Blake J Harris, a journalist and documentarian, has written a biography of Larry David titled Emperor of Nothing: The Making of Larry David. Harris, who describes himself as a "proud Jew", explored David's roots from his Brooklyn Jewish upbringing to his work on Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Despite extensive interviews with David, Harris found that the comedian rarely discussed what being Jewish meant to him as a writer.
Harris's book project began in 2020, and he met with Jeff Schaffer, a Jewish writer and director who worked on both Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Schaffer facilitated conversations between Harris and David, who values his privacy and didn't initially think he was "book-worthy". Harris used a "George Costanza-style scheme" to gain David's trust, initially discussing the New York Yankees, a subject they both loved.
Harris conducted numerous phone and Zoom calls with David during the COVID-19 pandemic and even visited Los Angeles to meet with him in person. He spent time on the set of the final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm and appeared as an extra in the show's finale. Despite these efforts, Harris said David didn't talk much about Judaism in their interviews, citing influences such as Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, and Nat Hiken.
David was born at Brooklyn Jewish Hospital in July 1947 and attended Hebrew school, where he was frequently sent to the rabbi's office. His father, Morty, worked for a clothing business connected to the infamous Jewish organised crime group Murder, Inc. David's early career in stand-up comedy in New York City and television saw him cross paths with famous Jewish performers, including Jerry Seinfeld and Carol Leifer.
David occasionally mined his Jewish background and neuroses for comedy bits, expressing shock about finding out that David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam killer, was Jewish. On the short-lived sketch show Fridays, David appeared as an Orthodox rabbi and kung fu master in a sketch about a public-access show called Enter the Matzoi. His co-star in the sketch was Michael Richards, who later starred as Kramer in Seinfeld.
Seinfeld became one of the most successful sitcoms in television history, dominating the ratings in the 1990s and spawning a vast cultural vocabulary. The show's finale, on May 14, 1998, was a national television event watched by 76 million Americans. Although David's character, George Costanza, was a stand-in for him, he rarely appeared on camera. This changed with Curb Your Enthusiasm, which featured numerous episodes about Jewish life in Los Angeles.
Curb Your Enthusiasm explored themes of Jewish identity, including episodes about rabbis, synagogues, and Jewish country clubs. The show even tackled sensitive topics like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the "Palestinian Chicken" episode. Harris's book provides a detailed look at David's career but leaves unanswered questions about his Jewish identity and its influence on his work.
Key points
- Larry David's biographer, Blake J Harris, struggled to discuss the comedian's Jewishness despite extensive interviews.
- Harris's book, Emperor of Nothing: The Making of Larry David, explores David's roots and career but leaves Jewish identity questions unanswered.
- David's Jewish upbringing and influences are evident in his work, but he rarely discussed their significance in interviews.
