Where does the character Larry David begin and where does the interpreter Larry David begin? It is not easy to answer this question. And perhaps that is the key to why he is one of the most praised actors and his work, one of those that generates the greatest interest. Born in 1947, this comedian began his career as a scriptwriter on television programs, some as renowned as ‘Saturday Night Live’, possibly the most famous comedy show in the United States, later transferred to other parts of the world. No one doubts that it was a great school for everything that was to come.
And what was to come was one of the most relevant series of the 20th century, ‘Seinfeld’. Starring Jerry Seinfeld, the comedy was intended to be an autofiction with creative license in which the protagonist and David would pour out their own experiences and in which they would work with artists with whom they had already collaborated in previous projects, such as Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The central figure is a stand-up comedian. Seinfeld and David knew what they were talking about. But he could have been a doctor or a flower seller. The intention of that work was to talk about everyday life, day-to-day relationships, and the most basic problems. It was described on many occasions as a great “show about nothing.” And even today it continues to be remembered for laying the foundations for the sitcoms of the 90s and for putting the chosen family as the central axis, as opposed to the imposed one, something that would later be repeated ad nauseam in later titles. It remained on the air for nine seasons and was recognized with awards such as the Emmy and the Golden Globe.
In the wake of that, ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ would be born years later – for regular viewers ‘Curb’ -, in which David plays himself, or at least someone quite similar to him. Because in the end it is about putting in the mirror the life in Los Angeles of a creator and producer of television series with his ups and downs. In other words, what is placed in front of the mirror is the Western society of our days and its miseries. Several portable cameras follow him to glimpse his reactions to absurd situations, unexpected encounters or simply to observe how he interacts with his loved ones. Not always in an adequate way. Because ultimately this has a lot to do with that – with ‘Seinfeld’ – although this time the spied subject is David. And why do you like this character so much? Because the series is presented as a window that opens, like a curtain that is drawn so that we can witness someone who in theory has nothing to do with us but who reacts and is suggested like us. Larry David -the character- is one of ours, with his virtues and his defects. Sometimes we like to recognize ourselves in it, other times it scares us, and sometimes it simply amuses us, which is no small thing.
The David in front of the screen is due to the David behind the screen, to his ability to create and expose himself, since the experiences of one are based on those that the other has lived. To weigh ideas, to pass filters, to not repeat yourself, you need time. For this reason, the seasons of the series have not always followed each other with a fixed periodicity. In total eleven seasons have been released. Five years passed between the end of the eighth and the ninth, enough for him to arrive with renewed ideas. And let’s hope there are many more to come. There is a lot of society to unmask.
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