Larry David facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Larry David
David in 2009
Birth name	Lawrence Gene David
Born	(1947-07-02) July 2, 1947 (age 78) New York City, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up television film
Education	University of Maryland, College Park (BA)
Genres	Observational improvisational black comedy insult comedy deadpan cringe satire
Subject(s)	Jewish culture everyday life human behavior social awkwardness pop culture current events
Spouse	Laurie Lennard ​ ​ (m. 1993; div. 2007)​ Ashley Underwood ​ (m. 2020)​
Children	2, including Cazzie
Relative(s)	Julie Claire (niece) Bernie Sanders (sixth cousin once removed)
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army Reserve
Years of service	1970–1975

Lawrence "Larry" Gene David (born July 2, 1947) is an American comedian, writer, actor, and television producer. He is famous for his unique sense of humor, which often focuses on awkward social moments and honest thoughts about daily life.

David began his career as a stand-up comedian. He later became a writer for the TV shows Fridays and Saturday Night Live. His biggest success came when he and Jerry Seinfeld created the popular sitcom Seinfeld. The show ran from 1989 to 1998 and won him two Primetime Emmy Awards.

After Seinfeld, David created and starred in the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm from 2000 to 2024. In the show, he plays a version of himself who often gets into funny and embarrassing situations. He has also acted in movies and plays and has made many guest appearances on Saturday Night Live, where he impersonated U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Early Life and School

Larry David was born on July 2, 1947, in Brooklyn, New York City. His parents were Rose and Mortimer David, and he has an older brother named Ken. His family is Jewish.

David went to Sheepshead Bay High School and graduated in 1965. He then attended the University of Maryland, College Park, where he earned a degree in history in 1970. In college, he realized he could make people laugh just by being himself. After graduating, he joined the United States Army Reserve for a few years.

Career Journey

Stand-up and Saturday Night Live

Before becoming famous, David worked several jobs, including as a store clerk and a limousine driver. He performed stand-up comedy at night. From 1980 to 1982, he was a writer and actor on the comedy show Fridays. This is where he first worked with Michael Richards, who would later play Kramer on Seinfeld.

From 1984 to 1985, David wrote for NBC's Saturday Night Live (SNL). He met Julia Louis-Dreyfus there, who would later star in Seinfeld. David had a hard time getting his sketches on the show. In a famous story, he quit his job in anger but then came back to work two days later, pretending nothing had happened. This real-life event inspired an episode of Seinfeld called "The Revenge".

Creating the Show 'Seinfeld'

In 1989, David and fellow comedian Jerry Seinfeld created a TV show pilot for NBC. This pilot became Seinfeld, which grew into one of the most successful TV shows ever. It was often called a "show about nothing" because it focused on the small, funny moments of everyday life.

David was a head writer and producer for the show. He also provided the voice for the character of New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. The character of George Costanza was largely based on David himself. David wrote 62 episodes, including the famous episode "The Contest", which won an Emmy Award. He left the show after its seventh season but returned to write the final episode in 1998.

Starring in 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'

David in December 2009

In 1999, David starred in an HBO special called Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm. It was so popular that it led to a new TV series, Curb Your Enthusiasm, which started in 2000. The show is largely improvised, meaning the actors make up their lines based on a story outline written by David.

In the series, David plays a fictional version of himself. His character often says and does things that lead to awkward and hilarious situations. The show became very popular and introduced the phrase "Larry David moment" to describe a socially awkward situation. The show ran for 12 seasons, ending in 2024.

Other Work and Appearances

David has also worked in movies and on stage. He starred in Woody Allen's 2009 movie Whatever Works. He also wrote and starred in the 2013 HBO movie Clear History. In 2015, he wrote and starred in a Broadway play called Fish in the Dark.

Starting in 2015, David became well-known for his impersonation of politician Bernie Sanders on Saturday Night Live. Many people thought they looked and sounded alike. Later, a genealogy show called Finding Your Roots discovered that David and Sanders are actually distant cousins.

Personal Life

David lives in Los Angeles, California. He was married to Laurie Lennard from 1993 to 2007, and they have two daughters, Cazzie and Romy. In 2020, he married producer Ashley Underwood.

David is a big sports fan and supports New York teams like the Jets, Yankees, and Knicks. He is also a supporter of the Democratic Party.

How much is Larry David worth?

It is estimated that Larry David's net worth is around $400 million. Most of his wealth comes from Seinfeld. Reruns of the show have earned billions of dollars over the years. In 1998 alone, David reportedly earned $250 million from the show's syndication deals (when other networks buy the rights to air reruns).

His wealth was even joked about on Curb Your Enthusiasm. In one episode, a character yells at him, "If you want shrimp, take your $475 million, go buy a shrimp boat."

Film and Television Roles

Film

Television