cares about civil rights, however as a result of he’s sitting within the aisle and doesn’t wish to rise up.
In different phrases, the present is a celebration of America’s 250th birthday, however one which smears just a little cake on the nation’s face.
I didn’t suppose I’d see one other undertaking from you and Larry so quickly after “Curb.”
“Curb” ended, and we have been batting round some concepts. Then this type of appeared. Larry will forego any alternative to do issues which can be provided to him. He’s the good foregoer. However he was on this one, and we simply began writing.
Whenever you say this concept simply “appeared,” it got here from the Obamas, proper?
Ethan Lewis at Increased Floor reached out on behalf of the Obamas. They needed to do one thing for the 250th, and Larry, who’s an American historical past buff, was within the concept of Larry going by way of historical past. To be sincere, the seeds of this began a number of years earlier after we did this business for FTX — beautiful folks, I don’t know what occurred to them. Principally, Larry went by way of world historical past, dumping on each nice invention. He remembered how a lot he favored being in costume, and he forgot how a lot he hated being in wigs.
So, Larry took a shine to this concept in a short time, in a means that Larry not often takes a shine to something. It helps that he and President Obama have a extremely good rapport, as you see within the present. From the primary assembly, it was like, “We’ve received to get these two on display screen collectively.”
Jeff Schaffer and Larry David on the premiere of “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness.”
Getty Photos for HBO
When “Curb” ended, there was a priority amongst followers that Larry may be finished with making tv. You by no means shared that concern.
Larry can’t sit nonetheless. He’s like a prostitute who has intercourse when he’s not working. He’s at all times writing and desirous about stuff. We have been really to start with levels of desirous about different issues to do after “Curb.” There was a film we have been desirous about, and there was a potential restricted sequence we have been desirous about, however this appeared interesting for a wide range of causes. One was working with the Obamas, and two was that the present had a deadline. It needed to be finished by now for the 250th.
The concept it was eventized appealed to us. We stated we’d do six episodes, and that’ll be that. It didn’t really feel prefer it had the total weight of a sequence the place you need to fear about Season 2 or Season 3. It was only a lark. However we ended up making so many sketches that we did seven episodes. Frankly, the factor that basically appealed to Larry is that he loves American historical past. He research it. This can be a man who has the Gettysburg Tackle in his rest room.
Does he actually?
Yeah, his workplace rest room has the Gettysburg Tackle. That’s the place we received that “Curb” bit from. He doesn’t wish to waste his urination time. Like his urination, these fallen troopers of Gettysburg shall not be in useless.
“Life, Larry…” has a really “Curb” sensibility. Have been these different concepts you and Larry thought of — the film and the restricted sequence — related?
We by no means stray removed from the “Curb” sensibility. Larry nonetheless has concepts. I at all times say, “Till you’ll be able to stroll outdoors and never be irritated by your fellow man, we’ll have a job.” So the query is, “What sort of vessel do you pour these concepts into?” Is it a film that has enjoyable “Curb” concepts? A restricted sequence or a historic sketch comedy?
Since “Seinfeld,” Larry’s comedy has at all times been “huge factor, little factor.” It’s like, “Hey, we’re going to get to make our personal pilot. Wait, who stole the raisins?” There’s at all times this juxtaposition of an enormous factor you ought to be caring about and the little factor that’s by some means dominating your consideration. Whenever you get into these historic occasions everyone is aware of, the large factor is already proper there in entrance of you. So we are able to simply have enjoyable with the little factor, and that juxtaposition actually tickled Larry.
To what extent is that this present scripted, in comparison with the define construction of “Curb”?
The writing course of and the capturing course of have been similar to “Curb.” There wasn’t a full script, there was a top level view. We most likely had a number of extra strains in it for historic stuff, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a top level view. After which we received enjoyable folks to return and play with Larry. All people got here in for a day — the one particular person there for 2 days was Kathryn Hahn, simply due to areas. So you’ve gotten your define, and each scene is a stay rewrite, similar as “Curb.” The factor that was totally different was the way in which we shot it. That is far more cinematic than “Curb.” Larry didn’t need them to really feel like sketches; he needed them to really feel like shorts or little films. We’re on location — we constructed the World Battle I trench and the Wright Flyer. Our manufacturing workforce and costume workforce took nice pains to make it look as actual as potential, after which we simply drop Larry in and watch all hell break free.
Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld as Lewis and Clark in “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness”
HBO
Have been there sure castings that clicked instantly whenever you have been brainstorming?
We began by writing down an inventory of huge occasions and small occasions and going, “Which one do now we have an angle for at present?” One of many first apparent issues was that Larry is the man who instructed Lincoln to go see that play. We knew that arc proper from the start, and Larry was like, “Kathryn Hahn must play Mary Todd Lincoln, and boy, it’d be humorous if Invoice Hader was Lincoln.” Once we began writing the Lewis and Clark factor, that was a few boys weekend. It had a “Honeymooners” really feel to it, and we thought, “Let’s get Larry and Jerry in a ’50s sitcom tone.”
Have been there any historic occasions you explored however finally couldn’t discover an angle for?
We performed with Yalta for some time. We had a Gold Rush sketch that we wrote and rewrote, and we couldn’t work out the ending. We put in a brand new ending and — effectively, it’s not within the present. It had humorous elements, nevertheless it didn’t have a adequate angle.
Whereas making the present, did you study something about historical past that stunned you?
There have been a complete bunch of issues. Larry goes, “We should always do a well-liked vote factor with Samuel J. Tilden.” I’m like, “Samuel J. who?” Typically doing the analysis gave us our means in. Everybody thinks Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, however there was really a committee of 5, with Jefferson and Adams and Franklin and Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston. Really all of them took the primary crack at it, so that was our angle. Larry is Robert Livingston, and that is his first draft. Our most important factor was that Larry was not often listened to, and that’s factor for historical past as a result of when he was, it was met with horrible outcomes.
A humorous factor the present illuminates is the concept folks all through historical past — even folks concerned in these world-changing occasions — have been most likely speaking about actually dumb shit and airing petty grievances.
So long as there have been folks, there have been petty complaints about folks. It’s not like speaking shit began within the twentieth century.
Larry David as Robert Livingston in “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness”
HBO
I’m interested by Obama’s position in producing the present. Did he ever use his government energy? Nobody goes to say no to the president if he asks for a sure visitor star or extra funds.
Utilizing a presidential veto to get extra money would have been superb. I want I’d considered that. “The president wants an additional three days of capturing. He calls for it.” We should always have finished that.
However the president’s enter — and [Higher Ground’s] Ethan Lewis and Joe Paulsen’s — was invaluable. From our first assembly, he had learn a complete bunch of stuff and was actually liking it. He gave a number of notes about one thing and Larry went, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, we received it.” And the president goes, “I spent a half an hour speaking about how humorous every little thing is. I provide you with one word and also you get right into a defensive crouch.” The president stated, “Once I was within the Oval Workplace, I took recommendation and listened to my advisors, and I used to be the president of the USA.” And Larry simply goes, “Yeah, however I’m the president of this.”
As you stated, this present is billed as a restricted sequence. However, if given the possibility, would you wish to do extra of it?
We had a blast. I imply, with Larry, you’re speaking in regards to the man who stated each season of “Curb” was the final season. There may be nothing he relishes greater than being finished with one thing, however he additionally by no means stops working. It’s one of many pleasant paradoxes of Larry: can’t wait to complete, at all times beginning one thing. I don’t know if sufficient time has handed the place he’s forgotten how a lot he hated being in wigs, however we’ll see. We’re going to do one thing. There’s much more historical past left on the desk, that’s for positive.
So the 2 of you’re undoubtedly not hanging up the hat after this?
No, no. Like I stated, individuals are nonetheless irritating.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
