Saturday Night Live has an incredible list of famous alumni, and it is often forgotten that Julia Louis-Dreyfus is on that list. Her 3 years on SNL (Seasons 8-10) are often overshadowed by her role as Elaine Benes on Seinfeld, a show that broke away from the typical sitcom formula and made her a household name. Louis-Dreyfus truly got her big break from the SNL scouts, leaving Northwestern University after getting tapped to be SNL’s youngest player at the time. However, the Veep actress recently got real honest about how hard SNL was, and revealed the one person who made her time in Studio 8H more bearable.

SNL might seem like a well-oiled machine these days, but it took 50 years to get there. In a conversation at the Cannes Film Festival this past week, the Seinfeld alum told The Hollywood Reporter the early 80s was a rough era for the famous sketch show. All of SNL’s inaugural cast was gone, including creator Lorne Michaels, who took a hiatus from the show from 1980-1985, leaving an “incredibly competitive” power vacuum behind-the-scenes for the 21-year-old Louis-Dreyfus to navigate. The Thunderbolts actress described a jarring introduction to the entertainment industry during her SNL tenure, involving a lot of “extracurricular activities”:

It may seem like a ridiculous concept now given SNL is such a consistent staple of the American TV landscape, but at the time, SNL was still a young show, trying to regain its footing and figure out its new identity.

For the most part, Louis-Dreyfus was part of some pretty successful SNL casts, which included Billy Crystal, Eddie Murphy, Martin Short, and Jim Belushi, and as a natural born performer, she could hold her own. But the You Hurt My Feelings actress described the environment behind-the-scenes as every man for himself, emphasis on the man part, saying it was a very “male-centric staff.”

Louis-Dreyfus’ sunshine in the storm, although I highly doubt he’s ever been described as such, was meeting writer Larry David. The Curb Your Enthusiasm star joined the sketch comedy show behind the scenes for the 10th season, Louis-Dreyfus’ last season on the show, and seemingly clicked.

At the Aspen Ideas Festival last week, Louis-Dreyfus told Sam Fragoso of Talk Easy that she and David bonded over their shared grievances: that no one knew what was funny, no one understood their shared humor or their sketches, and that they weren’t being put on air. After 2 years of struggling to be seen at 30 Rock, Louis-Dreyfus told THR she found good company in Larry David:

Things worked out well for the writing-player duo though, with David hiring Louis-Dreyfus to join one of the best sitcoms of all time. Perhaps the other SNL writers should have listened more to the Seinfeld stars, because their comedy style was clearly a hit with audiences.

While it’s disappointing to hear these two legendary comedians had such a rough time on the iconic NBC sketch show, I’m glad it brought their genius minds together, leading to incredible TV collaboration through the years. Both David and Louis-Dreyfus did eventually return to Studio 8H, with the Veep star hosting 3 separate times, and the Seinfeld co-creator appearing as a recurring guest during the 2016 election cycle to impersonate Bernie Sanders. I honestly hope they’ve healed some of their early SNL trauma, as I’d love to see them reunited in the place that started it all!

The holiday season is always a great time of year to reflect back on the highs and lows of Seinfeld, as the iconic NBC sitcom is largely responsible for "Festivus" entering mainstream pop culture as a non-Christmas way to kick off the end-of-year celebrations. While Festivus 2025 has officially passed, Jerry Seinfeld revealed a reunion that took place on Christmas Eve that has already delighted plenty of fans of the sitcom, who now have more to enjoy than just rewatching episodes with a Netflix subscription.

Jerry Seinfeld reunited with Seinfeld costar Julia Louis-Dreyfus and co-creator Larry David on Christmas Eve, and the three were evidently sharing enough laughs that it was difficult to capture a photo with all three of them looking right at the camera. The stand-up comedian/actor's caption suggests that a good time was had by all. Take a look:

Would Jerry and Elaine be sharing Christmas Eve together if Seinfeld was still on the air in 2025? The show's finale back in 1998 was notoriously divisive, to the point that Jason Alexander had to defend it all over again in 2019 after the Game of Thrones backlash. Still, there's a reason why it remains one of the best shows to binge-watch on Netflix, and fans can have fun imagining what Jerry, Elaine, and the rest would be up to nearly thirty years after that finale.

It's a sign of the enduring love for the series that Jerry Seinfeld's Instagram comment section is full of comments that range from nostalgia to quotes from memorable episodes of the sitcom. Check out just some of them:

• claudio14off_s: "Happy Festivus for the rest of us❤️"
• seinfeldepisodes: "Another Festivus miracle!"
• tatofalciano: "This is gold, Jerry. Gold!!!"
• pathgirlnyc: "You want a Christmas card?! Here’s your Christmas card!"
• relevantseinfeld: "This is my Mount Rushmore."
• i_wantmydaddys_records: "Please do a reunion season. Or a movie or something."

I'm guessing that plenty of the people in Jerry Seinfeld's comment section would agree about the appeal of a reunion season, and there may even be a wider audience nowadays than back in the '90s thanks to Netflix shelling out a lot of money for the streaming rights to all nine seasons. Even if a revival never happens a la Frasier or Will & Grace, a Seinfeld movie would surely get plenty of attention.

Personally, I think a reunion special similar to what CBS produced for Everybody Loves Raymond would be great, and even a fun option for the holiday season in 2026 for a Festivus celebration. It at least looks like Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreygus, and Larry David are still on very good terms! Seinfeld is out in 4K UHD as of 2024.

Both actors appeared in several episodes of Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm, with the HBO series also featuring Jason Alexander and Michael Richards for a Season 7 episode, fittingly called "Seinfeld," in 2009. (In case that's the closest that fans ever get to a Seinfeld reunion, you can find the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode streaming with an HBO Max subscription now.)

For now, fans can at least enjoy the photos from Jerry Seinfeld to show the mini Seinfeld reunion, even if nothing new is ever produced on the small screen. You can also obviously revisit the original series on Netflix any time.

After nearly a quarter-century on television, Curb Your Enthusiasm came to an end last year with 12 seasons and 120 episodes... but if you were thinking that Larry David was just going to ride off into the sunset after making his second hit comedy series, you were wrong. The TV icon and co-creator of Seinfeld has worked out a deal to develop a brand new show at HBO, and this project is not only wildly different than Curb, but it sees David collaborating with President Barack and Michelle Obama's production company Higher Ground.

The project was announced today via press release, and while the show doesn't have an official title yet, it's being described as a "half-hour sketch comedy limited series" that will poke fun at American history. The timing of the development is apropos, as the idea is that it will be ready to premiere for 2026 – the 250th anniversary of the United States.

The show is being scripted by Larry David and Curb Your Enthusiasm's Jeff Schaffer, who will not only co-writing scripts but is also an executive producer and will be directing.

The official statement from Larry David about the show's development has been released, and it's a delight unto itself – with shots fired in the direction of Jeff Bezos and his star-studded wedding thrown in for extra fun. Says David,

I didn't realize that taking retirement advice from recent Jason Statham movies was a thing, but Larry David makes me believe it.

Beyond David's involvement, it's unclear who else will specifically be starring on the show, but the HBO press release promises notable names. As you probably expected, there will be other Curb Your Enthusiasm stars in the mix (nobody is specifically mentioned), and the sketch series will also feature "noteworthy guest stars."

It will be curious to see how the show comes together, if not especially because Larry David got his start in sketch comedy. Prior to the creation of Seinfeld, the comedian hot his small screen start as a writer and performer on the short-lived show Fridays (which also featured Seinfeld star Michael Richards), and after that show was cancelled, he went on to be one of the writers on Saturday Night Live.

Be on the look out for more about the Curb Your Enthusiasm follow-up here on CinemaBlend in the coming months as more information about the show is made available – and if you're now in the mood for some Larry David-centric laughs, you can watch all 12 seasons of his hit premium cable comedy with an HBO Max subscription.

Josh Allen and Hailee Steinfeld are officially married! Six months after announcing their engagement, the Buffalo Bills quarterback and the Oscar-nominated actress tied the knot May 31 at an upscale resort in California. It’s unknown how many of Allen’s teammates or Steinfeld’s A-list co-stars made the guest list, but there was one attendee seen at the event who I found a bit unexpected — Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Larry David.

But He's A ... JETS Fan?!

The comedian, whose 12-season HBO series wrapped in 2024 with a great homage to Seinfeld, was photographed at Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Allen’s wedding Saturday night, per the New York Post. It’s unknown what Larry David’s connection is to the couple, but it might be more likely that he has Hollywood ties to the actress, especially considering his NFL rooting interests.

See, that’s where it gets a little confusing, because the Seinfeld co-creator is a huge fan of the New York Jets, who just happen to be rivals of Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills in the AFC East. The Bills didn’t make it to the Super Bowl last season, but Allen dominated Larry David’s Jets and the rest of the division en route to winning the NFL MVP award. Hopefully, the comedian and the quarterback didn’t engage in any Curb Your Enthusiasm-style awkwardness!

I would love to get more details in coming days not only about Larry David’s appearance at the wedding but other guests and happenings from the couple’s big day. Photos show the bride walking down the aisle in a strapless, white wedding gown accessorized with opera gloves and a long tulle veil over her up-do.

America Has Fallen For Hailee Steinfeld And Josh Allen’s Love Story

Josh Allen and Hailee Steinfeld were first connected in May 2023, though they kept their relationship pretty private until November 2024, when they shared photos from their proposal. While the actress said she was completely surprised when the QB took a knee, Allen revealed later how dangerously close she came to actually guessing his snap count.

America fell in love with the couple and how Josh Allen swooned over Hailee Steinfeld’s impact on his football season and then how he supported her through Sinners’ release. Their relationship has become so popular that Hallmark decided to center a movie around it.

Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story, coming to the 2025 Hallmark calendar this Christmas, will be the second installment in the series that partners with the NFL. After last year’s A Chiefs Love Story — inspired, of course, by Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s romance — the sequel will star Alexandra Daddario’s brother, Matthew, along with Holland Roden as the romantic leads in a story presumably unrelated to either the first movie or the real-life couple.

Quite a few people related to the Buffalo Bills have already been confirmed to be making an appearance in the movie, including head coach Sean McDermott, legendary quarterback Jim Kelly and players Ray Davis, Damar Hamlin, Dion Dawkins, Dawson Knox, Reid Ferguson, DeWayne Carter and Joshua Palmer.

There’s no word on whether or not Josh Allen and/or Hailee Steinfeld might have a cameo in A Bills Love Story, but 2024’s version of Holiday Touchdown did feature Travis Kelce’s mom, Donna. Perhaps there’s a small comedic role in there somewhere for a Jets-loving contrarian? Only time will tell, but until that movie hits the 2025 TV schedule, our congratulations go out to the newlyweds.

Over the five decades that Saturday Night Live has been a staple of late-night television, it has been responsible for some of the funniest impressions of political figures in popular culture. It's invented words, like "strategery," and never failed to get the public talking. Some of the greatest cast members in the show's history have played the most famous and infamous politicians in United States history. This list is hardly exhaustive; that would be impossible, but they are some of the best.

Bill Clinton - Phil Hartman

Phil Hartman was one of the most versatile performers in SNL history and had some amazing moments on the show. He could do it all, including impersonating President Bill Clinton. In 1992, he appeared on one of the true classic skits that sees Clinton on the campaign trail, meeting people at a McDonald's. Most of the time, he's just stealing fries and taking bites of people's food.

George W. Bush - Will Ferrell

Who will ever forget Will Ferrell uttering the word "strategery" during an SNL debate? Ferrell's George W. Bush is a classic. He portrayed the former president as a little dimwitted, but generally affable. While "Dubya" is smarter than he lets on, he is certainly easygoing, just as Ferrall played him. He was so good as Bush that he later played him in a one-man show after leaving SNL and has occasionally returned to the show, as well.

Al Gore - Darrell Hammond

Will Ferrell's George W. Bush is legendary, and like all the best performances, he needed a partner to play the foil, and Darrell Hammond's portrayal of Al Gore, Bush's opponent in 2000, was perfect for the role. Like Gore himself, Hammond's take on the former VP was very dry - but make no mistake, it's pitch perfect and hilarious.

Sean Spicer - Melissa McCarthy

When Melissa McCarthy first appeared on SNL as Donald Trump's press secretary Sean Spicer, she completely stole the show. Though she wasn't a full cast member, the impression was so funny, she returned a number of times to reprise it. It's impossible not to die laughing when she starts shoving gum in her mouth, playing on one of Spicer's own habits.

Gerald Ford - Chevy Chase

The first cast member to send up a president was Chevy Chase, who became legendary for his performances as then-president Gerald Ford. Chase basically played Ford as though the president was a complete idiot, and while that might not be exactly what Ford was like, it didn't matter, because it was hilarious whenever Chase played him. Just don't make him do any math.

Vladimir Putin - Beck Bennett

Occasionally, Saturday Night Live branches out into foreign politics, and in recent years, we've had the pleasure of watching Beck Bennett as a shirtless Vladimir Putin. Is it a spot-on impression? No, but no matter, it perfectly mocks Putin's machismo that is so often on display in Russian propaganda, including his lack of shirt in pretty much every appearance.

Janet Reno - Wll Ferrell

Cast members playing across genders has a long tradition at SNL, and that certainly applies to political impressions on the show. Take, for example, Will Ferrell's hilarious impression of former attorney general Janet Reno. Especially the "Janet Reno's Dance Party" skit. Though Ferrell says he regrets the impression these days, it still should be appreciated for what it was in its time.

Ben Carson - Jay Pharoah

Jay Pharoah is hands down one of the greatest impressionists who has ever graced the SNL studio. He never failed to land just about any impersonation he took on, like former Republican presidential candidate and neurosurgeon Ben Carson. Pharoah perfectly captured Carson's sleepy appearance and gentle manner.

Michael Dukakis - Jon Lovitz

Like Al Gore, former Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis was often criticized for being too dry and too much of a policy wonk. Jon Lovitz nailed the former Massachusetts governor perfectly by playing him in an almost boring manner. It wasn't boring to watch during the 1988 election, however.

Newt Gingrich - Chris Farley

Saturday Night Live legend Chris Farley wasn't known for his impressions, but that doesn't mean when he did them, they weren't top-notch. In fact, his Newt Gingrich was so good, he was even invited by House Republicans to perform as the former Speaker of the House. Right in front of the man himself! Of course, Farley nailed it.

Donald Trump - James Austin Johnson

Everyone and their brother thinks they can nail an impression of Donald Trump, but none do it better than James Austin Johnson on SNL. A ton of cast members (and guest stars) have "done" Trump in the past, including most famously Alec Baldwin, but if we're honest, none of them come close to Johnson's. It's all about the subtleties.

Sarah Palin - Tina Fey

When Sarah Palin first emerged as a vice presidential candidate in 2008, fans of the show and its former head writer and star, Tina Fey, started clamoring for her to come back to do an impression of the Alaskan governor. Fey did, of course, and in the process made the impersonation legendary. She even returned in 2018 to reprise the role.

Bob Dole - Norm Macdonald

The best thing about Norm McDonald's impersonation of Senator Bob Dole was just how little the SNL star did. It was basically just McDonald holding a pen in his hand, as Dole did, and calling himself "Bob Dole" in the third person a lot. It's absolutely hilarious.

Jimmy Carter - Dan Aykroyd

Jimmy Carter, who some would argue might be the best person to ever be president, but none would argue he was particularly effective as a president. That's exactly how Dan Aykroyd played him, too. He was a great man, willing to help out anyone he could, but maybe a little out of his depth as the leader of the free world.

Hillary Clinton - Amy Poehler

You have to wonder just how much Amy Poehler took from her impression of Hillary Clinton into her Parks & Rec character, Leslie Knope. We know Leslie idolized Clinton, just as it seemed Poehler did, especially when they appeared together on the show in 2016.

Joe Biden - Kevin Nealon

Years before Joe Biden became VP, and hence a regular target of SNL, he was a senator from Maryland leading the Senate's investigation into Clarence Thomas when Thomas was nominated for the Supreme Court. The hearings were front-page news, and SNL landed an amazing skit with Kevin Nealon playing the younger Biden.

George H. W. Bush - Dana Carvey

For Gen X, there is no more famous impersonation than Dana Carvey's George H.W. Bush. His version of the 41st president was a little nerdy, but very forthright. He also copied some absolutely classic lines, like "1000 points of light," that have become cultural touchstones. Carvey has done a lot of impressions for SNL, both as a cast member and later as a guest star, but Bush I remains his most famous.

Ted Kennedy - Phil Hartman

The great Phil Hartman may best be remembered for his version of Bill Clinton, but his take on Senator Ted Kennedy in the famous skit about Clarence Thomas' Supreme Court hearing was at least as good and really, really funny. It's always fun to do a Massachusetts accent, even for Hartman.

Bernie Sanders - Larry David

For over a decade now, Saturday Night Live has been great at bringing in guest stars to do the biggest political players these days. One of the most hilarious was when they convinced former SNL writer and Seinfeld co-creator Larry David to play Bernie Sanders. David seemed to enjoy his time playing the independent Senator from Vermont, but he admitted later he would not have wanted Sanders to win and have to play him more than he did.

Ross Perot - Dana Carvey

The 1992 Presidential election was a wild one. George H.W. Bush, was the incumbent, and he was challenged by and young upstart named Bill Clinton. A third candidate, Ross Perot, jumped into the race with a self-funded career as a financial centrist. Dana Carvey was already famous for his Bush, and he added Perot to his repertoire during this election, too.

David Paterson - Fred Armisen

One of the more underrated impressions has to be Fred Armisen's version of the former governor of New York, David Paterson. To some, it was offensive, but Paterson himself seemed to be ok with it, as he joined Armisen for an appearance in one skit.

Donald Trump, Jr - Mikey Day And Alex Moffat - Eric Trump

Sure, usually the kids of Presidents are off-limits for sketch comedy, but when they are such visible members of the campaign, like Eric and Donald Trump Jr. were, they are fair game. Alex Moffat and Mikey Day aren't really perfect impressions, but they are hilarious.

Ronald Reagan - Phil Hartman

Early in his SNL career, Phil Hartman did an amazing impression of Ronald Reagan. The skit shows Reagan as a kindly old man, much like the image he projected to the public, but things changed when the eyes were off Reagan in the script, and he was a ruthless leader with all kinds of schemes.

Elizabeth Warren - Kate McKinnon

Emmy Award winner Kate McKinnon has dozens of amazing sketches in her SNL portfolio. She was legendary in her time on the show for her impressions, including such political luminaries as Hillary Clinton and Kellyanne Conway. One of her best has to be Elizabeth Warren, who McKinnon got to play for a little bit when Warren ran for president in 2020.

Cory Booker - Chris Redd

Cory Booker was an up-and-coming Senator from New Jersey when he through his hat into the presidential ring in 2020. Chris Redd did a very funny impression of the former Newark mayor that emphasized Booker's wide eyes.

Jeanine Pirro - Cecily Strong

Though she was a local politician early in her career, Jeanine Pirro is most famous for her Fox News talk show. On Saturday Night Live, Cecily Strong nailed Pirro's unique speech pattern and made the impression incredibly effective and funny.

Rudy Giuliani - Kate McKinnon

Before he went overboard after Donald Trump's loss in 2020, Rudy Giuliani was one of the most popular politicians in the country. After his wild claims of election interference in 2020, he lost a lot of that respect. That's the version of Giuliani that Kate McKinnon played brilliantly in the aftermath of the election.

Richard Nixon - Joe Piscopo

Early on in SNL's history, Richard Nixon was played by Dan Aykroyd. In the mid-80s, the role was picked up by Joe Piscopo, who, frankly, was even better than Aykroyd. Nixon is one of those celebrities that everyone thinks they can imitate, but it takes real skill to do it as well as Piscopo did on the show.

Barak Obama - Jay Pharoah

Jay Pharoah is one of the most talented mimics in SNL history, and his most famous impression has to be Barack Obama. He crushes the part every time he does it. Though Pharoah had a falling out with the producers on the show, he'll forever be remembered as the show's best Obama.

Paul Simon - Al Franken

We just had to include this one. Even though Paul Simon, a Democrat from Illinois, isn't really remembered by anyone born after 1990, he was a prominent member of the committee that held the Clarence Thomas hearings in '91. For the now-famous skit on SNL, he was portrayed by none other than Al Franken, who himself would later be elected to the Senate.

Michael Bloomberg - Fred Armisen

Fred Armisen's Michael Bloomberg is pretty much pitch-perfect for the smart, but sometimes whiny-sounding former mayor of New York. Armisen captured both sides of Bloomberg perfectly. It's not as famous as "The Californians," but it was still a spot-on impression.

Jeff Sessions - Kate McKinnon

Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions was one of the most prominent members of Donald Trump's first cabinet, and s,o of course, he had to get his comeuppance on SNL. Kate McKinnon had the hono,r and like all the other impressions she did on the show, she nailed Sessions.

Have you ever gone out to dinner and the evening didn’t go according to plan? I think we’ve all been there before. Between the food, the service and the conversation, there’s a lot that can go wrong. Let the record show comedian David Spade can commiserate. The popular actor somehow found himself having a dream dinner following the SNL musical special a few weeks ago with a table full of absolute legends, but what should have been an all-time memory turned into a night of recurring frustrations.

Spade was apparently supposed to have dinner with Chris Rock, but at the last minute, Rock told him plans were changing and they were instead going to dinner with a bunch of other celebrities who also attended the SNL 50 event including Paul McCartney. Sounds great, right? Well, much to his frustration, Spade found himself several seats away from the former Beatle and spent the entire night trying to hear stories and getting distracted by waiters during every key punchline. Here’s his hilarious recollection…

One of my favorite things about David Spade is how both relatable and unrelatable he is. He’s done like fifteen seasons of network TV and has been the star of a bunch of memorable comedies, but he’s also less famous than a bunch of his friends like Adam Sandler and Chris Rock. He told the above story during a recent episode of Fly On The Wall, the podcast he hosts with Dana Carvey, and in a way, it feels like a microcosm of every episode. The two of them come off like normal dudes who somehow got famous and go about their lives having these amazing adventures but reacting to them exactly how most of us would, except with more wit.

Unfortunately for Carvey, he got sick prior to SNL 50 and wasn’t able to appear. He certainly would have given how often both he and Spade have been making cameos on the regular show lately, but sadly for him, he missed out on the chance to crank his neck and lean in to try and hear Sir Paul McCartney talk about the good old days. What could have been.

Spade, however, did not miss out on the festivities. He appeared in John Mulaney’s wild musical sketch (the same one where Jenna Ortega got her personal space invaded), getting a really funny line when he just went back to his seat before it was over, and he obviously got a ton of fun interactions with plenty of legends of the game. He’ll probably be telling that story for years too, just as the rest of us would.

Hollywood is a tough place to get your big break. Many actors struggle for years before they finally hit it big. These stars put in the effort and stuck with it until they finally became huge stars after they turned 40. Stars like Steve Carell, Kathy Bates, Alan Rickman, and many more actors like them are household names now, but it took them years to get there.

Steve Carell

Like so many other people Steve Carell started his career at Second City in Chicago. He then kicked around television for a while, with roles on the Dana Carvey Show and eventually at The Daily Show. It's when he left that show to head the cast in The Office that his career exploded and he became one of the most beloved stars on earth.

Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson has one of the most impressive resumes in Hollywood, but it took him a long time to get there. His first credit came in 1972 when he was 24, but it would take another two decades or so, after a series of smaller roles in the late '80s, that he would land the role of Jules Winfield in Pulp Fiction and have his career completely explode.

Alan Rickman

The late, great Alan Rickman started acting in theater in the mid-70s, finding regular roles throughout the early '80s. Then, in 1988, at age 42, he made his feature film debut in a little movie called Die Hard. To this day, Hans Gruber is a legendary villain. He would go on to star in dozens of movies, most notably the Harry Potter films, before passing away in 2016 at age 69.

Betty White

Though Betty White had a little success in her 30s with her eponymous TV show for NBC in the '50s and minor hit Life with Elizabeth in the same decade, it really wasn't until after her 40th birthday in 1962 that she really rose to big stardom. After her 50th birthday, she was cast in the Mary Tyler Moore Show, and after her 60th birthday, she teamed up with Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty in the role she's probably best known for today in Golden Girls.

Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman was born in 1937, but it would take almost 50 years for the legend to truly break out in film. After working here and there as a dancer and as a stage actor in the 1960s and '70s, he scored his breakout role in 1987's Street Smart, starring alongside Christopher Reeve. His performance earned him the first of his Oscar nominations and by 1989's Glory, Freeman was a bonafide star.

Bea Arthur

Like her Golden Girls co-star Betty White, major success came later for the great Bea Arthur. Though she was a steadily-working actor starting in the 1940s, it wasn't until she played the character Maude Findlay, first in All In The Family, then her own spinoff called Maude, that Arthur reached the heights of fame. She was nearly 50 at that point, but her star never faded after that.

Brian Dennehy

Brian Dennehy didn't set out to be an actor. After serving in the Marines and graduating from Columbia University in 1965 with a degree in history, he caught the theater bug and started working in regional theater. In 1983, after a few smaller roles, he scored his first big role as the sheriff in First Blood at age 45.

Kathryn Joosten

Kathryn Joosten is best known for playing the beloved Mrs. Landingham in The West Wing and like her character, her real-life story is truly inspiring. She spent the first half of her life first as a nurse, then as a stay-at-home mom, raising two kids. At the age of 42, after divorcing her husband, Joosten began working in local theater in her hometown of Chicago. At age 53, she moved to Orlando and became a performer at Disney World. Soon after she moved to Hollywood and started landing parts in TV. Amazing.

Kathy Bates

Though she made her film debut in 1970, it would be more than two decades later, after working in theater and in bit TV parts, before Kathy Bates would become a star. It was, of course, he now-legendary performance as Annie Wilkes in Misery that would vault her to stardom. Truly one of the best female villains in Hollywood history.

Bryan Cranston

Most people certainly think first of Breaking Bad when they hear the name Bryan Cranston and with good reason. Cranston was 52 when he first starred as Walter White. Of course, that wasn't his breakout role, which came eight years earlier when he starred as the dad in Malcolm In The Middle ]. While he has been acting in movies and TV for years, it was that role, after his 40th birthday, that really put him on the map.

Viola Davis

EGOT winner Viola Davis found success on the stage first, winning two Tonys before turning 40. In 2008, at age 43, she was nominated for an Oscar for her role in Doubt, but it was 2011's The Help, for which she was nominated for another Oscar, that vaulted her to superstardom.

Rodney Dangerfield

Rodney Dangerfield has one of the best stories of perseverance in Hollywood history. Though technically his career started in the 1930s, his stand-up was so bland that he eventually gave up and became a salesman. In the 1960s, he re-invented himself and his act and it was a hit, with some of the best one-liners of all time. Suddenly the guy that got no respect was getting respect by talking about how he got no respect! It wasn't until 1980, at almost age 60, that Dangerfield landed his first starring role in a movie, in Caddyshack.

John Mahoney

John Mahoney started his career as the "old guy" at the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago. After years as an English teacher, the future Frasier star gave up his career and started acting in his late 30s. By the late 80s, well into his 40s, he was landing roles in movies like Say Anything... and Moonstruck.

Jane Lynch

It's easy to say that Glee was the project that really made Jane Lynch famous, but she got her big break before that when she found her way into the Christopher Quest universe, where she was responsible for some of the wittiest one-liners in Best In Show.

Ricky Gervais

Ricky Gervais took a roundabout way to comedic fame. He started in music, moved to radio, and eventually found his way onto the popular British show The 11 O'Clock Show. It was in 2001, however, at age 40 when he co-created and starred in The Office. The rest is well-known history.

Michael Emerson

Michael Emerson took the very long trail to fame, and his story is inspirational. He struggled for years as an actor, first in New York, then later in Florida where he taught acting as well. He stsarted landing work in the theater in the late '90s, but got his big break in a guest spot on The Practice in 2001. Of course, he's best known for playing Ben on Lost.

Peter Dinklage

Though he found steady work in the early '00s, Peter Dinklage really shot to superstardom when he was cast as Tyrion Lannister in Game Of Thrones when he was 42. Today, that character is still, and will likely always be, one of the most beloved in TV history. Tyrion also happens to the character who appeared in the most episodes of Game of Thrones.

Larry David

Larry David's career had a lot of ups and downs in the early years. His first major gig was as a writer on SNL, though he didn't find much success there. At age 42, in 1989, he co-wrote a TV pilot for what became Seinfeld and his career took off. On screen, after playing a few minor roles onSeinfeld, he found even more fame with HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Melissa McCarthy

While she did have some big supporting roles in her 30s in Gilmore Girls and Samantha Who?, Melissa McCarthy's career exploded when she started as Molly in Mike & Molly, in 2011, at age 41, she co-starred in Bridesmaids, where she completely stole the show, earning an Oscar nomination in the process.

Margo Martindale

Margo Martindale has become one of the best character actors in Hollywood, but it took her a long time to get there. She worked in community theater for years before she regularly started landing TV roles in her late 30s. After her 40th birthday, her career took off with dozens of memorable supporting roles in both film and TV.

Leslie Jones

Saturday Night Live is generally thought of as a young person's game. Most cast members join very early in their careers and by the time they are 30, they are moving on to other things. Leslie Jones is an exception to that. She didn't join the cast until she was nearly 50, but she made an immediate impact. Since leaving the show, she's continued to star in things like 2016's Ghostbusters and Coming 2 America in 2021.

Ty Burrell

Modern Family took the world by storm when it debuted in 2007 and one of the leads of the show, Ty Burrell, became a huge star. This came after years in Hollywood in supporting roles and, eventually, a starring role in the short-lived show Out of Practice. It was Modern Family that made him a household name.

Octavia Spencer

Octavia Spencer started landing bit parts and supporting roles in the mid-90s, but it was 2011's The Help that put the Academy Award-winner on the map, after her 40th birthday. Not only did she win for her role in The Help, but she's been nominated for others as well, including for her work in Hidden Figures and The Shape of Water.

Patrick Stewart

While Patrick Stewart steadily found work in the theater and in smaller supporting roles in TV and film, it wasn't until he was cast as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987 that he became a household name. He was 47 at the time and he's only gotten more famous as he's gotten older.

Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bob Thornton basically made his own fortune in Hollywood after years of smaller supporting roles, he wrote, directed, and starred in Sling Blade. The movie was a low-budget masterpiece and he's been starring in big roles and winning awards ever since.

Hannah Waddingham

Many actors get their start in the theater, just like Hannah Waddingham. With a fantastic singing voice and wonderful acting chops, it makes sense that this is where Waddingham would first find success. It would take a couple of decades for her to equal that on screen with roles in shows like Game of Thrones, and, of course, her greatest claim to fame, Ted Lasso.

Richard Farnsworth

Without a doubt, the late Richard Farnsworth had one of the most incredible careers in Hollywood history. He had uncredited roles in some of the most famous Hollywood epics including Gone With The Wind, The Ten Commandments, and Spartacus. He didn't earn his first credited role until he was 46 in a movie called Texas Across the River in 1966. Then in the 1970s, he became a well-known character actor in projects like Roots, The Natural, and Misery.

F. Murray Abraham

After scoring a handful of supporting roles in movies in the 1970s, F. Murray Abraham became a household name after his Oscar-winning performance as Antonio Salieri in 1984's Amadeus. It was truly a career-making role and one that is still loved today by fans.

Liam Neeson

Liam Neeson was 41 when he starred in one of the greatest movies ever made, even if it's a movie you can only watch once. As Oscar Schindler in Schindler's List, Neeson immediately became world famous. It's safe to say that role will always keep him famous, too.

Lucille Ball

It's really hard to believe that Lucille Ball was over 40 when she became famous on I Love Lucy, but it's true. The comedian worked in show business for decades before she and her husband Desi Arnaz created the now-legendary TV show and her fame never faded for the rest of her life.

Tommy Lee Jones

Like a lot of actors from Texas, Tommy Lee Jones does things his way. The Harvard grad worked for decades, even winning a Golden Globe and an Emmy before he truly found fame and became a leading man in the 90s with movies like The Fugitive and Under Siege.

Ken Jeong

it's not often that someone switches careers from medicine to drama, but that's exacting what Ken Jeong did. Though he always had a love of acting, he originally pursued a more traditional career as a doctor, while acting and doing standup on the side. By the mid-2000s he was earning enough to leave medicine behind, and in 2011, at age 40, he broke out in a huge way in the Hangover.

While you won’t find “The Finale” on many lists of the best Seinfeld episodes, its influence on pop culture was undeniable, to the point where Larry David and Jeff Schaffer used it as an inspirational touchstone for Curb Your Enthusiasm’s twelfth season and its own final episode. Now streaming with a Max subscription, “No Lessons Learned” is a tour de force in self-reflective storytelling for a series that always kept its foot in reality’s door jamb, and CinemaBlend talked to Schaffer about his biggest laughs from filming the series finale. As well as how Jerry Seinfeld’s return led to that A+ scene with JB Smoove’s Leon.

How Jerry And Leon's Hilarious Exchange Came About

In an episode filled with surprising and well-executed cameos — from West Wing fave Allison Janney to the actress who played the little girl that thought she walked in on Larry jerking off in the bathroom — easily the best was Jerry Seinfeld himself, who returned to the HBO comedy for the first time since the 2009 conclusion of Season 7, which reunited the NBC sitcom’s cast and added a lot to Curb's list of Seinfeld callback jokes. It allowed the creative team to have Jerry take a front-row seat to Leon’s R-rated musings, and I could have watched an entire episode of their courtroom exchange.

The sex-fueled Leon had one very specific takeaway from his Seinfeld binge-watch that served as the lynchpin for their scene together, and I had to ask Jeff Schaffer how they got to that moment, in which Jerry joked about having hours worth of sex-tape footage with the actresses who played his sitcom character’s girlfriends. And apparently the magic touch needed was just getting Jerry Seinfeld to drop his guard to match JB Smoove’s illicit improvisations. As he put it:

I love that Curb Your Enthusiasm exists on a level where one hard-to-believe concept (that Jerry would lie to anyone about having Seinfeld sex tapes) meets another unlikely concept (that Leon believes the footage is unwatchable due to being on laserdisc) and somehow creates a perfectly plausible outcome. Although if Curb went on to deliver Season 13, I have to believe Leon would learn all he could about converting laserdisc data to other mediums. If there's ass involved, Leon finds a way.

Jeff Schaffer continued, saying the main reason that scene happened is because it's the kind of moment he'd have wanted to see.

Sadly, we didn't get to see Jerry mixing it up with Susie or any of Curb's other mainstay favorites, but at least we can cross "Jerry and Leon bonding over fake sex tapes" off the bucket list.

Curb's Showrunner Shared The Finale Scenes That Made Him Laugh The Most

Trying to pick a favorite scene from Curb Your Enthusiasm’s final episode is like trying to choose the best spaghetti noodle on the plate: most are equally enjoyable, and the best ones are saucy. So I was particularly glad when I asked Jeff Schaffer what moments were the funniest to watch during filming, and he brought up the scene that caused me to pause the episode because I was laughing so hard.

He began his answer by explaining that the goal, despite its Seinfeld connections and lineup of courtroom cameos, was always for the finale to function as a standard Curb episode, right down to storylines crashing awkwardly into each other. As he put it:

As unrealistic as this probably is, Ellia English kinda-sorta-definitely deserves some kind of an Emmy nod for her Auntie Rae portrayal in Curb Your Enthusiasm's finale. She not only brought all the same warmth and wisdom from her previous appearances, but English also went completely off the rails when Auntie Rae was on the stand and she realized that she'd been played by Larry and Jeff. The fact that she never said Jeff's fake name the same way twice was such a smart choice, leading right up to her flipping him off and screaming the total baloney moniker "Bathsheba Munderman."

Having been along for the Curb ride since the earliest days, Jeff Schaffer also talked about how much he loved the very first scene of the episode, in which Larry gets chided by a flight attendant for using a mobile device, and then rats his friends out for doing the same. It's classic Larry behavior through and through, which is why it stuck out in the showrunner's mind.

As well, Schaffer brought up arguably the episode's biggest non-sequitur exchange, which he thought was a lovely way to showcase Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld's relationship. As he put it:

I have to imagine that Jerry Seinfeld went into every conversation with Larry David knowing that something completely mundane could be brought up, only for it to take a surprisingly obscene turn somewhere along the way. What starts as an innocent recap about one's day can very easily turn into a defensive stance about how many other people have had wrongful assumptions about Larry's penis being erect. Nothing is easy with that guy.

Saying goodbye to Curb Your Enthusiasm is anything but easy, but all twelve seasons are available to stream over and over again on Max for anyone who met their cringe quotas yet for the 2024 TV schedule.

Major spoilers below for the series finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm, so be warned if you haven’t yet watched on HBO or via Max subscription.

Rarely does a TV finale go for broke in the way that HBO’s long-running cringe-fest Curb Your Enthusiasm did with its swan song. (Which, not coincidentally, featured flashback scenes of Larry clubbing a black swan in Season 7.) Co-creators Larry David and Jeff Schaffer pulled off an immaculate television reception by using Curb’s final episode as a mirror-verse tribute to Seinfeld’s infamously polarizing conclusion, which changed David’s views on the medium.

The super-sized “No Lessons Learned” was cameo-filled ambrosia from start to finish, and paid off on both the Georgia Election law narrative and the Seinfeld finale riffs that started in the premiere, wrapping on a perfectly timeless bookend. So it was quite the shock to learn from Jeff Schaffer that the season wasn’t initially geared to be such a self-reflective exercise in metanarratives. And that final scene also has a fun story behind it, which we’ll get into below.

The Original Goal Wasn't For This To Be A Seinfeld-Infused Final Season

The impetus of Curb Your Enthusiasm’s final stretch came from fish-out-of-water Larry getting in trouble for a relatively new local law, which feels like it was already being tailor-made as a direct callback to the Seinfeld quartet’s arrest under the Good Samaritan law. But that notion wasn’t present when the creative process started for Season 12, as I learned from Jeff Schaffer, who said:

To be sure, while that notion did end up making it into the finale — for a hotel lobby scene in which a young boy accidentally bopped Larry in the head with a ball — that wasn't the original intention for it. It was just talking about how stubborn and immovable the character is as far as personalities go.

But once that ball started rolling, it wound up in a magical place where Schaffer and David realized that the character's inability to evolve allowed for a perfect prism through which "The Finale" could be returned to. He continued:

I can only imagine how many light bulbs started bursting open once they tapped into that idea. Because this isn't merely a case of art imitating and poking fun at life, as it went with Lori Loughlin's scandal-referencing appearance earling in Season 12. There are other levels at play here that aren't so easily classified, but are still easy to appreciate.

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Jeff Schaffer spoke to the complicated nature of Curb Your Enthusiasm holding a tongue-in-cheek middle finger up to those who have decried Seinfeld's ending, while also poking fun at Larry and Jerry in the process. In his words:

That's the true win here. If this was all a big complex storytelling exercise that didn't actually evoke any laughs, would it have felt as welcomed and worth it? Probably not. Thankfully, the ep was a hoot, with Auntie Rae's courtroom appearance being a definite highlight in that respect.

The Final Scene Was Already Conceived For A Previous Season

In many ways, Curb Your Enthusiasm's final moments are a perfect capsule of the show as a whole, featuring the core group of characters that fans have loved watching over the past 25 years, without any of them being truly happy and smiling except for maybe Ted Danson. But it turns out that slice of genius had already existed for years by the time the finale was being filmed.

For all that Larry hasn't learned anything throughout all the years we've watched him, clearly none of the other characters made any swooping alterations with their own lifestyles, with Susie just as quick to rile him up as ever, and Jeff just as quick to take whoever's side is yelling loudest. As Schaffer put it:

Indeed, and the scene was made all the more enjoyable by having the late, great Richard Lewis also in the mix as much as he was throughout the entirety of Season 12. So good.

For now and perhaps for all time, Curb Your Enthusiasm has made us cringe for the last time. At least with new stories, since all 12 seasons are still around to make new generations of viewers uncomfortable until the end of time.

One of TV’s funniest comedies is ending in 2024, but Larry David isn’t sending Curb Your Enthusiasm’s final season into the sunset without a healthy dose of off-screen friction similar to what fictional Larry goes through. After having previously throttled Elmo on the air during a February Today episode — a bizarro stunt that provoked every kind of reaction imaginable — the Seinfeld co-creator broke new cringe-worthy ground during his appearance on Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? (available to stream with a Max subscription). Asking David about his financial worth was really just asking for trouble.

When Larry David popped by CNN anchor Chris Wallace’s streaming talking show ahead of the penultimate episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, it wasn’t too far-flung from what a specific bottle episode of the HBO comedy would look like if Wallace interviewed “Larry” about his legal case in Georgia. (I’m still not completely convinced it wasn’t.) The conversation had already gone topsy-turvy over the topic of next-day thank you notes and some political fare, but it was when the conversation turned to money that David delivered a declaration that was nearly as amusingly unhinged as choking out a Sesame Street Muppet.

Chris Wallace opened this line of questioning by bringing up his father, the late 60 Minutes vet Mike Wallace, asking legendary talk show host Johnny Carson how much money he was worth, David immediately interrupted, saying:

As he’d handled things for much of their conversation, Wallace continued his train of thought caught up in a mix of amusement and light frustration, aiming to maintain control of the conversation while keeping things cordial. (“I was cordial!”) But he wasn’t one to take a clear hint in this scenario, so he then cited random online musings to question David if he was really worth a rumored half-billion dollars. Which, in another nod to TV tropes, the Curb star nearly spit his water out upon hearing that total.

Sidestepping the money talk, David then opened up a tangent about getting more water, with Wallace flat-out refusing him before calling the comedian out for avoiding the question. At which point he let loose with the somewhat rare "F-bomb In reference to a person's dead relative." David said:

Thankfully, Chris Wallace could only laugh at that F-bomb being hurled into the ether, as opposed to taking it too personally. There are certainly situations where that kind of comment might not fly, but here, it not only flew, but Wallace even tried again, asking if Larry David's net worth might be closer to $100 million. Believe it or...well, there' no other option...David didn't disappoint with his rertort, uttered while smiling:

I like to think that was all Wallace trying to needle his guest to supply a taste of his own medicine, but without as much success as he might have hoped. Hilariously enough, the host's response was to point out that none of his other guests on Who's Talking to Chris Wallace? so far had ever spoken that particular turn of phrase. Larry David is an original, it's true.

Curb Your Enthusiasm airs Sunday nights on HBO, with the series finale dropping on April 7 at 10:00 p.m. ET. Head to our 2024 TV schedule to see what new and returning shows will be popping up after Larry's 24-year reign of neurotic terror is over.

Whether you consider him the master of confrontation or the biggest jerk in the world, Larry David has had quite a run on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. Over the course of 12 seasons, he has gotten involved in some ridiculous and wild scrapes (often recalling the greatness of Seinfeld), and it’s been a constant joy to watch him dig his way out. He’s not exactly what one should or could consider a role model, as he gets himself in trouble more often than not, but there is also no denying that the man has wisdom to share about life and plenty of great quotes that can help anyone navigate the madness of reality.

It’s in celebration of this particular gift that we’ve put together this feature. Larry David is one of modern pop culture’s most quotable characters, and here are 32 hilarious Curb Your Enthusiasm lines that are applicable in real life.

“Pretty good. Pret-tay pret-tay pret-tay good.”

This is, of course, the classic. If someone asks you how you are doing and you’re ever feeling particularly delightful that day, there is no better time to whip out this line.

“Hey, let me ask you something…”

Larry David has never let shyness get in the way of curiosity. If he meets an expert who has the ability to give him the upper hand in a situation, he will pursue that knowledge, and his great “in” for starting up a convo is this gem.

“Ok.”

This line doesn’t really translate by itself on the page, so let me set the scene: you’re with someone you don’t trust and you don’t believe the last thing they said. You squint your eyes and stare at them intently, pondering their true intentions while looking into their soul… and once you are satisfied, you unleash an, “Ok” with 19 metric tons of doubt.

“Let me just say this…”

Another repeated gem throughout the many seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Larry David is never one to not share his opinion, and while his take is not always welcome, this is the perfect way to soft deliver any declarative statement by making it feel both exclusive and limited.

“I don't like talking to people I know, but strangers, I have no problem with.”

Sometimes the baggage of knowing a person for a long time can make meeting up with them exhausting. Strangers can be a mixed bag personality wise, but at the very least you can always whip out classic the convo standards with them if you’re trying to kill an evening.

“Hey, I may loathe myself, but it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm Jewish.”

This line from “Trick Or Treat” is admittedly really only quotable if you’re Jewish… which I just so happen to be. It’s a brilliant retort to a classic stereotype.

“I'll give you 10 dollars for a verbal response. 10 dollars. Anybody want to make 10 dollars and respond verbally? No?”

Getting help from strangers can be a nightmare, like when you have a flat tire and lack the ability to fix it like Larry does in Season 2’s “Thor.” If you’re ever feeling like the world is ignoring you, this is a line to deliver.

“I can't assume dry, I gotta assume wet!”

If someone sneezes right before shaking your hand, as Ben Stiller does to Larry in Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 4, you are totally within your right to not extend your arm. Nobody wants a palm full of snot!

“A lie is a gesture, it's a courtesy, it's a little respect. This is very disrespectful.”

If you’re ever planning on ditching plans with somebody, at least have the decency to make up some kind of excuse. Not saying anything – as we see in “Ted And Mary” – is just insulting.

“When I’m in social situations, I always hold onto my glass. It makes me feel comfortable and secure and I don’t have to shake hands.”

A drink is the ultimate party accessory. Not only does it mean you don’t have to shake hands, but a) you can always take a sip if you’re in need of a pause, and b) getting another drink is always a perfect excuse to leave a conversation.

“I’m trying to elevate small talk to medium talk.”

Ever feel conversation with a stranger is growing stale? Try taking a page from Larry’s book by throwing a more personal or intimate question into the mix and gauging the response. It might get you in trouble, but it also may improve your evening.

“He wanted to stop and chat with me - and I don't know him well enough for a stop and chat.”

Seeing somebody you know on the street – particularly someone who is more of an acquaintance than a friend – should not always require a conversation. Sometimes, a wave and a, “Hey!” is more than enough, as Larry properly argues in Season 2’s “The Massage.”

“An employee is told that the customer's always right and, in fact, the customer is usually a moron…”

Anyone who has ever worked in retail or the service industry can wholly relate to this Curb Your Enthusiasm quote. It’s good for employees to treat customers respectfully, but the reality is that a whole lot of customers are jerks who don’t actually deserve your respect.

“What is this compulsion to have people over at your house and serve them food and talk to them?”

This sentiment should be sewn into the crest of the Introvert Society. Proposed by Larry David in “AAMCO,” it’s arguably the question of our time.

“A date is an experience you have with another person that makes you appreciate being alone.”

Following his divorce from Cheryl, Larry David rediscovers the horrors of the dating experience in the latter seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm, and he well sums up that stressful nightmare here.

“I didn't mean to waste 12 seconds of your precious time.”

As a permanently anxious person, I can understand being stressed out, but this is a perfect line to throw out if someone gets huffy after you, say, accidentally press the wrong button in an elevator (as seen in Curb Your Enthusiasm’s “Larry vs. Michael J. Fox”).

“You know how bookstores make you feel stupid? Well health food stores make me feel really unhealthy.”

There’s no better way to feel shame about your food choices than to go into a health food store and see all of the good stuff that you’re not cooking/consuming.

“You know me, I don't like to complain.”

If you’re a complainer (as Larry David definitely is), this is a line to keep in your back pocket. Even if you have an established reputation, opening any complaint with this sentence at least throws a touch of doubt into the mix.

“I'd rather have the thieves than the neighbors – the thieves don't impose. Thieves just want your things, neighbors want your time.”

I’ll say this about thieves: at least they always have a “get in and get out” mentality. They may take your stuff and violate your space, but extended interaction and imposition is not specifically on their to-do list.

“I'm applying the golden rule, are you?”

When in doubt in an argument, if you can find yourself on the proper side of the golden rule – do unto others as you would have them do unto you – then you are, as you might say, golden.

“I don't really like the outdoors, you know. It's not a good place for bald people out there.”

There is specificity here, but for this writer, it again applies. If you have a full head of hair, appreciate the fact that you don’t have to put suntan lotion on your scalp the next time you head out for a hike.

“I can't wait to call my parents. They are gonna be so proud of me!”

You’re never too old to crave your parents' approval and pride. Larry David was in his 50s when he delivered this line in Season 2’s "Affirmative Action" – exclaimed after he figured out his car’s navigation system – and it’s 100% relatable.

“Nobody likes to fly. I don't even like to drive. And I don't like walking.”

Let’s be real: traveling and getting around kinda sucks. Larry David sums this up quite exquisitely in “Beloved Aunt.” Life is exhausting as it is without all the moving and doing stuff.

“It's completely unprofessional. And I know because my whole career's been based on being unprofessional.”

None of us are perfect… but it’s that understanding of our own lacking perfection that allows us to see the imperfections of others. It’s a gift and a curse.

“Why are you listening to me? I don't know what I'm talking about.”

This line from “Interior Decorator” is a perfect summation of adulthood. All of us are out here with expectations put upon us, but do any of us really know what the hell we’re talking about on any given day? If anyone is ever dumb enough to put their blind faith in you, that’s where this genius quote comes in handy.

“I hate people individually, but I love mankind.”

It’s easy to admire the human spirit and everything that our species has accomplished in our millions of years on Earth… but some people are just awful. To deconstruct a phrase, when it comes to people, it’s best to focus on the forest and not the trees.

“You took the middle?”

If you ever find yourself sitting down in an empty row of chairs, do us all a favor: don’t sit directly in the middle. As Larry David succinctly notes in the second season of Curb Your Enthusiasm’s eleventh season, it’s annoying how it limits the seating options for the next person to sit down.

“Don’t abuse the sampling privilege!”

If you’re at an establishment that lets you try before you buy, it’s the responsibility of the customer to not take advantage of the offer – and that’s especially true if your slow selection process is causing a line to develop behind you. When Larry sees a person abusing their sampling privilege in “The Funkhouser Roadside Memorial,” he doesn’t go about calling it out in the most tactful way, but he does express himself quotably.

“I need privacy; I need distance; I need to be alone.”

Everybody in the world defecates… and yet it’s universally accepted as a shameful act. It’s one of our society’s strangest eccentricities, but there’s also no denying that it’s a thing. As such, this sentiment expressed by Larry to a bathroom attendant in “The Ugly Section” is wholly understandable – and with all due respect to anyone who has that job, it’s a position that really shouldn’t exist.

“You don’t need to send me something to tell me you’re going to send me something. Just send it.”

I get that it’s nice to send out fancy mail in conjunction with a major life event, but I side with Larry David in the argument that “Save The Dates” are a complete waste as a tradition. Why bother sending out a message about marking calendars when an invite is on the way as well? Do people ever not get an invite after being told to save the date? It’s dumb, and Larry is a voice to recall and point to when discussing the subject.

“I respect wood.”

Wood is a material that was once a living thing and is often handled by talented artisans expressing their craft. With this in mind, one should respect wood – and while that may not have been a hugely popular notion before the “Seinfeld” episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 7, it’s now a point of pride to declare whenever you see someone carelessly create a ring stain.

“I don’t like a purposeless walk”

I’ll happily walk so that I can get some exercise or to get to some place that is in my area or to spend time with friends… but to walk without purpose? To go outside and just amble around the streets with no aim? I don’t know why anyone would ever do that, and Larry David expresses as much in hilarious fashion in “The Mini Bar.”

It was about two-and-a-half decades ago that Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm premiered as an HBO special, and from that one-time program spawned one of the greatest comedy shows of all time. Curb Your Enthusiasm began airing its first season in October 2000, and while it’s been what could be called an irregular small screen presence – with multiple years sometimes transpiring between runs – it has constantly delivered big laughs with a bold mix of outrageousness and awkwardness.

There is a great deal to love in all 12 seasons of the beloved HBO sitcom… but it can be said that some episodes are better and more hilarious than others, and that’s obviously the jumping off point for this feature. What are the funniest episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm? We’ve put together this ranking to address that very question.

12. "Shaq" (Season 2, Episode 8)

In a traditional sitcom, a protagonist would be left miserable if they were shunned by society after injuring a star athlete, but that’s just what makes Larry David so special. In “Shaq,” such an event plays out with Larry, but rather than being upset about alienating everyone in his life, he is blissful that he is no longer a target for favors or unwanted conversation. The end does feel a bit traditional, as he is able to make peace with Shaquille O’Neal by bringing Seinfeld tapes to his hospital room and it turns out that the injury isn’t so serious, but there is a nice snap back to darkness at the end with a doctor worrying about a spot on Larry’s neck.

11. "The Grand Opening"(Season 3, Episode 10)

Larry David is not a good person (as he is depicted in Curb Your Enthusiasm, obviously), but there are certain instances where he demonstrates positive instincts, and they still get big laughs. This is best exemplified in the Season 3 finale “The Grand Opening.” First, he hires a chef for the restaurant he co-owns because the guy is a Holocaust survivor (it turns out he’s not), and then when Larry learns that the chef has Tourette syndrome, he saves him from embarrassment on the restaurant’s opening night by joining him in screaming a volley of obscenities. Eventually, everyone in attendance gets involved, and the show arguably delivers its most heartwarming conclusion.

10. "The Terrorist Attack" (Season 3, Episode 5)

In Season 3’s “The Terrorist Attack,” Larry is given some top secret information about a potential threat to the city of Los Angeles – so does he use that information to primarily protect his loved ones and those to whom he is closest? Nope. He uses it as a relationship Band-Aid when he accidentally snubs Paul Reiser’s wife. This incredibly selfish act ends up with him getting heat from everybody in his life (including those he tells and those he doesn't) – but what makes this one of the funniest Curb Your Enthusiasm episodes is how Larry tries to repair the situation by sharing another closely guarded secret: the subject of Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know."”

9. "Affirmative Action" (Season 1, Episode 9)

Phenomenal as Seinfeld is as a show, highlighting diversity in American society is not one of its strengths, and the way in which that subject is broached in Season 1’s “Affirmative Action” quickly established Curb Your Enthusiasm as one of the boldest comedies on television. An awful, race-based faux pas while talking with a dermatologist friend of the late great Richard Lewis’ ends up having spectacular farcical consequences – with Cheryl going nuts because of a rash and a lost prescription, and Larry squaring off with a Black woman who he didn’t hire as a producer for one of his movies.

8. "Larry vs. Michael J. Fox" (Season 8, Episode 10)

Thanks to his wonderful careers as both an actor and an activist, Michael J. Fox is beloved all around the globe… so of course, Larry David becomes the only person in the world to antagonize him. It’s never made totally clear if Fox is actually messing with him (stomping around his apartment one floor up and handing him shaken-up soda) or if he is truly suffering from Parkinson’s symptoms – but Larry’s lack of grace in any situation puts him permanently at a disadvantage. Season 8 ending with the protagonist basically being kicked out of New York City helps make it one of Curb Your Enthusiasm’s best finales.

7. "Trick Or Treat" (Season 2, Episode 3)

How old is too old to trick or treat? It’s a question that pops up every October, and while most people don’t make a big deal out of it, Larry David is certainly not “most people.” His confrontation with a pair of teen girls hunting for candy inspires an unforgettable backlash – getting “Bald Asshole” spray painted on his door – but this “Trick Or Treat” is also an episode where Larry gets some payback of his own. Not only is he able to get a small orchestra to play Richard Wagner's "Siegfried Idyll" for his wife as a sweet birthday present, he uses those same instruments to get revenge on one of the teen’s dad.

6. "The Table Read"(Season 7, Episode 9)

Curb Your Enthusiasm has dozens of great A-plots and dozens of great B-plots, but “The Table Read” is a special episode where both are in play. Having Michael Richards freaked out about a Groat’s Disease diagnosis leads to an amazing meeting with Leon Black, who pretends to be an acquaintance of Larry’s named Danny Duberstein, and the end result is a not-at-all-subtle callback to Richards’ controversial interaction with a heckler in 2006. Meanwhile, Larry gets in a genuinely awkward friendship with a co-worker’s daughter, and what plays out in a doctor’s office before the credits (With pre-fame Randall Park!) is perhaps the most shocking bit in Curb’s 120 episodes.

5. "The Therapists" (Season 6, Episode 9)

There is an awesome history of one-episode roles from notable actors in Curb Your Enthusiasm, but there is an argument to be made that what Steve Coogan does as Dr. Bright in “The Therapists” is as great as it gets. When he gives Larry terrible advice about how he can repair his relationship with Cheryl, he ends up getting involved in one of Larry’s most ridiculous schemes and paying extreme consequences for it. Larry’s wild attempts to get on the good side of Cheryl’s therapist is amazing by itself, but the way it backfires with Dr. Bright going to prison and then inadvertently seeking help from Cheryl’s therapist is textbook farce.

4. "The Black Swan" (Season 7, Episode 7)

What would happen if Larry David committed a homicide? That’s a story that Curb Your Enthusiasm would never touch for obvious reasons… but “The Black Swan” gets pretty close, and it’s just as funny as one would hope. He is said to induce a heart attack in a fellow golfer, and he beats the episode’s titular bird to death, but his main concern through all of it is not earning the vitriol of golf club owner, Mr. Takahashi, and having his membership revoked. The comeuppance is excellent, and ties back to an amazing opening bit about Larry’s dad trying to save money on a headstone engraving with bad grammar.

3. "Palestinian Chicken" (Season 8, Episode 3)

Nobody in modern television has perfected the art of selfishness and self-loathing like Larry David, and that particular comedic gold hits a beautiful crescendo in Curb Your Enthusiasm’s eighth season. “Palestinian Chicken” is the episode when he memorably declares himself a “social assassin” (and proceeds to botch two “hits”), but this is also when he both betrays a friend to help win a golf tournament and goes against his community to eat tasty chicken and have aggressive sex with an anti-Semitic Palestinian woman. The last shot of this one is an all-timer (as proven by the fact that it has become a popular meme).

2. "Seinfeld" (Season 7, Episode 10)

“Seinfeld” will long be considered a legendary episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm thanks to the way it successfully executes a reunion of the eponymous beloved sitcom, but it is independently worthy of distinction because of how funny it is. The idea of Cheryl falling for Jason Alexander as he gets deeper into character as George Costanza is inspired, as is the way it causes Larry to spin out (the cherry on top being his attempt at playing George after Jason quits). 

Beyond that, this is where we witness the birth of his on-going war with Mocha Joe, and it brings “Do you respect wood?” into the show’s remarkable lexicon of memorable quotes. And, it thankfully doesn’t try to deliver a boiler plate happy ending, letting Larry’s eccentricities ruin any chance of getting back together with Cheryl.

1. "The Car Pool Lane" (Season 4, Episode 6)

Larry David comes up with a lot of special ideas – weird ways to circumnavigate the world’s annoyances – and a lot of them are stupid, rude, or both. What he comes up with in “The Car Pool Lane,” however, is ingenious: to get around highway traffic, he picks up a sex worker to sit in his passenger seat. 

That is the brilliant core of this perfect episode, but the way the writing weaves in three terrific B-plots is amazing and they each result in hilarious conclusions: he accidentally gets Marty Funkhouser arrested at the airport, Larry’s dad’s eyesight improves to the point where he realizes he’s been spending the night chatting with “a hooker,” and Larry has the aforementioned sex worker help him prove to a judge that he’s not a racist. It’s Curb Your Enthusiasm at its very best.

Coming to an end after 12 seasons, all of Curb Your Enthusiasm is available to stream instantly with a Max subscription. Episodes can be purchased individually on digital platforms including Prime Video, Vudu, Google Play, and Apple, and the first 11 seasons are available for purchase on DVD (fingers are crossed there will eventually be a Complete Series Blu-ray boxset).

2024 is already delivering some heavy hits in the way of celebrity deaths, as the world said goodbye to comedian and Curb Your Enthusiasm actor Richard Lewis. His passing sent shockwaves through Hollywood, and drew tributes from stars including best friend Larry David, Ringo Starr of The Beatles fame, and many others who the comedian impacted in his lifetime. 

Lewis had been a recurring fixture on Curb Your Enthusiasm since its beginnings, to the point that he had to announce he would barely be involved in Season 11 ahead of its release. Fans loved Lewis' interactions on the show with star Larry David, who was his real-life best friend. In a released statement from HBO (via Variety), David shared a brief message about his dear friend: 

"Richard and I were born three days apart in the same hospital and for most of my life he’s been like a brother to me. He had that rare combination of being the funniest person and also the sweetest. But today he made me sob and for that I’ll never forgive him."

Richard Lewis had quite a few famous friends in his long career in Hollywood, with one of them being the knighted musician Sir Richard Starkey, more commonly known as Ringo Starr. Lewis revealed in a 2009 interview with Vulture that The Beatles drummer introduced him to his wife Joyce Lapinsky, who Starr mentioned in his message:

"God bless, Richard Lewis peace and love to Joyce peace and love."

And while many today might sooner associate him with Curb Your Enthusiasm (currently available to stream with a Max subscription), Richard Lewis was part of television long before that. In fact, he was honored by one of his former co-stars from Anything But Love, who later went on to be an Oscar winner in 2023. Jamie Lee Curtis posted: 

There were also tributes from celebrities the public wouldn't immediately expect. Director Paul Feig was one of them, and talked about the friendship they shared over the years: 

"Absolutely devastated by this news. Richard was my hero when I was a standup. I was lucky enough to get to know him and he was the most wonderful man. So supportive and kind and truly one of the funniest people on the planet. You will be missed, my friend."

When the guy who has made movies as awesome as Bridesmaids (despite being terrified to do so) is calling a person a hero, you just have to know they did something right in life. Not that Lewis likely needed any of that affirmation, as his extensive career in stand-up comedy, movies, and television was proof enough that he was a star with real staying power. 

Many others paid tribute around the internet, but it felt fitting to circle back to Curb Your Enthusiasm with the tribute offered by executive producer Robert B. Weide. He shared photos with Lewis taken over the past few decades and a short message to the passed comedian: 

It's really moving to see so many pay tribute to Richard Lewis, and it's really encouraging me to do an impromptu Curb Your Enthusiasm marathon just to capture some of the actor's best moments on the show. I was already a little curious about the re-used Seinfeld jokes in the series, so now I have plenty to be on the lookout for diving back in. 

CinemaBlend continues to offer its condolences to the family and friends of Richard Lewis. Continue to stick with us as we track the latest updates in entertainment news, and what's happening in television and movies in 2024 and beyond. 

Not only did Larry David create one of the most popular ‘90s TV shows with Jerry Seinfeld, but he also made quite a few appearances alongside the Seinfeld cast in multiple roles. In honor of the comedian’s final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, let’s take a look at the uproarious cameos, background walk-ons, offscreen quotes, and yada, yada, yada that he contributed to the groundbreaking, long-running NBC sitcom.

Newman (Season 2, Episode 7)

In his first “appearance,” Kramer’s buddy and Jerry’s rival, Newman, was portrayed by Larry David, who voices the character from offscreen as he threatens to jump from the apartment building’s roof. However, after Wayne Knight was cast in the role, David’s voice was dubbed over with Knight’s for syndicated re-airings of “The Revenge.” 

Screaming B-Movie Actor (Season 2, Episode 8) 

In "The Heart Attack," David plays the star of a sci-fi movie called "Flaming Globes of Sigmund," which subconsciously inspires Jerry to write down a potential joke after catching it late at night. He later realizes that all he wrote down was an impassioned speech about the destruction of the solar system by David's character, which does not work as a stand-up bit.

Man At The Table (Season 2, Episode 11)

In one of the all-time best Seinfeld episodes, “The Chinese Restaurant,” Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) accepts Jerry’s offer of $50 to take some food off an occupied table, but offers the diners half if they allow her to take an egg roll. David’s voice can then be heard as one of the diners, trying to decipher her request.

The Car Thief (Season 3, Episode 11)

When Jerry's car is stolen, George suggests calling his car phone and ends up having a relatively friendly conversation with the man who stole it. The voice on the other end is that of Larry David.

Subway Announcer (Season 3, Episode 13; Season 5, Episode 10)

Larry David has actually had more than one recurring role on Seinfeld, such as a subway announcer. He lends his voice to said role first in "The Subway" and again in "The Cigar Store Indian."

Boxing Referee On TV (Season 3, Episode 21)

“The Parking Space” ends with Jerry — after wasting his day dealing with a conflict involving his car — turning on the TV to the end of a boxing match he had been anticipating. The referee calling the end of the fight is voiced by Larry David. 

Man In Hallway (Season 4, Episode 2)

About half-way through the second part of Seinfeld’s Season 4 premiere, “The Trip,” if you look to the right of the police gathering to arrest Kramer (Michael Richards), you can see Larry David as, apparently, a fellow tenant of his L.A. apartment building.

Offstage Voice (Season 4, Episode 3)

Near the beginning of “The Pitch,” Jerry and George’s conversation with another comic, Tommy (Steve Skrovan), is interrupted by a voice (Larry David) telling him he is ready to take the stage.

Kosher Meal Passenger (Season 4, Episode 12)

In “The Airport,” when Elaine tells her flight attendant that she did not get a meal, he tells her all that is left is a “kosher meal.” An offscreen voice provided by David reveals that the kosher meal was meant for him and that he is currently eating her food.

Office Worker (Season 4, Episode 13)

After Elaine accidentally sends a revealing Christmas card to everyone she knows (including her co-worker), she is branded with a disparaging nickname at the  Pendant Publishing office, as shown when an employee pops in and calls her “Nip.” The colleague is played by actor Stephen Schubert, but his voice is dubbed over by Larry David.

Character In Checkmate (Season 4, Episode 14)

The in-universe film that the gang struggles to see together in “The Movie” is Checkmate, which we never actually see, but can hear at certain times throughout the episode. Some key lines of dialogue from the movie — which we can infer is about chess — are spoken by Larry David.

John F. Kennedy Jr./Man On Raft #1 (Season 4, Episode 23) 

David plays two roles in the Season 4 finale, "The Pilot," including the voice of the partially unseen John F. Kennedy Jr. Later in the episode, he and another Seinfeld writer named Larry (Borat director Larry Charles) play Greenpeace employees who ultimately fail to rescue Russell Dalrymple (Bob Balaban).

Limo Dispatcher/Sports Commentator (Season 5, Episode 6)

David pulls double duty with his vocal roles in “The Lip Reader,” which include a tennis match commentator roasting George when he is caught on camera eating a hot fudge sundae. Just moments later, he can be heard telling Elaine’s limo driver (Christopher Darga) that his next pickup is Tom Hanks.

Saddam Hussein (Season 5, Episode 13)

Near the end of “The Dinner Party,” George and Kramer discover the person who blocked their car on the street looks strikingly similar to former Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein. The “double-parker” is physically portrayed by Amjad J. Qaisen, but Larry David puts on a British accent to provide the voice.

Man On Beach (Season 5, Episode 14)

In "The Marine Biologist," after a sick whale is discovered, David's voice is heard asking if anyone on the beach is a marine biologist when George — posing as such to impress a woman — just happens to be nearby.

Soap Opera Director (Season 5, Episode 16)

In “The Stand-In,” David’s voice told Kramer and Mickey (Danny Woodburn) to enter the soap opera set to “stand in” for the central cast members.

Airport Announcer (Season 5, Episode 18)

As Jerry, Elaine, and Elaine’s boyfriend, Aaron (“The Close Talker,” played by Judge Reinhold), gather to see the Seinfelds (Barney Martin and Liz Sheridan) off for their trip to Paris at the end of the two-part “The Raincoats,” Larry David’s voice announces that their flight is ready to board.

Comedy Club M.C. (Season 5, Episode 19)

In “The Fire,” right before Jerry performs a set that gets ruined by George’s frightened reaction to a fake comedy club stick-up (courtesy of Dom Irrera as prop comic Ronnie Kaye), he is introduced on stage by an unseen master of ceremonies voiced by Larry David.

George Steinbrenner (Various)

Larry David’s most famous role on the sitcom — and one of Seinfeld’s all-time funniest characters in general — is his uproarious portrayal of George Steinbrenner, who becomes George’s boss in “The Opposite.” While Mitch Mitchell and Lee Bear contributed their backs to the role, David provided the real-life former New York Yankees owner’s distinct, uppity voice for a total of 12 episodes, including “The Finale.”

Man With Cape (Season 6, Episode 4)

At the beginning of “The Chinese Woman,” Jerry and Elaine are mystified by the sight of George’s father, Frank (Jerry Stiller), with a man in a cape (Larry David), who turns out to be Frank’s attorney. However, he proves to have a heroic quality to him when he prevents Elaine’s depressed friend, Noreen (Kelly Coffield Park), from leaping off the Brooklyn Bridge.

Man On The Street (Season 6, Episode 11)

In “The Switch,” as Kramer is walking down the street with his mother, Babs (Sheree North), the man who calls out, “Whaddya say, Cosmo?” is voiced by David.

Man At Softball Game (Season 6, Episode 23)

In “The Understudy,” George — to win the Improv a home run at a charity softball game against the cast of Rochelle Rochelle — injures Bette Midler (guest-starring as herself). An unseen man voiced by David accuses him of intentionally bumping into her, knowing that the lead part would go to Jerry’s girlfriend, Gennice (Adelaide Miller).

Newsstand Owner (Season 7, Episode 10)

In “The Gum,” Larry David appears in full display as a newsstand clerk who addresses a royally costumed George as “Your Majesty” when rejecting his $20 bill because there is “lipstick on the president.” 

Police Officer (Season 7, Episode 18)

In “The Wig Master,” David voices a cop telling Kramer to “turn to the right” while taking his mugshot after he is arrested on suspicion of being a pimp.

Prisoner (Season 9, Episode 22)

In addition to this final “appearance” as George Steinbrenner, Larry David lent his voice to the final scene of the controversial Seinfeld finale as an inmate attending Jerry’s prison stand-up set. After telling Jerry he is in for “grand theft auto,” the comic advises him to not steal his jokes, to which he applies, “You suck. I’m gonna cut you!”

Well, there you have it: all of Larry David’s Seinfeld characters. Of course, we should also mention that some of George Costanza’s funniest moments are inspired by his real-life own experiences, meaning we could also count Jason Alexander’s character as David’s ultimate Seinfeld role, vicariously speaking. 

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet watched Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Season 12 premiere or streamed with a Max subscription, so be pret-ty, pret-ty, pret-ty warned. 

When it was revealed that Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 12 would be real-life Larry David’s final run through society’s gauntlet as fictional Larry David, it seemed like a cruel joke spread by Susie Greene. Sadly, the long-running HBO cringefest is indeed wrapping up in the coming months, having outlasted David’s previous hit Seinfeld by three seasons. Speaking of, it seems as if Curb Your Enthusiasm is echoing Seinfeld once more with its swan song, this time concerning its infamous series finale.

At least that’s how I felt after watching the Jimmy Kimmel-infused season premiere, which delightfully brought back both Keyla Monterroso Mejia’s terrible-actress-turned-megastar Maria Sofia and Tracey Ullman’s Irma Kostroski, who can unnerve Larry like no other. They weren’t so much a direct part of my argument here, but are worth celebrating all the same. Let’s get into why the premiere felt like a direct echo of “The Finale,” which is seemingly at the top of no one's lists of the best Seinfeld episodes.

Both Start With Good News And Success For The Main Characters' TV Projects

The final season of Curb kicks off in a world where the semi-autobiographical sitcom Young Larry inexplicably became a huge hit, which near-instantly granted Maria Sofia household celebrity status. She’s popular enough that, possibly in the same week, she was booked for late night TV and also a rich dude’s birthday party in Atlanta. (You know, that classic benchmark of fame.)

Seinfeld didn’t quite take things that far, but its two-part finale kicked off with NBC giving Jerry and George’s pilot Jerry a series order. And it’s while on the trip to celebrate the news that everything went awry.

Both Seinfeld And Curb Have Characters Getting Into Trouble While Traveling

It’s during the aforementioned trip to Atlanta where Larry’s troubles with the law happen, putting him in a situation where he’s not so familiar with his surroundings. Georgia and California are opposite sides of different coins, which may not bode well for him. As if anything does.

Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer found themselves in the unfamiliar berg of Latham, MA after their flight made an emergency landing. While not as far away from their familiar New York City neighborhoods as Curb’s cross-country distance, the quartet might as well have been on Mars.

Returning Characters From The Past

While Seinfeld's final episode may be one of the most polarizing sitcom offerings ever created, its most inarguable delight was the fantastic assortment of side characters who returned to help bring karma-laced doom to Jerry & Co.

Given that only Curb Your Enthusiasm's premiere has aired, it's understandable that Larry David and co-creator Jeff Schaffer didn't trot out dozens of Larry's victims, so to speak. But "Atlanta" did bring back Ellia English as Leon's Auntie Rae, who was a show fixture back in Season 6 when the whole Black family was present. I can only expect to see more familiar faces, with Vivica A. Fox hopefully among them.

Seinfeld Characters Arrested For Law Against Not Doing Good, Larry Arrested For Law Against Doing Good

The twist of satirical irony that befell Jerry's crew in Seinfeld was that their choice not to help the victim of a nearby carjacking made them guilty under the rarely enforced "Good Samaritan" law requiring bystanders to offer others assistance.

Curb Your Enthusiasum seemed to spin that concept on its head in the Season 12 premiere, as it was Larry's empathetic attempt to soothe the overheated Auntie Rae by bringing her a bottle of water as she waited in line to vote. That act is what causes the cops to scoop him up, as it's illegal in Georgia to offer just about anything to someone waiting to vote.

Both Were Written (At Least In Part) By Larry David

Following Seinfeld's popular and acclaimed seventh season, Larry David surprisingly exited his role as head writer, though he later returned specifically to pen the final episode's antics. So he's more or less the target of all the complaints the finale received over the years, making him the opportune creative to deconstruct Seinfeld's conclusion in whichever way he chooses.

Meanwhile, it's not really any big surprise that David also co-wrote the first episode of Curb's final season with Jeff Schaffer, since they handle the bulk of the improv-provoking plotting in each season, give or take a few other writers' assistance. But the point remains, if he wasn't behind the story arcs on the HBO series, or he wasn't the one who returned after nearly two seasons to close out Seinfeld, then it wouldn't be very meaningful for the current comedy to nod back to "The Finale" for any reason.

This May Have Already Been Hinted At By Jerry Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld teased back in October 2023 that "something" would be happening with Seinfeld's finale, but he kept it completely vague as to what he might be referring to. At the time, it seemed possible that anything from a reunion special to a Super Bowl commercial might happen, but it would be a fantastic turn of events if the stand-up comedian was actually talking about Curb Your Enthusiasm's final eason at the time. Whether or not this ends up panning out, I can't deny loving how much time I spent speculating about this. Thanks, Lar - sorry- Larry.

Curb Your Enthusiasm airs Sunday nights on HBO at 10:00 p.m. ET, and is available to stream on Max.

Seeing A-list celebrities on SNL is certainly nothing out of the ordinary, considering there is a different one hosting the show each week, even including non-actors who end up nailing it. Lorne Michaels and company have still managed to shock the Studio 8H audience numerous times by bringing out a public figure whom no one could have guessed was going to be part of the show. The following are some of our all-time favorite Saturday Night Live celebrity cameos.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Season 39)

In Jonah Hill’s third SNL monologue, the Academy Award nominee is bombarded by questions about working with Leonardo DiCaprio before trying to convince the audience that the future Oscar winner was not even supposed to be in The Wolf of Wall Street initially. Just then, the Titanic cast member himself walks on to knock some sense into his co-star before agreeing to recreate the famous “We’re flying!” scene from the Best Picture Oscar winner. 

Barack Obama (Season 33)

In the cold open for SNL’s 2007 Halloween show, a spooky party hosted by Bill (Darrell Hammond) and Hilary Clinton (Amy Poehler) is crashed by an unexpected guest in a Barack Obama mask. The stranger removes the rubber face to reveal he is actually the future 44th President of the United States in the flesh.

Barbra Streisand (Season 17)

A recurring topic in Mike Myers’ “Coffee Talk” sketches was Linda Richman’s obsession with Barbra Streisand, who shocked the host and her guests (played by Madonna and Roseanne Barr) by briefly walking on the set to greet them in one sketch. According to Barbra Archives, Myers had been informed that the Oscar-winning Funny Girl star might show up, but Madonna and Barr’s shocked reactions were completely genuine.

Robert De Niro (Season 26)

Academy Award winner Robert De Niro never hosted SNL until 2002, but made multiple surprise appearances beforehand, such as the time he showed up on “Weekend Update.” The cameo was in response to Jimmy Fallon’s unfavorable review of 2000’s Meet the Parents, which Fallon tries to defend with his impersonation of the acting legend, who turns the tables by imitating him at the end.

Kel Mitchell (Season 48)

A pre-taped segment imagines a reboot of the classic Nickelodeon comedy, Kenan & Kel, but with host Keke Palmer as a new character named Kelly. However, the bit ends wonderfully with an appearance of Kenan Thompson’s original co-star, Kel Mitchell, who actually auditioned for SNL once before, to no avail

Judge Judy (Season 24)

Cheri Oteri made an impact on SNL in a short time with memorable characters and hilarious impersonations — especially that of Judge Judy. However, the honorable TV personality herself proved that no one “rules” like the original when she interrupted one of Oteri’s parodies of her court show.

Sarah Paulson (Season 48)

In a sketch poking fun at his internet persona, host Pedro Pascal plays a teacher whose students have made viral videos honoring him as a surrogate “daddy” and another teacher name Ms. Jenny as “mommy.” Entering the room to the crowd’s surprise as Ms. Jenny is the Last of Us cast member’s good friend, Emmy winner Sarah Paulson.

Taylor Swift (Season 49)

Even after her boyfriend — one of the funniest pro athletes to host SNL, Travis Kelce — made a surprise appearance in the same episode (hosted by Pete Davidson), no one anticipated Taylor Swift would show up in the Season 48 opener to introduce musical guest Ice Spice’s second performance. Reportedly, neither of these cameos were planned and were put together last minute when the Grammy-winning superstar and Kansas City Chiefs tight end happened to show up at 30 Rock.

Jason Momoa (Season 45)

In a courtroom-style sketch starring Chance the Rapper as a judge who rules purely by first impressions, one of the defendants is played by Jason Momoa, who already has the host in stitches with his ridiculous wardrobe. However, the Aquaman actor suddenly cannot stop laughing after accidentally referring to himself as a “paraplegic,” when he meant to say “paralegal.”

Eminem (Season 46)

Pete Davidson plays a young man named Stu who writes a series of increasingly erratic letters asking Santa Claus (Jason Bateman) for a PlayStation 5 in this holiday parody of “Stan” by Eminem. As we learn at the end of the bit (which original video star Devon Sawa loved), the Real Slim Shady is the one who ended up getting the PS5 under his tree.

The Property Brothers And Tony Hawk (Season 48)

Kenan Thompson plays the host of an international beauty pageant that is close to going off the rails when he makes note of the random selection of Property Brothers’ Drew and Jonathan Scott and Tony Hawk as the judges before introducing them. Much to the surprise of Thompson’s character (and the audience), the twin renovation reality show stars and the pro skateboarder are appearing as themselves.

Jeff Probst (Season 48)

At first, the only joke this wedding-set sketch has going for it is the repeated utterance of the word “Joker," in reference to the best man’s choice of Halloween costume, modeled after Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. What transcends the SNL sketch from terrible to amazing is when Survivor host Jeff Probst shows up to announce if the guests voted in favor of the best man (Andrew Dismukes) keeping on his makeup or in favor of the bride (Heidi Gardner), who thinks his costume has ruined the ceremony.

Conan O'Brien (Season 47) 

When John Mulaney’s induction into SNL’s Five-Timers Club doesn’t seem to be going well, with veterans like Steve Martin and Candice Bergen believing he doesn’t fit the quality standards, coming to his aid is none other than Conan O’Brien. The beloved late-night host-turned-podcaster’s surprise appearance was not only special because he starred in the first Five-Timers Club sketch while working as a writer, but because he previously severed ties with NBC after 2010’s embarrassing Tonight Show debacle.

The Hunger Games Cast (Season 40) 

After starting his third SNL monologue with a song about the year 1989 modeled after Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space,” Woody Harrelson is suddenly joined by his Hunger Games movies co-stars Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson. When Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence shows up, Harrelson initially mistakes her for “the real Taylor Swift.”

Eugene Levy (Season 46) 

Host Dan Levy offers a glimpse of what Studio 8H looks like backstage in a post-Covid environment. During the tour, he is shocked to learn his father and fellow Schitt’s Creek cast member, Eugene Levy, flew from L.A. to New York to support him, but pandemic protocols have forced the comedian to watch the show from a clear, protective case.

Matt Damon (Season 44)

Matt Damon is the face behind many of the most amazing celebrity cameos in movies, but the Oscar-winning writer and star of Good Will Hunting has worked his magic on the small screen as well. For instance: his surprise appearance on SNL as Associate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in a hilarious cold open recreating his senate hearing.

Julia Stiles (Season 49)

On “Weekend Update,” Chloe Fineman demonstrates her most romantic holiday gift idea: recreating the balletic performance from the end of one of the best dance movies, Save the Last Dance. Fineman and the crowd are suddenly starstruck when the film’s star, Julia Stiles, shows up to help bring the tribute to a grand finale.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (Season 14)

When an overly excited Danny DeVito interrupts his monologue and requests to re-do the show’s opening, he asks his good friend and Twins co-star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to launch things with the famous catchphrase while he is sitting in the audience. The Terminator movies star would show up in the episode again to pay a visit to his cousins, Hans (Dana Carvey) and Franz (Kevin Nealon).

Bryan Cranston (Season 42) 

In a funny cold open, CNN reporter Jake Tapper announces that then-President Donald Trump has selected a new head of the DEA. The person in question is former high school chemistry teacher Walter White, played by former Breaking Bad cast member Bryan Cranston reprising his legendary, multi-Emmy-winning role.

Paul McCartney (Season 32) 

This sketch is already crawling with amazing cameos when Alec Baldwin, in the Platinum Lounge at SNL’s Five-Timers Club, runs into Martin Short (working as a server) and Steve Martin, who attempts to murder his It’s Complicated co-star under the impression he is tying his hosting record. However, the biggest surprise comes when Paul McCartney walks in, whom Martin initially mistakes for fellow club member, Paul Simon. 

Melissa McCarthy (Season 42)

One of SNL’s all-time best hosts, Melissa McCarthy, showed up to play then-White House press secretary Sean Spicer during an episode hosted by Kristen Stewart. While then-President Donald Trump did not care for the sketch, Spicer did not seem bothered by the impersonation (save McCarthy’s amount of gum chewing), and the big became one of SNL’s most popular YouTube clips, later inspiring the Oscar nominee to reprise the role once more.

The Office Cast (Season 44)

When an audience member interrupts Steve Carell’s third SNL monologue to ask if an Office reboot is in the works, he initially says the beloved NBC sitcom might be best left alone. However, fellow Office cast members Ellie Kemper, Ed Helms, and Jenna Fischer pop in to convince him otherwise.

Barry Gibb (Season 39)

Arguably Jimmy Fallon’s single funniest SNL sketch is “The Barry Gibb Talk Show,” in which he and Justin Timberlake, as Bee Gees members Barry and Robin Gibb, discuss pressing topics with public figures. One of the later editions featured Madonna appearing as herself, but when the real Barry Gibb shows up at the very end is an all-time classic moment.

Larry David (Season 41)

While he never was an SNL cast member (but did perform sketch comedy on Fridays), Larry David had a brief stint at Studio 8H as a writer years before returning to the show in a legendary way. In a cold open recreating the 2016 Election’s Democratic presidential debate, the Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm creator drove the crowd crazy with his first of many appearances as Bernie Sanders, who, it turns out, is a distant cousin of the comedian, as they would later discover (per Time). 

Brad Pitt (Season 24)

Brad Pitt is, surprisingly, one of many celebrities who have never hosted SNL, but he has popped in on the show a couple of times. The first time was in a cold open for an episode hosted by David Spade, as the Tommy Boy actor’s therapist, for some reason.

Alex Trebek (Season 27)

One of SNL’s best “Celebrity Jeopardy!” sketches comes from Will Ferrell’s final episode as a cast member, particularly for the surprise guest at the very end. After Ferrell’s Alex Trebek announces the “Final Jeopardy!,” the real, late Alex Trebek appears to bid his impersonate adieu.

James Gandolfini (Season 30)

When reporting on then-New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey’s scandal on “Weekend Update,” Amy Poehler and Tina Fey introduce a native to New York’s neighboring state to comment on the topic. The guest turns out to be played by the late James Gandolfini of the Sopranos cast fame, whose commentary turns out to be filled with stereotypes at the expense of his own community and others.

Chris Rock (Season 42)

A highlight of Dave Chappelle’s Emmy-winning debut hosting gig was the appearance of his friend and collaborator, Chris Rock. The ‘90s SNL icon shows up in a sketch set on the night of the 2016 Presidential Election to bond with Chappelle’s character over their anticipation of the inevitable results.

Jake Gyllenhaal (Season 45)

One of the most dazzling cameos in one of John Mulaney’s best comedy specials, John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch, was Jake Gyllenhaal as Mr. Music. The Academy Award nominee later reunited with the beloved comedian in one of Mulaney’s best musical SNL sketches as a pajama-clad traveler at LaGuardia Airport.

Janet Reno (Season 26)

Before Jane Lynch played Janet Reno in a true crime series, she was portrayed by Will Ferrell on SNL for years in “Janet Reno’s  Dance Party.” The final edition of the hard-partying sketch, amid the end of Reno’s sting as U.S. Attorney General, went out with a bang when the real Reno crashed through the wall to greet her doppelganger.

Mick Jagger (Season 49)

Musician and actor Bad Bunny’s SNL hosting debut was pretty cameo-heavy, including appearances by Pedro Pascal, former cast member Fred Armisen, and Lady Gaga. However, it was Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger who brought the house down with his bewildering parts in two sketches — first as a telenovela actor and later as a man posing as a nun.

Mark Zuckerberg (Season 36)

Host Jesse Eisenberg’s monologue is interrupted by Andy Samberg’s impersonation of Mark Zuckerberg, whom Eisenberg portrayed to Academy Award-nominated acclaim in the Social Network cast in 2010. Little do they know that the real Facebook founder is backstage, but goes against Lorne Michaels’ suggestions and joins Eisenberg onstage for an “awkberg” first meeting.

Sometimes what makes SNL really fun is waiting to see which celebrities might show up for a surprise appearance this time.

The “will they, won’t they” trope refers to when a TV show traces the blossoming romance of two central characters — such as Jim and Pam from the U.S. version of The Office cast or the two original lead Cheers characters, Sam and Diane. But, what about the characters who led a major storyline that involved the end of their relationship and, more specifically, the end of a marriage? We thought we would give some of the most iconic divorced TV characters their due by highlighting our favorites below.

Ross Gellar (Friends)

The ultimate TV divorcee — in sitcoms, at least — is easily Ross Gellar (David Schwimmer), who is splitting from his first wife, Carol, in the Friends pilot. In Season 4, his marriage to Emily Waltham (Helen Baxendale) is ruined during the ceremony because of his oft-debated history with Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), who later becomes his third wife by a drunken mistake in Vegas. 

Joyce Byers (Stranger Things)

Before Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) and the rest of the Stranger Things cast faced off against Demagorgons and other creatures, she had another monster to contend with: her husband. The selfish, deceitful, and abusive Lonnie (Ross Partridge) did not even care about the disappearance of his own son, Will (Noah Schnapp), in Season 1 of the Netflix sci-fi drama and blamed Joyce, who eventually — and quite thankfully — found romance with longtime friend, Jim Hopper (David Harbour).

Don Draper (Mad Men)

The seemingly picture-perfect union of Don Draper and Betty Hofstadt (Mad Men cast members Jon Hamm and January Jones) came to an end by the AMC period drama’s fourth season after unsuccessful attempts to reconcile amid each other’s affairs. However, it was not the ad executive’s last or even first marriage. Previously, his union with Anna Draper (Melinda Page Hamilton) — widow of the man whose identity he stole — was annulled and he and his third wife, Megan Calvet (Jessica Pare), began to grow apart in the penultimate season.

Reba Hart (Reba)

One of the best country music singers-turned-actors, Reba McEntire, became sitcom royalty with her Golden Globe-nominated performance as the lead of her own comedy on The WB (and, later, The CW). Lasting six seasons, Reba was the story of a Southern single mother of three struggling to maintain a relationship with her ex-husband (played by Christopher Rich) and the woman he left her for (Melissa Peterman). Luckily, as the theme song says, she’s a survivor.

Seong Gi-hun (Squid Game)

In one of the best Netflix TV shows, Squid Game, the central protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Emmy winner Lee Jung-jae) chooses to leave for the deadly tournament after surviving the first round. But, after learning that his daughter is about to move to the United States with his ex-wife and her new husband, which is what convenes him to reenter the games. However, in the Season 1 finale, he ditches his chance to reconnect with his daughter in favor of taking down the tournament, which we will see playing when Season 2 of the South Korean hit premieres.

Frasier Crane (Cheers, Frasier)

On Cheers, Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) meets and eventually weds fellow psychiatrist, Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth). After she left him for another man before later pleading reconciliation, the long-running series ended with their marriage facing an uncertain fate. When Frasier’s self-titled spin-off premiered, it was revealed that he had left for good before packing up for Seattle, where they would sometimes reunite, including on Paramount+’s revival series in 2023.

Toby Flenderson (The Office)

The HR representative at Dunder-Mifflin’s Scranton branch, Toby Flenderson (The Office writer Paul Lieberstein), is divorced — a fact his self-described enemy, branch manager Michael Scott (Steve Carell), often uses to taunt him. Toby and his ex-wife had a daughter named Sasha (Delaney Ruth Farrell), whom we meet in one of the most cringe-worthy episodes of The Office, “Take Your Daughter to Work Day.”

Dorothy Zbornak (The Golden Girls)

What led Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur) to move in with her mother, Sophia (Estelle Getty), Blanche (Rue McClanahan), and Rose (Betty White) is her split from Stan (Herb Edelman). Nonetheless, Dorothy’s ex-husband would remain a recurring staple of The Golden Girls, and the former spouses’ lasting, yet imperfect, affection for one another made for a uniquely charming pair.

Bobby And Pam Ewing (Dallas)

The only thing as captivating as the mystery of who shot J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) on Dallas was the marriage of Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) to Pamela (Victoria Principal), who comes from the rival Barnes family. The Romeo and Juliet-style romance which turned many against them was initially the central focus of the primetime soap (one of the most popular TV shows of its time), until the couple ended up turning against each other.

Kirk And Luann Van Houten (The Simpsons)

In Season 3 of The Simpsons, we meet Milhouse’s parents, Kirk (Hank Azaria) — one of the most popular Simpsons characters to enter the series late — and Luann Van Houten (Maggie Roswell). In Season 8 — after a disastrous game of Pictionary at Homer and Marge’s dinner party — the couple called it quits and Kirk’s many efforts to salvage their union — including penning a song called “Can I Borrow a Feeling” — could not redeem it, unfortunately.

Grace Adler (Will & Grace)

Interior designer Grace Adler (Will & Grace cast member Debra Messing) almost got married in the pilot before finally finding her match in Dr. Leo Marcus (Harry Connick, Jr.), until his one-night-stand on a Cambodian Doctors Without Borders assignment ruined things. While they managed to work things out, remarry, and raise their daughter together in the finale, the 2017 revival series (which ignores the previous series’ ender) reveals that Grace, unable to trust Leo for his past mistake, left him again.

Michael And Jane Mancini (Melrose Place)

At the beginning of Melrose Place, the heart and soul of the Beverly Hills, 90210 spin-off was surgeon Michael (Thomas Calabro) and fashion designer Jane Mancini (Josie Bissett). However, by Season 2, Michael’s suddenly villainous transformation — complete with a terrible attitude and adulterous habits — saw the end of the marriage.

Matt Foley (Saturday Night Live)

When Chris Farley’s most famous SNL character, Matt Foley, made his SNL debut — in a beloved sketch written by Bob Odenkirk — the motivational speaker provided three important facts about his life: he is 35, divorced, and lives in a van down by the river. In subsequent editions of the bit, we learn he has actually been married “thrice” and even winds up in jail for failing to pay alimony at one point.

Cleveland Brown (Family Guy)

One of the funniest Family Guy characters, Cleveland Brown (Arif Zahir, who replaced Mike Henry) was married to Loretta (Alex Borstein) until she was caught cheating with Quagmire (Seth MacFarlane). When he got his own spin-off, The Cleveland Show, he reunited with his childhood friend and secret crush, Donna Tubbs (Sanaa Lathan), and his dreams came true when they married.

Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

After years of putting up with the neurotic and selfish behavior of her husband, Larry David (creator Larry David), the final straw for Cheryl (Cheryl Hines) came late in Curb Your Enthusiasm’s sixth season when he was too preoccupied with a TiVo installer to comfort her during a turbulent flight over the phone. Larry would later attempt a few schemes to win her back, including casting her as the wife of a character he inspired, George Costanza (Jason Alexander), for an in-show Seinfeld cast reunion special. 

Alan Harper (Two And A Half Men)

Initially, the premise of the long-running CBS sitcom, Two and a Half Men, saw Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen) reluctantly take in his brother, Alan (Jon Cryer), and nephew, Jake (Angus T. Jones), after Alan’s wife, Judith (Marin Hinkle) kicks him out. Alan later meets and marries the young, ditzy Kandi (April Bowlby) in an impromptu ceremony, but she splits with him because of — as it is eventually revealed — their differing opinions on having children… and his ear, nose, and chest hair.

Selina Meyer (Veep)

For, just about, the entire duration of their 12-year marriage, Andrew Meyer (David Pasquesi) cheated on his wife, Selina (Emmy winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus) almost constantly. Still, upon their reunion on Veep — a show Parks and Rec fans will love —  the attraction between them remains strong, which results in some increasingly ridiculous hijinks behind the scenes of Selina’s political career.

Lucious And Cookie Lyon (Empire)

We learn at the beginning of Empire that Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard) divorced Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) while she was still in prison — kicking off a volatile personal and professional relationship between the music industry magnates upon her release. While they would remarry in Season 4, the sixth and final season began with them separated before, eventually, finalizing their second split.

Maura And Shelly Pfefferman (Transparent)

At the beginning of Amazon’s Emmy-winning dramedy, Transparent, Maura Pfefferman (Jeffrey Tambor) — then known as “Morton” — revealed to her wife, Shelley (Judith Light) that she was transgender, Shelley could not accept this news and opted to split up. Eventually, however, despite a brief chance at rekindling their romance, they prove to be much stronger friends.

Jules Cobb (Cougar Town)

After the series finale, Friends cast member Courteney Cox’s most successful follow-up was an ABC (later TBS) original sitcom called Cougar Town. She played Jules Cobb: a single, forty-something mother to Travis (Dan Byrd) — whom she had with ex-husband, Bobby (Brian Van Holt) — who eventually remarries when she falls for her neighbor, Grayson Ellis (Josh Hopkins).

Lou Grant (The Mary Tyler Moore Show)

One of the first TV characters depicted as a divorcé was Lou Grant, portrayed by the late Ed Asner to multi-Emmy-winning acclaim on The Mary Tyler Moore and on his more dramatic self-titled spin-off. The TV news producer’s marriage to Edie (Priscilla Morrill) ends roughly halfway through the series, but they remain in touch and Lou even attends Edie’s nuptials to Howard Gordon.

Erica Kane (All My Children)

One of the most notorious divorcés in TV history is Erica Kane, played by the legendary Susan Lucci on All My Children. Over the course of four decades on the ABC daytime soap opera, the businesswoman was seen tying the knot a staggering eleven times.

Angela Bower (Who's The Boss?)

Years before Judith Light portrayed a divorcé on Transparent, she played single mother Angela Bower on the hit ABC sitcom, Who’s the Boss? The advertising executive would eventually find love again with her widowed live-in housekeeper, Tony Micelle (Tony Danza).

Rhoda Morgenstern (Rhoda)

When Valerie Harper left the Mary Tyler Moore Show to star in her own spin-off, Rhoda, the title character would meet and marry a divorced man named Joe Gerard (David Groh). Their relationship would only last a couple more years and we discovered much later in a 2000 TV movie called Mary and Rhoda that she found a new French husband named Jean-Pierre Rousseau, but that marriage did not last either.

Niles Crane (Frasier)

Arguably the funniest recurring gag in Frasier is that Niles Crane’s (David Hyde Pierce) wife, Maris, is never once seen — due to the characters’ increasingly bizarre descriptions making her impossible to cast — even after their marriage falls apart in Season 4. Thankfully, Niles would later fall in love with his brother’s housekeeper, Daphne (Jane Leeves).

Angela Martin (The Office)

After her engagement to Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) ends due to her affair with Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), Angela Martin’s (Angela Kinsey) marriage to state senator Robert Lipton (Jack Coleman) ends due to his affair with Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez) in the final season of The Office. Soon after, she and Dwight finally and openly admit their love for each other and wed in the series finale, which actually counts as their second after Dwight fooled her into a marriage while she was still engaged to Andy.

Alexis Morrell (Dynasty)

Much of the most intense drama on the long-running primetime soap opera, Dynasty — which was later rebooted for The CW — stemmed from the relationship between former spouses Alexis Morrell (Joan Collins) and Blake Carrington (John Forsyth). The marriage was actually the first of four for the socialite, who also went on to marry Cecil Colby, Dex Dexter, and Sean Rowan.

Bill Dauterive (King Of The Hill)

For all 13 seasons of King of the Hill, Bill Dauterive (voiced by Stephen Root) never quite got over his ex-wife, Leonare (Ellen Barkin). There was a time in Season 5 when he had a chance at finding love again with former Texas governor Ann Richards (voicing herself), which ultimately went nowhere, but was almost ruined by one of Leonare’s schemes.

Mike and Gloria Stivic (All In The Family)

The conservative Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor) would constantly butt heads with the more liberal Mike Stivic (future filmmaker Rob Reiner), who was married to his daughter, Gloria. However, by the end of the groundbreaking run of All in the Family, the couple separated. Archie initially assumed it was by Mike’s doing, until Gloria admitted to her own infidelity.

Mr. Big (Sex And The City)

The classic “will they, won’t they” relationship between Carrie Bradshaw (Sex and the City cast lead Sarah Jessica Parker) and John James “Mr. Big” Preston (Chris Noth), would eventually result in marriage (until his death, as revealed in the sequel series, And Just Like That…), which was the entrepreneur’s third. He was previously married to a woman named Barbara and, during a time when he and Carrie were apart, married a younger woman named Natasha (Bridget Moynahan).

Louie (Louie)

Much like in real life, Louis C.K.’s fictionalized version of himself in the acclaimed FX series, Louie, is a divorced comedian. In fact, one of its sharpest elements is its almost tragically hilarious depiction of single parenthood from his perspective.

Henry VIII (The Tudors)

Borrowed straight from the history books, Showtime’s The Tudors incorporates a truly heinous depiction of a marriage ending. Because divorce is against her religion, Catherine (Maria Doyle Kennedy) has her marriage to King Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) annulled due to his obsession with Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer). As a result, she is exiled. 

Breaking up is hard to do, but in the case of these divorced characters, it made for great television.

There is no genre more near and dear to my heart than comedy. The skills necessary to make others laugh -- whether live and in-person or through a screen -- are a unique and beautiful combination that should be protected at all costs. Some artists are able to do so without leaning in to touchy subjects or cursing, while others go all the way to really earn that R rating. The tactics may differ, but the end goal is the same, to bring others joy through jokes. 

Many comedians see movies as the apex of a potential career, but most don't start out their careers in Hollywood. Many grow first through either stand-up comedy or sketch comedy. This list honors them. Here's a look back at famous actors who started in either the stand-up or sketch comedy world and went on to bigger screens.

Rainn Wilson

Known as arguably one of the best characters on the hit show The Office, Rainn Wilson got his start in the arts in New York City where he studied acting at NYU. He went on to do theater both off and on Broadway as well as sketch comedy. He even did a post-modern clown show before getting his big break on the show Six Feet Under in 2001. 

Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg got her start by studying drama in New York, where she landed a few stage performances before trying her hand at stand-up comedy. Like many others on this list, her comedy routine -- "The Spook Show" -- caught the attention of Oscar-winning director Mike Nichols, who helped get the young comedian to Broadway. She eventually landed her first film in Steven Spielberg's film The Color Purple, for which she earned an Oscar nomination in 1986. 

Steve Buscemi

The veteran character actor made his acting debut in 1985, but also tried his hand at stand-up comedy. Eventually, Busemi decided he "wasn't funny enough," and switched to acting instead. Buscemi has since starred in popular movies including Fargo, Resevoir Dogs, and the hit HBO Max show Boardwalk Empire.

Emma Thompson

If you're looking for a stand-up with some serious credentials, look no further than Emma Thompson. Winner of two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, a British Academy Television Award and a Primetime Emmy Award, the talented actor got her start in stand-up while in Cambridge. 

John Candy

Arguably one of the greatest comedy legends to ever live, John Candy led a fascinating life, getting his big break after joining the ensemble of SCTV — which is, essentially, the Canadian equivalent to SNL. In 1989, the star even added radio personality to his resume. The LA Times did a whole write-up of his syndicated, two-hour program, Radio Kandy, which sounds wild and apparently included rock music and comedy sketches featuring some of his former SCTV co-stars.

Mo'Nique

Mo'Nique started her comedy career with stand-up, heading to It's Showtime at the Apollo and Def Comedy Jam before eventually landing a leading role on TV's The Parkers. The comedian took her acting to the next level in 2009's Precious, for which she won an Academy Award.

Steve Carell

A versatile actor with numerous groundbreaking performances in both television and film, Steve Carrell was once a legend at Second City in Chicago who went on to land his dream job working on the ill-fated Dana Carvey Show, which you can learn about in Too Funny To Fail, one of the best comedy documentaries to date. Known best for his role as Michael Scott in the U.S. adaptation of The Office, Carell eventually went on to become a leading man in both comedies and dramas. 

Michael Keaton

To put himself through college where he studied acting, Michael Keaton worked as a cab and ice cream truck driver, and it wasn't until 1975 that he officially debuted on television. He did some stand-up comedy in his early 20s, which he recounted in an interview with Ellen, but he eventually found the right calling with movies.

Tina Fey

Known for her work on the smash hit show 30 Rock, Tina Fey got her start in acting at Second City which quickly led to a job at Saturday Night Live as notably one of the only female writers at the time. She got her break co-hosting Weekend Update and later went on to be a huge star in Hollywood. 

Jamie Foxx

It all started with a dare from a girlfriend to try his hand at an open mic. Flash forward some years and that performance led Jamie Foxx to multiple awards, including two Academy Awards, double digit Grammys, and three Golden Globe Awards, all while showing a versatile ability to crush performances across multiple genres and artistic art forms.

John Cleese

Coming from the United Kingdom, John Cleese is a British comic actor best known for his television work on Monty Python’s Flying Circus and Fawlty Towers. Cleese began writing and performing in comedy revues at Clifton College in Bristol, England, and was a member of the renowned Footlights Club while a law student at the University of Cambridge. He is best known for his work with Monty Pythion, namely Monty Python And The Holy Grail. 

Ricky Gervais

Ricky Gervais went to school at Ashmead Comprehensive School before going on to study at University College, London, where he gained a degree in Philosophy. After university, Gervais attempted to pursue a pop career with Seona Dancing, a synth-pop duo he formed with a fellow student. After forming a writing partnership with Stephen Merchant, he would go on to land his breakout role on The Office, premiering in 2001. In between all his acting gigs, he's performed plenty of stand-up and has multiple Netflix specials. 

Eddie Murphy

Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, SNL star Eddie Murphy began performing his own comedy routines at 15. In 1980, the work of the soon-to-be comedy legend caught the attention of Saturday Night Live producers. In 1982, Murphy landed his first leading role in the film, 48 Hrs, which led to multiple leads in classics such as Beverly Hills Cop and Coming to America. He went on to earn an Oscar nomination for Dreamgirls and truly set the bar by playing six characters in the 1996 smash hit, The Nutty Professor. His '80s comedy specials are still discussed today. 

Amy Schumer

Amy Schumer is certainly better known these days for her work in numerous films including the fantastic Trainwreck, but most of those career opportunity doors opened through her stand-up comedy. She built a name for herself through her work on the live mic before mostly switching to movies.

Chris Rock

An SNL vet, Chris Rock's comedy career began in 1984 at 19 when he took the stage in the New York City club Catch a Rising Star. His performance ended up catching the eye of future comedy legend Eddie Murphy, who had been watching his act. Murphy would become a huge presence in Rock's life and served as a mentor, giving him his first break with a role in Beverly Hills Cop II.

Ron Perlman

Known for very courageous roles such as Clay Morrow on the FX show Sons Of Anarchy, Ron Perlman said his ventures as a stand-up comedian ended after a heckling exchange in the Bronx escalated and he retreated out of the venue through the back door, which seems like a strange move for such an intimidating man. 

Robin Williams

Arguably one of the best comedians of all-time, Robin Williams studied acting at the Juilliard School, which he later dropped out of to devote himself entirely to stand-up comedy before making the leap to television and movies. Known for his high energy and skillful impressions, he himself has inspired other actors to reenact some of his most dramatic real-life moments in honor of the late comedian. 

Patton Oswalt

The Prince of Queens, Patton Oswalt went from struggling in the comedy world to writing for the sketch comedy show MADtv and earning his own comedy special on HBO. He continued to impress critics and fans alike, with roles such as the voice of the lead character Remy the Rat in the Pixar film, Ratatouille. 

Richard Pryor

Unfortunately, tragedy and comedy often go hand-in-hand. Such is the case with arguably one of the genre's biggest icons, the late, great, Richard Pryor. The legend had a tough life growing up and eventually joined the military before playing nightclubs as both a musician and comedian at age 23. His comedy career was populated with milestones and achievements, as well as struggles and substance abuse before passing away in 2005 due to complications from M.S..  

Bette Midler

Bette Midler landed her first Broadway role in Fiddler on the Roof by 1966, four years before trying her hand at stand-up comedy. In 1972, she released the album The Divine Miss M, which earned her a Grammy Award, and she started making frequent appearances on late-night television shows and eventually a huge acting career. Along the way, she performed live comedy and even released an album.

Norm Macdonald

Norm Macdonald's first job was writing for The Dennis Miller Show and then Roseanne. While writing on the show, he was noticed by Lorne Michaels, who liked Norm's stand up so much that he offered the young comedian a job on Saturday Night Live in 1993.

Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey, who is easily considered one of the greats, was himself taken under the wing of another comedy legend, Rodney Dangerfield, who spotted the young comic in a Toronto nightclub. Carrey eventually made it to The Tonight Show which led to his role on In Living Color and parts in many comedy classics that we know and love today, such as Dumb and Dumber, The Mask, and Ace Ventura. 

Tim Allen

Tim Allen started his career as a comedian in 1975 in a pretty peculiar way. On a dare from one of his friends, he participated in a comedy night at Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle in Royal Oak, outside of Detroit. Following his release from prison in 1981 for a drug-related crime, he returned to comedy and went on to lead the hit show Home Improvement on ABC. 

Steve Martin

From community theater, to Disneyland, to the big screen, Steve Martin began his showbiz career as a teenager. After writing his own comedy routines, plays, and music, he went on to study philosophy and poetry before winning his first Emmy Award for comedy writing on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour at the young age of 23.

Lily Tomlin

Initially studying biology at Wayne State University, Lily Tomlin decided to audition for a play which led to her changing her major to theatre and diving into stand-up comedy. Her stand-up was so impressive that it attracted the attention of the producers of Laugh-In, the notorious 1960s sketch comedy show. Tomlin went on to snag an Oscar nomination for her acting work.

Dana Carvey

One of SNL's most talented and beloved alumni, Dana Carvey absolutely dominated during his six seasons on Saturday Night Live, creating some of the show's most memorable characters. He never drifted far from stand-up though and has continued to take the stage and release specials.

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks took the weirdest route to stand-up of anyone on this list. He was already in Hollywood and establishing a nice career when he decided to audition for a movie about stand-up comedy called Punchline. As part of that process, he developed his own stand-up routine and performed in clubs. There's even footage of it that trends every now and again.

Bob Odenkirk

Starting out as a D.J. in Illinois, Bob Odenkirk got his start in local improv workshops in Chicago, where he also did open-mic stand-up comedy for several years. In Chicago, he became friends with Robert Smigel, who would later help him become a writer for Saturday Night Live.

Larry David

Starting out in stand-up comedy, Larry David befriended Jerry Seinfeld and later went on to co-create Seinfeld. He also wrote for Friday's and Saturday Night Live and famously went on to create the all-time ridiculous show Curb Your Enthusiasm. 

Ed Helms

Ed Helms was studying improv with the Upright Citizens Brigade when he got his big break as a correspondent on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He later moved on to the hit NBC show The Office where he played Andy Bernard. From there, Helms went on to star in The Hangover trilogy. More importantly, he also acted in Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie.

Mel Brooks

There aren't many names in the world of comedy that stand larger than Mel Brooks. The legend started his career in stand-up before working as a writer for Sid Caesar's variety show Your Show of Shows from 1950 to 1954. After that, he, of course, took over Hollywood, winning an EGOT and directing classics like Blazing Saddles, The Producers and Robin Hood: Men In Tights.

Simon Pegg

A comedic force to be reckoned with in the U.K. before dropping smash hits like Sean of the Dead in the U.S., Pegg once told The Hollywood Reporter “I went into stand-up because comedy was something I enjoyed but also because it offered me a certain autonomy that I wouldn’t have if I was sitting and waiting for the phone to ring as an actor.”

Dan Aykroyd

Dan Aykroyd started performing comedy at 17 and later joined the main casts of Second City in Toronto and Chicago. Later, it was his work in the sketch comedy powerhouse Saturday Night Live that turned him into a huge name and opened the door for him to start in classics like The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters.

And those are some of the actors who also took the stage to perform stand-up or sketch comedy at some point during their careers!

While Saturday Night Live may be the most recognizable and, easily, the longest-lasting sketch comedy series in American history, there have been others, in case you didn’t know. In fact, there are quite a few legendary comedic actors who got their start in sketch comedy and have even been prominently featured in some great SNL sketches as hosts, but have never called Studio 8H home… as regular cast members, at least. The following are some of our favorite well-known masters of mirth who did sketch comedy, but weren't SNL cast members. 

Jordan Peele

Before becoming known as the mastermind behind some of the best horror movies in recent memory, Jordan Peele made a name for himself as a MADtv cast member, and later, as one-half of Key & Peele’s eponymous duo on Comedy Central. The Academy Award winner was actually offered to be on SNL, but was unable to break from his contract with MADtv, which is why he left the Fox series on bad terms after five years.

Carol Burnett 

Carol Burnett has been one of the most essential names in comedy for decades, but you can find much of her most iconic performances — such as a timeless Gone with the Wind parody — on her own long-running variety show, The Carol Burnett Show. Following her dramatic turn on Better Call Saul, a viral campaign was launched for her to host SNL, which, very shockingly, would be the first time.

John Candy

The late John Candy is one of the most beloved comedic talents of all time, known for great movies like Uncle Buck and Planes, Trains & Automobiles. For years, the actor’s claim to fame was Canada’s SCTV, on which he debuted characters like Johnny LaRue, whom he based off of rude people he knew and “wanted to get back at.”

Dave Chappelle

Any time that Dave Chappelle has hosted SNL, it always seems to spark controversy for one reason or another, which should come as no shock to anyone who watched the Emmy-nominated Chappelle’s Show. Running from 2003 to 2006 on Comedy Central, the series reflected the comic’s risqué, but thought-provoking, humor and featured now iconic bits including recreations of true stories about Rick James and Prince and an epic Wayne Brady cameo.

Jamie Foxx

Multi-talented Academy Award winner and Grammy winner Jamie Foxx has proved to be an absolute natural when he shows up at Studio 8H. After all, the Spider-Man movie villain actor — who also had his own sitcom featuring SNL alum Garrett Morris called The Jamie Foxx Show — did get his start on In Living Color from 1991 to 1994.

Eric Idle

There are some really weird SNL sketches that toe the line between terrible and amazing, but none have reached quite the level of distinct surrealism that Monty Python’s Flying Circus is defined by. One of the most famous members of the eponymous British comedy troupe is Eric Idle (i.e. “Wink-wink, nudge-nudge, say no more”), who would headline at Studio 8H four times in the ‘70s.

Catherine O'Hara

In addition to her epic film career — including the Home Alone movies, Beetlejuice, and The Nightmare Before Christmas, to name a few — Catherine O’Hara’s small screen career has earned her two Emmy awards. Her more recent win was for playing Moira Rose in the Schitt’s Creek cast, but there first was as a writer for SCTV, on which she also inspired laughs as a cast member.

Bob Odenkirk 

Future Breaking Bad cast member Bob Odenkirk actually wrote some beloved SNL sketches, such as Chris Farley’s first appearance as Matt Foley. His skills as a sketch comedy performer, however, could be seen in the 1990s on the short-lived The Ben Stiller Show, the more successful HBO series, Mr. Show with Bob & David, and its Netflix original revival, W/ Bob & David, in 2015.

Michael Richards

Years before starring in the Seinfeld cast as one of the funniest sitcom characters ever, Cosmo Kramer, Michael Richards portrayed various characters on Fridays. The short-lived sketch comedy — essentially ABC’s answer to Saturday Night Live — is also where the three-time Emmy winner met Seinfeld creator Larry David.

Jim Carrey

There are few living comedic legends as widely celebrated as Jim Carrey, who has hosted SNL a number of times and even signed on as the show’s resident Joe Biden for a brief period. What first led the Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Dumb and Dumber actor on the path to stardom was his four-year stint on In Living Color, on which he debuted characters like Fire Marshall Bill, which came out of a failed sketch idea, apparently.

Aziz Ansari

Along with The League star Paul Scheer and Children’s Hospital actor Rob Huebel, Aziz Ansari formed a comedy troupe called Human Giant, who led their own titular sketch series that lasted for 20 episodes on MTV. The comic — who has also hosted SNL before — saw his star power rise when he joined the Parks and Recreation cast and went on to play one of best South Asian TV characters in recent memory on Netflix’s Master of None, which he also co-created. 

Rowan Atkinson

While most people associate him best with Mr. Bean these days, there are many great Rowan Atkinson movies and TV shows that pre-date his debut as the famous man-child. For instance, one of the the British comedian’s earliest claims to fame was a sketch comedy series called Not the Nine O'Clock News, which ran from 1979 to 1982 on the BBC.

Eric Wareheim

A series that best defines the surreal humor that Adult Swim is known for is Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, in which Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim portray various characters in strange situations in sketches the drip of a low-budget. Wareheim has done many notable things on his own — such as his starring role on Master of None and recurring character on Bob’s Burger — but the duo still works together on shows like Tim & Eric’s Bedtime Stories or the sitcom parody Beef House from 2020.

Goldie Hawn

A show that largely inspired SNL was Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In — which, also like SNL, served as a jumping off point for many stellar careers, such as Lily Tomlin and Richard Dawson. Perhaps its most icon and successful alum, however, is one-time Hollywood It Girl Goldie Hawn, who won an Oscar for Cactus Flower very shortly after leaving the show and before going on to lead classics like Private Benjamin and Overboard.

Eugene Levy

Before starring in the American Pie cast, before Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries, and before many other great Eugene Levy movies and TV shows, the Canadian actor gained notoriety as party of Second City. His stint on the eponymous, Emmy-winning sketch series, SCTV, also saw the beginning of professional and personal relationship with the likes of John Candy, his Schitt’s Creek co-star Catherine O’Hara, and plenty more.

Flip Wilson

In the early 1970s, before SNL’s premiere, Flip Wilson hosted his own variety show, which was one of the most popular series on television during its four-year run on NBC. The most famous character the comedian portrayed on The Flip Wilson Show was a boisterous woman named Geraldine, whom he resurrected when he hosted SNL in 1983.

John Cleese

John Cleese — also known for writing and starring in the classic con artist movie, A Fish Called Wanda, and voicing the King in the Shrek movies — has never hosted SNL, but did appear on an episode with fellow Monty Python member, Michael Palin, in 1997. In addition to a cold open poking fun at the recently instituted TV ratings system, Cleese and Palin performed a special recreation of one of the most famous Monty Python’s Flying Circus sketches, “Dead Parrot.”

Bobby Lee

Known for characters like counter-productive translator Bae Sung, wannabe tough guy Tank, or Bruce Lee’s cousin, Bobby Lee is one of MADtv’s most notable success stories. The Korean-American became a staple of the Harold and Kumar movies, landed recurring roles on show like Magnum P.I. and Reservation Dogs, has moonlighted as the host of podcasts TigerBelly and Bad Friends, and plenty more to boast.

David Cross

From playing Tobias Funke — a character who could totally ruin Thanksgiving — on Arrested Development to appearing in the Alvin and the Chipmunks movies, David Cross has a pretty stacked and reputable resume. What set the path for the comedian’s success was co-headlining (along with Bob Odenkirk) HBO’s Mr. Show, on which he debuted a character who got his own movie in 2002 called Run Ronnie Run.

David Alan Grier

Arguably David Alan Grier’s most famous character from his In Living Color tenure was Antoine Meriwether — one half of a duo also consisting of Damon Wayans’ Blaine Edwards. The They Cloned Tyrone cast member — who hosted SNL a couple of times in the ‘90s — reprised the flamboyant film critic on an SNL episode hosted by Wayans.

Rick Moranis

The beloved Rick Moranis has starred in many funny movies, such as Ghostbusters from 1984 and 1983’s Strange Brew. The latter was the film debut of Bob McKenzie — a stereotypical hoser he originated on SCTV alongside Dave Thomas as his brother, Doug.

Tracey Ullman

Tracey Ullman was cast on a few different sketch comedy shows — such as BBC’s A Kick Up the Eighties — before becoming the star of her own in 1987, which also saw the debut appearances of the Simpsons. Fox’s The Tracey Ullman Show was actually just one of many sketch series that the British comedian would headline, such as HBO’s Tracey Takes On… and Tracey Ullman’s State of the Union.

Keegan-Michael Key

In 2021, Keegan-Michael Key became the first MADtv alum to host SNL, which saw him reunite with this fellow Schmigadoon cast member, Cecily Strong. The episode — in which Key broke into laughter during a sketch featuring the Muppets —  was certainly a Season 46 highlight, but could have been even better if he brought back characters from some of the best Key & Peele sketches, like Luther.

Jennifer Saunders

Arguably, the most iconic duo Jennifer Saunders is a part of comes from Absolutely Fabulous, in which she plays Edina opposite Joanna Lumley’s Patsy. However, a sketch comedy that both predates and surpasses that long-running Britcom is French and Saunders, in which Saunders and her fellow Death on the Nile cast member, Dawn French, cleverly send-up everyday life in the U.K. and American cinema.

Larry David

In a story shared to Vanity Fair that mirrors one of the best Seinfeld episodes, the sitcom’s co-creator, Larry David, once quit his SNL writing gig in a rage, only to return on Monday acting like it never happened. Years later, he would make semi-regular appearances on the show as Bernie Sanders but, prior to all of this, the Curb Your Enthusiasm star was a performer on Fridays from 1980 to 1982.

Tim Heidecker

Tim Heidecker is best known as one half of the eponymous duo from Adult Swim’s hit sketch comedy series, Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! On his own, the Us actor has made waves in the comedy world with the 2012 dramedy, The Comedy, or for an ongoing, multi-media big following his fictionalized self’s murder trial.

Carrie Brownstein

Carrie Brownstein has been on SNL a few times — including once as herself for an edition of “What Up With That?” that did not go as planned, thanks to Samuel L. Jackson’s F-bomb. The musician and actor has also shared the screen with several Studio 8H all-stars on Portlandia, including her co-star and co-creator of the Portland, Oregon-based sketch show: Fred Armisen.

Stephen Fry

Before earning a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Wilde in 1999, later appearing in Amazon’s adaptation of Red, White and Royal Blue, and other versatile achievements, Stephen Fry was partners in comedy with House’s Hugh Laurie on BBC’s A Bit of Fry & Laurie form 1989 to 1995. Earlier than that, the pair were on another British sketch comedy show with future Harry Potter movies stars Emma Thompson and Robbie Coltrane called Alfresco. 

Michael Ian Black

Michael Ian Black is, perhaps, best known from Wet Hot American Summer and its Netflix original series spin-offs, but many of his collaborators on that cult comedy favorite — including director David Wain and his co-writer Michael Showalter — were on MTV’s The State together. Black later worked with Wain and Showalter on a sketch series called Stella and then headlined a sketch comedy/sitcom hybrid with Showalter for Comedy Central called Michael & Michael Have Issues in 2009.

Amy Schumer

One of the biggest names in stand-up is Amy Schumer, whose notoriety expanded after her Golden Globe-nominated performance opposite SNL’s Bill Hader in 2015’s Trainwreck, which she also wrote. Before then, however, the comedian’s stardom certainly rose after she scored her own Comedy Central show called Inside Amy Schumer, which won three Emmys — including Outstanding Variety Sketch Series.

Tim Conway

It may have been Carol’s show, but one could argue that the funniest cast member from The Carol Burnett Show was Tim Conway, who passed away in 2019. Some of his most memorable moments do not even involve the eponymous host, such as a sketch where he plays a clumsy doctor that had co-star, Harvey Korman, in stitches.

Amanda Bynes

Kenan Thompson — one of the longest-running SNL actors ever — is easily one of the biggest stars to start out on All That (essentially SNL, but with kids), but his co-star, Amanda Bynes, was the first to get her own sketch comedy series: The Amanda Show. Her post-Nickelodeon career includes leading the sitcom What I Like About You and movies like the Shakespeare-inspired rom-com, She’s the Man.

We still have nothing but love for our favorite iconic SNL actors, but also recognize that they do not make up all of our most cherished heroes in sketch comedy.

When it comes to TV shows, Seinfeld has one of the most polarizing series finales of all time. The characters all end up in jail and, while some feel this was an apropos ending for the sitcom, others found the finale to be unsatisfying. That’s why when Jerry Seinfeld teased plans to revisit the installment alongside his co-creator, Larry David, he sent the Internet into a frenzy. However, not everyone seems to be in the know about a possible reunion, including the comic's co-star, Julia Louis-Dreyfus. When she was asked about her friend and colleague's sentiment, she dropped a humorously blunt response.

The Emmy winner spoke with The Guardian, during which she was asked about her former co-star's comments and whether new episodes of the series could really be in the works. Apparently, the comedy routine was the first time the New Adventures of Old Christine star had heard about the potential reunion, and offered she offered the laugh-worthy response below:

If the veteran comic was serious about doing something with the '90s sitcom's ending, he clearly hasn’t pitched the idea to the rest of the cast. Other stars have yet to comment on their own participation in the supposed project so, if it is happening, it's likely in its early stages. The Veep actress didn’t confirm whether or not she’d get involved if something were to happen, but I think many fans would agree that doing a Seinfeld reunion without Louis-Dreyfus would be foolish. After all, Elaine is one of the best characters on Seinfeld. Longtime fans would probably agree that Elaine has some of the funniest moments in the entire NBC show's run -- and is one of the reasons the show is so rewatchable.

Jerry Seinfeld teased a reunion years ago, so his latest comments regarding a re-examination of the show aren't too surprising. Also, if there's anything the past several years have taught us, it's that nostalgia is a hot commodity, as many TV shows have returned via reunions or full-blown revivals.

After the show ended, rumors of a “Seinfeld-curse” swirling, with many believing the actors wouldn’t be able to pivot to roles beyond the series. However, the SNL alum defied this, as Julia Louis-Dreyfus has starred in plenty of movies and shows since the sitcom ended its nine-season run in 1998. The actress, who is currently playing Valentina Allegra de Fontaine as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, also finds the supposed curse to be "moronic."

The beloved star reprised her role as Elaine on SNL less than a decade ago, so maybe she’d be willing to take a stab at her iconic role once again. Though of course, we still don’t know much about the idea and whether that would even be necessary What can be said right now, though, is that there’s certainly a fanbase for a revisitation of some sort. We'l have to wait and see what happens but, if Julia Louis Dreyfus does get involved, I’m sure many will be happy-dancing like Elaine.

You can currently stream the classic show using a Netflix subscription. Fans should also read up on other comedies to check out if you like Seinfeld.

Some of the greatest moments in the nearly 50-year history of Saturday Night Live involve cast members struggling (and ultimately failing) to contain their laughter, and they are not the only ones. Some of the greatest SNL hosts the show has ever had are not impervious to breaking character either. As you can see from the list below, infectious examples of major celebrities who caught a case of the giggles while on the air at Studio 8H are not in short supply.  

Adele (Africa Tourism)

Adele was a great SNL host despite a lack of acting experience, but even her famously strong lungs couldn’t hold back laughter in her Season 46 episode. It’s hard to decipher if it's Kate McKinnon’s accent or just the way she says “tribesman” that causes the singer to break in the faux African tourist ad, but once she does, never quite stops.

Ben Affleck (Iranian Film)

Out of many examples of Ben Affleck breaking on SNL, we chose the Season 38 sketch framed as an HBO First Look at an Iranian-produced dramatization of the making of his Best Picture Oscar winner, Argo, called Bengo F*ck Yourself. He first snickers about two minutes in at Fred Armisen as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad portraying Affleck and a moment later when explaining he took the part of a sound man “to be in a movie worse than Gigli.”

Christina Applegate (Matt Foley: Van Down By The River)

Everyone in the ‘90s-era SNL classic — the first appearance of the late Chris Farley as motivational speaker Matt Foley — could barely keep their composure, especially after the late comedy icon accidentally destroys a coffee table. Even before then, you can see Christina Applegate struggling to hide her laughter behind her hair.

Drew Barrymore (The Love-ahs With Barbara And Dave)

The laughter was as contagious as the unbridled passion of Will Ferrell and Rachel Dratch’s recurring characters in this Season 27 edition of “The Love-ahs” set in a hot tub after notorious breaker Jimmy Fallon caused a chain reaction. Nearly three minutes in, host Drew Barrymore (as The Love-ahs’ friend, Barbara) begins her struggle to keep from giggling that lasts the rest of the sketch.

Candice Bergen (Extremely Stupid)

In SNL’s second season, Candice Bergen accidentally called Gilda Radner’s dim-witted character, Lisa, by her own character’s name, Fern, during a faux PSA sketch. All the future Five-Timer’s Club member could do is laugh as Radner then turned her planned speech about stupid people’s rights into a brilliant roast of her co-star.

Emily Blunt (Escorts)

In this 2017 bit, first-time host Emily Blunt stars alongside Leslie Jones as a pair of sex workers explaining their quirky guidelines to their clients, which involves roleplaying as a clumsy maid character she created. Twice, the British A Quiet Place star cracks up when she dons a more cartoonish British accent to say her character’s catchphrase, “Oopsy-doopsy, I muffed it up again!”

Dave Chappelle (Uncle Ben)

It’s no secret Dave Chappelle likes to shake things up when he hosts SNL, like in this sketch commenting on the recent discontinuation of food brands Uncle Ben’s and Aunt Jemima in 2020. The comedian first cracks up when debuting his deep Dennis Haysbert impersonation and again when he breaks the fourth wall with a clearly unscripted comment that makes Pete Davidson spit out his Count Chocula fangs.

Daniel Craig (Deep Quote Game Night)

It must be hard not to break when the typically well-composed Kate McKinnon gets the giggles, which seems to be what happened to Daniel Craig about 90 seconds into the Season 45 sketch "Deep Quote Game Night." Honestly, we can’t imagine this bit about a movie quote guessing game that turns awkward would have been as memorable had the former James Bond actor kept a straight face.

Larry David (New Wife)

Larry David looks so unrecognizable in this Season 43 sketch as a boisterous business man talking up his new spouse (Cecily Strong) to his coworkers, it is amazing the SNL players involved held it together so well. The Seinfeld co-creator and Curb Your Enthusiasm star causes himself to lose it completely, however, about three and half minutes into the "New Wife" sketch by the way he tells Beck Bennett’s character to “GET OUT!”

Billie Eilish (Hotel Ad)

The faux ad for a shockingly shady hotel is just one reason we’d love to see Billie Eilish return to SNL as both host and musical guest again. What makes this Season 47 bit so memorable (save a cameo from her brother and bandmate, Finneas) is the Oscar-winning singer’s frequent bouts of the giggles throughout.

Will Ferrell (Cast List)

Even a seasoned SNL veteran like Will Ferrell had to cover his mouth to hide his laughter in this sketch that was cut for time when he returned as host in Season 45. Of course, no one can contain themselves after he, as an over-serious high school theatre instructor, gets a little too close to Aidy Bryant when forcing the students to back away. 

Jamie Foxx (Maine Justice With Jamie Foxx)

Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx handles himself quite well as the bailiff in the Season 38 edition of “Maine Justice,” until it has a minute to go. All it takes is Jason Sudeikis’ uproarious judge saying the phrase “ass fire” to force the Django Unchained star to turn his head to hide his laughter, but Sudeikis kicks it up a notch by spontaneously kissing the actor’s arm.

Ryan Gosling (Close Encounter)

One of the most famous SNL breaks as of late is also our pick for Kate McKinnon’s best sketch ever: Season 41’s original version of “Close Encounter.” She has her future fellow Barbie cast member, Ryan Gosling, helplessly in stitches — just one of the host’s many breaks that night, actually — by the hilariously dry description of her otherwise horrifying alien abduction experience.

Tiffany Haddish (Whiskers R We With Tiffany Haddish)

You know comedy gold is afoot when Studio 8H brings in live animals, like in this edition of “Whiskers R We” from Season 43 that sees host Tiffany Haddish — who once auditioned for SNL — break Kate McKinnon and herself just seconds in with an unscripted, NSFW line prompted by a cat’s escape attempt. They both break again later on when a hairless feline tries to leap from McKinnon’s arms, visibly startling the future Haunted Mansion cast member.

David Harbour (Sauce) 

This Season 45 sketch starring Kate McKinnon as a frisky, elderly Italian immigrant and host David Harbour as his wife is far less messy than other sketches involving food have been. However, the Stranger Things cast member can’t help but smirk when McKinnon brings a finger dripping in sauce to his lips and inserts it right in his mouth. His laughter continues as they being to make out.

Sean Hayes (Jeffrey’s With Sean Hayes)

Many SNL hosts have fallen prey to the infectious shared laughter of notorious breakers, Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz, such as Sean Hayes in this early 2000s favorite set at elitist clothing store, Jeffrey’s. Seeing Will Ferrell ride in on a scooter about four minutes in and use an impossibly tiny cell phone really sends the Will & Grace cast member over the edge.

Kevin Hart (Barnes And Noble Firing)

It’s no wonder Tim Robinson got his own Netflix sketch series, I Think You Should Leave, with how effortlessly he cracks up Kevin Hart at the end of the Barnes and Noble-set sketch from Season 38. Robinson’s performance as the “old, useless” Carl makes it impossible for the comedian to get through his lines.

Jonah Hill (Benihana) 

The most recent time Jonah Hill played his own recurring SNL character, precocious six-year-old Adam Grossman, in Season 44 might be the best because it saw him break the most. Neither the Academy Award nominee nor Leslie Jones as his nanny can keep it together every time he taunts her by singing reggae hits. 

Janet Jackson (Corksoakers)

Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz are surprisingly stone-cold for most of the 2004 sketch as Italian winery owners explaining to tourists how they “soak corks.” However, host and musical guest Janet Jackson cracks up multiple times when she accidentally begins to say the actual suggestive phrase that “cork soaking” alludes to.

Keegan-Michael Key (The Muppet Show)

For anyone who ever got sick of Statler and Waldorf’s heckling, the Season 46 favorite starring Kenan Thompson and host Keegan-Michael Key as The Muppet Show venue security is for you. What makes it a classic is when the Key & Peele star beginning to chuckle after his aggressive assault on Statler causes record-breaking SNL veteran Thompson to break.

Adam Levine (Catfish)

This parody of Catfish likes to poke fun at how often Nev Shulman (host Adam Levine) mentions his name on the MTV reality series. About half-way through the sketch, the Maroon 5 frontman and former The Voice coach appears to break at his most animated utterance of the name, but bounces back pretty quickly by making it feel like a character trait.

Lindsay Lohan (Debbie Downer: Disney World) 

When people think of Rachel Dratch as Debbie Downer, they tend to think of this 2004 favorite set at a Disney World pancake restaurant that no one could keep a straight face during the sketch. First-time host Lindsay Lohan later revealed to Vogue that she was so overwhelmed by laughter, she decided to just walk off set as soon as she got the chance.

Julianna Margulies (Family Dinner)

This revolting 2000 sketch stars host Julianna Margulies as woman learning her boyfriend’s (Chris Parnell) dysfunctional salivary glands and weak teeth force his parents to feed him like a baby bird. By the end, the former ER cast member does the deed herself for the younger son (Chris Kattan) and can’t help but laugh the unspeakable act she just committed.

James McAvoy (New Orleans Vacation)

When James McAvoy hosted in Season 44, he experimented with almost as many voices as he used to play a man with DID in Split and Glass, but the one he used in this sketch was too much for him to handle. He can’t help but crack up nearly every time he puts on a thick, inauthentic Cajun accent to talk about he and his girlfriend’s recent trip to “N’awlins.”

Jason Momoa (Judge Barry)

When Jason Momoa makes a surprise cameo in a Season 45 sketch starring host Chance the Rapper as a courtroom judge of first impressions, he surprises himself with a hilarious flub. Both the Aquaman actor and the host can’t help but laugh when he calls himself a “paraplegic,” meaning to say “paralegal.”

Brittany Murphy (The Leather Man)

Season 28’s “The Leather Man” — which eventually goes off the rails courtesy of Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz — might actually be a prime example of the late Brittany Murphy’s exceptional talent. You can barely even tell when she breaks with the way she convincingly disguises her laughter as a quirk that fits perfectly in line with her character.

Pedro Pascal (Lisa From Temecula)

Just when you thought the internet could not love Pedro Pascal more, he earns its respect even more just by innocently succumbing to his own laughter during his Season 48 SNL episode. The most memorable instance came in this segment in when Ego Nwodim’s Lisa shakes the table with her aggressive steak cutting, giving the star of The Mandalorian and The Last of Us a case of the giggles that proves contagious.

Chris Pine (Star Trek Lost Episode)

Initially, it seems that the most memorable highlight of this Star Trek parody will be Chris Pine’s spot-on William Shatner impression, until he snickers at the awkward line delivery of the guy playing Sulu. Fun fact, according to the SNL wiki, that gentleman is production designer Akira Yoshimura, who has played Sulu in many other sketches poking fun at the sci-fi phenomenon.

Margot Robbie (Actress Round Table) 

It is no wonder why Margot Robbie would go on to star in two movies with Kate McKinnon from how the SNL star brings the laughter out of the Australian actor in the sketch from 2016. Robbie almost loses focus of her otherwise consistent Keira Knightley impression by how fictional Hollywood veteran Debette Goldry’s (McKinnon) shocking memories get the best of her.

Adam Sandler (Sandler Family Reunion) 

In a sketch where Adam Sandler is surrounded by people imitating characters from his best movies, it was Jimmy Fallon as his grandfather who finally caused the fellow SNL retiree to laugh. Apparently, as Fallon later recalled on The Tonight Show, his overlong bout of gibberish was a happy accident caused by misreading the cue cards.   

Seann William Scott (Short Shorts For The USA)

One of Will Ferrell’s all-time best sketches on SNL first aired in 2001 and sees him wear a half-shirt and a thong to work in the name of patriotism. Host Seann William Scott holds back the urge to laugh at the ridiculous and revealing ensemble from beginning to end.

Justin Timberlake (Celebrity Family Feud)

For his second time hosting, Jimmy Fallon impersonated Jim Parsons in a “Celebrity Family Feud” alongside musical guest Justin Timberlake as… Jimmy Fallon, with an incredibly enthusiastic imitation that the pop star can’t help but crack up at himself.  There is no clip of the Season 39 sketch on YouTube currently, but we recommend using a Peacock subscription to check out the whole episode.

There is sure to be more where these came from when SNL comes back for its 49th season on NBC.

Minor spoilers for the fourth season of Barry lie ahead, so read at your own risk.

The fourth season of the Bill Hader-led Barry is an absolute hit for HBO. The dark comedy is full of twists and turns, and many would probably agree the latest season is the best (and possibly most "radical") yet. However, if it was apparently up to Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, the acclaimed show wouldn’t have gotten a fourth season at all. Hader recently revealed that David had expected the show to end after the third, which is a hilarious hot take I just can’t seem to get behind. 

The Emmy winner recently sat down with pal Conan O’Brien on his podcast Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend, where he shared how he approached writing the last two seasons of Barry. He also explained why he decided to end Season 3 the way he did. It was during this conversation that Bill Hader revealed that fellow HBO showrunner Larry David assumed that the show was over after the third season. Hader explained:

This is quite the take, especially considering that the comedian's own shows have had long lifespans. His signature series, Curb Your Enthusiasm, has been running for over 20 years, while Seinfeld aired for nine. Conan O’Brien’s co-host theorized that the writer might be comparing Barry to the latter of those aforementioned shows, which ended with its characters in jail. For context, Season 3 of Barry ends with its titular protagonist getting caught by the police, and Season 4 begins with the titular character in jail. While I understand where Larry David is coming from, I can’t imagine a world without a fourth season of this show, especially considering shocking decisions central characters have made this year.

While the season may have begun with the hitman in prison, the show has taken some massive turns. A major time jump mid-season shocked audiences and completely changed the direction of the show. The new setting allowed Bill Hader, as a director, to experiment visually and thematically and pepper in surrealism and horror elements that have sent Twitter into a tailspin. The show is ending with its fourth season, decidedly not having a Curb Your Enthusiasm-length run. Nevertheless, this latest batch of episodes proves that the series still has a lot more story to tell.

Larry David and Bill Hader are clearly good enough friends where David can give the SNL alum writing advice. Hader was even a guest star during the 11th season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, where he played three characters. The episode is hilarious and even earned Hader an Emmy nom for his performance. While Barry has certainly become more dramatic as it’s progressed, Hader’s comedic chops are still top tier. The dark comedy has featured welcomed many big names during its run, including Hollywood figures like Guillermo Del Toro Fred Armisen and Joe Mantegna. And who knows, maybe we'll get a surprise cameo from David in the finale.

Barry airs its series finale this Sunday on HBO at 10 p.m. ET. Fans can catch up on the show ahead of its conclusion by streaming it with a Max subscription. For more information on other series streaming this year, make sure to check out our 2023 TV schedule.

Spoilers below for the latest episode of Succession, so be very warned if you haven’t yet watched!

Immediately after HBO aired the latest and arguably the most shocking episode of Succession yet, fans and critics immediately started lauding it as the best installment of the show, of the season, and of the year, with some putting it in the Greatest Of All Time annals. Everything was top notch, from the acting, the direction, the production design and more, but arguably the episode’s biggest achievement was the confusion and shock value stemming from Logan Roy dying mostly off-camera only three episodes into the ten-installment final season. As it happens, the crew went to some amusing and impressive lengths to preserve the secrets and avoid spoilers leaking out. 

Succession Kept Brian Cox Around For More (Faux) Filming

Given that creator Jesse Armstrong had the narratively stellar idea to kill off Logan long before fans expected it, it meant that star Brian Cox wouldn’t have any real need to stick around the sets for the remaining months of production. But then a complete dearth of the actor would almost necessarily inspire speculation from those nearby that Logan was killed off in some way. As such, they talked to Cox, who agreed to stick around for much of the shoot’s remainder, as a way to keep onlookers guessing. Here’s how director and executive producer Mark Myold put it to Variety:

Considering Mylod specifically mentioned seeing him down the line, the outlet asked if that meant fans could expect to see a flashback sequence with Logan once again in the flesh. Alas, that's apparently not meant to be. In his words:

So as sad as it may be to hear once again, we have indeed seen our last scenes featuring Logan Roy. That said, I can’t help but feel like we’re owed a post-credits sequence in the finale that features Brian Cox’s character in the afterlife telling either God or Satan to “fuck off!” Hell, that could have been the reason why Jesse Armstrong wanted to end the show, from a desire to see Logan curse out a spiritual entity.  

How Curb Your Enthusiasm's Larry David Played Into It

As incredible as it would have been for Larry David to sign on for Succession in order to take over the role of Logan Roy, it might not have made a lick of plot sense, and is kind of an insane thought to have all-around. That said, he does manage to have a key set of initials that matched up with the ep's major plot bombshell, and so that's how the writers ended up referring to the death of the family patriarch. Here's how one such staffer Georgia Pritchett put it:

Now I'd love to hear what any passersby thought after seeing Larry David's name tied in with Succession plot points. Also, how fucked up would "Connor's Wedding" have been if the tuba stings from Curb Your Enthusiasm's theme song would have hit right when Roman was walking away from the Waystar jet after EMTs took Logan away. Yet still weirdly perfect. Maybe Brian Cox and his co-stars will enter the mix of Curb's best guest stars of all time.

Brian Cox Actually Appeared On Set For Logan's Funeral Scene

To be expected, Succession will indeed give fans a bit of closure through a funeral sequence, which will presumably take place in Episode 4, barring any further setbacks. Since there were plenty of paparazzi, photographers, and general lookie-loos all over, that was one day where the crew aimed to film one of the aforementioned dummy scenes with Brian Cox in the nearby church. Unfortunately, time was running short, and they weren't able to set the shot up properly, so the actor was told he wasn't needed on the set any longer .

However, Cox was more than aware of the value of secrecy at this point in the filming process, and decided to go against others' wishes by sticking around anyway, so that the illusion of Logan's continued survival could be maintained. Here's how Cox put it to Deadline:

That Brian Cox sure is a show-saver, amirite? It's perhaps also worth noting that while the actor did film unusable scenes for later episodes, he wasn't the one on the floor in the plane in Episode 3. That was a stuntman with a passing resemblance to Cox, and one who could more easily deal with taking on so many chest compressions without snapping. 

Succession totally pulled out the stops in order to stop viewers from learning about the big death too early. Even though many people expected it would happen by the end, I can't imagine many people had "dying in the bathroom of his jet after potentially hearing Roman call him a cunt" wouldn't be on the top of anyone's predictions list. 

New episodes of Successon air Sunday nights on HBO at 9:00 p.m. ET. Head to our TV premiere schedule to see what other major dramas are starting up soon.

We all love a good cameo by a celebrity appearing as themselves for a brief, but fun, little moment. However, what I have always found more amusing is when a famous person portrays themselves in a more prominent starring role from a movie, or in a TV guest appearance that serves as the main focus of that episode (or episodes), or even as the lead of the whole story. With Nicolas Cage playing himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, we wanted to take a look at our picks for some more of the best performances by athletes, musicians, or actors who played themselves.

Neil Patrick Harris (Harold & Kumar Movies)

Future How I Met Your Mother cast member Neil Patrick Harris was still best known as the star of Doogie Howser M.D. when he stole the show in the 2004 stoner comedy classic Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle as a highly dramatized version of himself. The Emmy nominee would reprise the role in two sequels that more heavily blend the actor’s reality with increasingly absurd fiction, including getting kicked out of Heaven by Jesus in A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas after he was previously gunned down by prostitutes in Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. 

Cate Blanchett (Coffee And Cigarettes)

Every vignette in Coffee and Cigarettes - Jim Jarmusch’s 2003 anthology of short films starring celebrities as themselves - is gold, but Cate Blanchett leads one of the more unique and thought-provoking of the bunch called “Cousins.” The segment is, additionally, one of the most profound testaments of the two-time Oscar winner’s chameleonic talent, as she makes it so easy to forget she is playing both herself and her brunette relative, Shelly, who struggle to relate to each other while catching up in a hotel lobby.

James Van Der Beek (Don’t Trust The B**** In Apartment 23)

In 2012, James Van Der Beek made his big return to TV as a series regular on Don’t Trust the B**** in Apartment 23 in a role very close to his heart: James Van Der Beek. The actor brilliantly pokes fun at his post-leading the Dawson’s Creek cast career and predicts his future Dancing with the Stars stint as the famous best friend of Krysten Ritter’s Chloe - the title character of ABC’s short-lived, but much-acclaimed, comedy.

Bill Murray (Zombieland)

Most people would consider Bill Murray’s surprise appearance in Zombieland to be one of the greatest cameos of his career (and there are several incredible examples to choose from). However, with only four other characters in the main cast of the classic 2009 zombie comedy, I think we can justifiably count the Oscar nominee’s iconic, hilariously dead-pan portrayal as his post-apocalyptic self as a starring role despite lasting mere minutes. 

Keanu Reeves (Always Be My Maybe)

Another example of a relatively brief appearance that still earns the right to be called a starring role occurs in 2019’s Always Be My Maybe when Marcus (Randall Park) is shocked to learn that his childhood friend (and crush), Sasha (Ali Wong) is dating none other than Keanu Reeves. The John Wick star pulls no punches in his partially improvised portrayal of a wonderfully absurd version of himself in the Netflix original rom-com, in which, during a restaurant double-date, he shows up wearing glasses with no lenses and asks the waiter for a dish that plays with “the concept of time.”

Heather Langenkamp (New Nightmare)

After playing Nancy Kerrigan in two Nightmare on Elm Street movies made her one of the top Scream Queens of the 1980s, Heather Langenkamp would give, arguably, her best performance in the franchise when she returned - not as Nancy, but as herself - in 1994’s New Nightmare. The cleverly meta thriller, in which the actress is taunted by a demon assuming the appearance of Freddy Krueger, also stars fellow horror icon Robert Englund as this new take on the iconic villain and himself as well as writer and director Wes Craven.

The Beatles (A Hard Day’s Night)

The cinematic phenomenon of famous musicians offering a fictionalized peek into their lives off-stage (such as Nick Cave in 2014’s quasi-documentary 20,000 Days on Earth or Foo Fighters in the horror-comedy Studio 666 more recently) arguably began with The Beatles. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr exhibit solid comedic timing and profound athleticism while running from a swarm of screaming fans in 1964’s A Hard Day’s Night - the first of a number of dramatized films the Fab Four made together.

LeBron James (Trainwreck)

Pro basketball star LeBron James has portrayed himself onscreen several times and most recently in 2021’s Space Jam: A New Legacy - a sequel to the hit Michael Jordan/Looney Tunes collaboration from 1996. However, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Small Forward received the most acclaim of his acting career so far for playing himself in Trainwreck - star and writer Amy Schumer’s 2015 rom-com which depicts him and Bill Hader’s “sports doctor to the stars” as best friends.

Stan Lee (Mallrats)

Before his heartbreaking death in 2018, Stan Lee perfected the art of the cameo by appearing in countless Marvel movies. One of his first and most prominent acting gigs (for which he was actually mentioned in the opening credits, too) was as himself in Kevin Smith’s 1995 Clerks follow-up, Mallrats. The comic book icon makes you a “true believer” in his acting ability when he shows up for a couple of scenes to give comic book-obsessed Brody (Jason Lee) some much-needed relationship advice. 

Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

It is no secret among die-hard Seinfeld fans that Jason Alexander’s deeply neurotic and troublesome character, George Costanza, was heavily inspired by the personality and life experiences of co-creator Larry David. On his follow-up to Seinfeld - the long-running, HBO original comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm - David has earned several Emmy Award nominations for playing a version of himself who makes George look like a saint, burning bridges with Hollywood heavies and alienating friends and average bystanders at every turn.  

Kate Winslet (Extras)

Star and co-creator Ricky Gervais’ Hollywood satire Extras is chock full of amazing celebrity guest appearances, but Kate Winslet made a damn good case to be considered the funniest in the Emmy-winning comedy’s history. The British Titanic star is seen playing a nun on the set of a film about the Holocaust (which she admits she agreed to star in purely to win an Oscar, having not yet won for The Reader) before later proving herself to be a master in double entendres when offering fellow extra, Maggie Jacobs (Ashley Jensen), phone sex tips.

John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich)

It is a bit rare for an actor to appear in a movie as him or herself while also playing the title character, but 1999’s Being John Malkovich - from from writer Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze - is also a rare kind of movie, and in many ways, too. The two-time Oscar nominee is understandably shocked and frightened by the discovery that a Manhattan puppeteer (John Cusack) has been using a magical portal to be able to take a walk in his shoes for 15 minutes at a time in this wildly creative comedy.

Bruce Campbell (My Name Is Bruce)

Another rare example of an actor playing themselves in the titular role of a film is Bruce Campbell in My Name is Bruce, which is also the last film the B-movie icon directed himself. Campbell is hilarious in the 2007 horror-comedy as a boozy, washed-up version of himself who is forced to channel his iconic Evil Dead character, Ash Williams, in order to defeat a demon wreaking havoc on a small town in Oregon.

Oprah Winfrey (30 Rock)

Another example of a memorably, and often awkwardly, hilarious guest appearance on an acclaimed TV comedy is Oprah Winfrey on Season 3 of 30 Rock. Liz Lemon (star and creator Tina Fey) is delighted to find the larger-than-life media mogul seated next to her on an airplane and cannot help but seize the opportunity to received a dose of wisdom, but who could really blame her for that?

Kevin Garnett (Uncut Gems)

As much as I agree that Adam Sandler deserved greater awards attention for his lead performance in the relentless 2019 thriller Uncut Gems, I think we should be more angry at the fact that former NBA player Kevin Garnett received no awards attention at all. I would go so far as to say I’m glad the Safdie Brothers did not get the athlete they originally wrote the part for (the Knicks’ Amar’e Stoudemire) because Garnett is electrifying as himself (circa 2012), whose interest in a rare opal sets off a series of increasingly dire circumstances for the Sandler as self-destructive jeweler, Howard Ratner.

The This Is The End Cast

The whole point of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s 2013 directorial debut This is the End is to watch the entire cast (including Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson, and many, many more) as hilariously exaggerated versions of themselves who struggle to endure the Apocalypse and a merciless barrage of gags at their expense. Highlights also include an excruciatingly vain (and demonically possessed) Jonah Hill; a lewd, coke-snorting Michael Cera; an axe-wielding Emma Watson; and Channing Tatum employed by a cannibalistic Danny McBride as his sex slave.

You've got to love seeing a famous person let loose and introduce a different, completely fictional side of themselves to the world on screen. I cannot wait to see more examples of actors playing themselves in the future.

Kaley Cuoco has shown a lot of range in her acting career. Many fell in love with Cuoco during her years playing Penny on the CBS hit The Big Bang Theory, but she’s also proven herself as a filthy-mouthed voice actress in Harley Quinn, and a dramatic actress in the HBO Max thriller The Flight Attendant, which she also produced. With such diverse interests, it’s hard to know which acting icons Cuoco might aspire to work with in the future, but it turns out her recent stint on Season 11 Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm fulfilled one of her lifelong goals.

Kaley Cuoco made a guest appearance in the fourth episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm's fourth season, dubbed “The Watermelon,” and played Heidi, Larry’s snack-dropping optometrist, as well as the new girlfriend of Freddy Funkhouser (played by Vince Vaughn). After her debut, Cuoco took to Instagram to post some photos of her experience on the show, raving about the chance to get to work with the comedy legends. Check out her post below:

Episode spoilers follow! In the ep, Kaley Cuoco’s Heidi drew the ire of Larry David (as one does) during his eye exam when she dropped a piece of the polarizing snack Pirate’s Booty on the floor and failed to pick it up. In the hyperbolically cringe way that only Curb Your Enthusiasm can get away with, Larry told Freddy about the Pirate’s Booty faux pas, thus driving a wedge between Freddy and Heidi and culminating in a hilarious physical altercation between the pissed-off optometrist and her patient. The narrative also looped in with Larry's misadventures involving Woody Harrelson, a cow, and a member of the Ku Klux Klan, but that's for another time. 

It’s pretty easy to see why this episode would be a bucket list item for Kaley Cuoco or any comedic actress. She got to have a full-blown public tantrum opposite Vince Vaughn, on top of her angst-filled scenes with Larry David. Similar to how some actors join murder-heavy dramas with a goal of experiencing an on-screen death, anybody who lands a role on Curb Your Enthusiasm almost definitely wants to get into a screaming altercation with Larry David. And Cuoco brought the goods.

As well as Larry David and Vince Vaughn, Curb Your Enthusiasm also features comedic greats like J.B. Smoove, Jeff Garlin and Susie Essman, and “The Watermelon” also guest-starred the aforementioned Woody Harrelson. Although Kaley Cuoco’s scenes were only with David and Vaughn, I hope her experience included meeting more of the hilarious cast. Cheryl Hines — who wasn’t featured in that episode but who regularly plays Larry’s ex-wife — even took to the comments of Cuoco’s post to congratulate her with a gracious welcoming to the Curb family.

Larry David, the famed creator of Seinfeld, has written, produced and starred in Curb Your Enthusiasm for 11 seasons over the past 20 years. In an exaggerated, semi-fictional version of himself, David gets into the most awkward, ridiculous and cringeworthy of situations amidst a cast of A-list actors and guest stars. It’s unknown how long David will continue the show, with series co-stars Jeff Garlin and J.B. Smoove both speculating on the matter as we all wait for any news on if there will be a Season 12.

In the meantime though, fans can catch new episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm at 10:30 p.m. ET Sundays on HBO, and all seasons are currently available for streaming on HBO Max. Check out our 2021 TV Schedule to see what’s premiering through the end of the year.

Larry David has been making viewers cringe on Curb Your Enthusiasm since 2000 by playing a slightly exaggerated version of himself. His character's cantankerous ways get him into the most awkward situations, but it’s sometimes hard to know exactly where "Larry David" stops and where his real life and personality enter into it. Case in point: the Seinfeld creator was seen over the weekend exhibiting some very Curb Your Enthusiasm-like behavior at two highly public events. So with Season 11 set to premiere on HBO in October, is it possible filming has already begun for Season 12?

Caught on camera by multiple sources Sunday, Larry David can be seen sitting front row at the STAUD show during New York Fashion Week, covering his ears and looking at the ground as models strut past. Check out the video below:

In a similar scene on Saturday, Larry David was caught by savvy social media users covering his ears as the crowd cheered during a match at the U.S. Open. Check that clip out below, and compare it to the NYFW video to decide whether it looks like he's putting on a bit.

Some commenters online wondered why the public-wary Larry David would even attend such events, particularly in the case of a front-row seat anywhere at New York Fashion Week. To my knowledge, David doesn’t have a historical habit of covering his ears at highly publicized events, so is it even possible he was there and not filming? Curb Your Enthusiasm has certainly filmed at public events in the past, but is it realistic that the Seinfeld creator could get clearance to film his HBO comedy at such venues?

HBO announced Curb Your Enthusiasm was returning for Season 11 back in August, but with that premiere still weeks away, there’s been no confirmation that Season 12 will follow. The possibility also exists that these scenes were filmed to be edited into an episode later in Season 11, but that seems less likely, if only because HBO series tend to wrap the filming and editing process ahead of their premiere dates.

Jeff Garlin, who plays Larry David’s manager and best friend on Curb Your Enthusiasm, recently told Mediaite about the possibility of Season 12 being the last for the gang.

The physical demands on Larry David are one thing — as he wears the hats of actor, writer, showrunner and executive producer — but ideas for new content are quite another. Actor/comedian J.B. Smoove has also weighed in on how long Larry David can continue to pipe out socially awkward scenarios for HBO, telling Deadline that the six-year break between Seasons 8 and 9 might have fueled his inspiration.

The real beauty of all this is that fans honestly don’t know if Larry David is playing a character or is actually this ornery in his everyday life. So whether we’ll see these scenes play out again on HBO remains to be seen, but I’d call "inspiring mass confusion" a big comedy win for David. While waiting for Season 11 to debut in October, the first ten seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm are available for streaming on HBO Max, and be sure to check out our 2021 Fall TV Schedule for all of your upcoming premieres.

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If not for Larry David, we would have never been blessed with the comedy revolution that was Seinfeld, which he co-created with star Jerry Seinfeld in 1989. The long-running, still iconic NBC sitcom was how he introduced the world to his relentlessly cynical neuroses, through Jason Alexander’s character George Costanza, who was really an exaggerated version of David himself, before he later played an exaggerated version of himself on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Of course, these are only the two most obvious examples of how he has made us laugh over the years, so let’s take a deeper dive into some other highlights and more obscure moments that saw the comedian, writer, producer, and actor prove himself to be “master of his domain,” starting with, arguably, his greatest creation.

Seinfeld (Amazon Purchase)

A marginally successful observational comedian (Jerry Seinfeld), his no-nonsense ex-girlfriend (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), his eccentric neighbor from across the hall (Michael Richards), and his neurotic buddy since childhood (Jason Alexander) each run into disastrous situations that vary from the relatable to the surreal in New York City.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Larry David: Not only did Larry David co-create Seinfeld (one of the most worshipped sitcoms ever, that will be available on Netflix as of October 1, 2021) with Jerry Seinfeld and based George Costanza largely on his own personality, as established, he also makes various cameos throughout the series (as a character in a fake movie called Flaming Globes of Sigmund, as Frank Costanza’s caped attorney, etc.) and was the voice of George Steinbrenner while George was working for the New York Yankees.

Buy Seinfeld on Amazon.

Fridays (Tubi, Shout Factory)

Bizarre characters and situations, surprising celebrity guest appearances, and musical performances by the hottest artists of the time defined this subversive, short-lived cult hit which would prove that late night sketch comedy shows were not just made for Saturday nights.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Larry David: Long before he created Seinfeld and cast Michael Richards as Cosmo Kramer on the sitcom, Larry David met the future Emmy-winning actor while they were working as both writers and performers on Fridays - an Emmy-nominated, amusing late night sketch comedy TV show that, during its short run from 1980 to 1982, helped fill the laughless silence that many felt was being caused at the time by Saturday Night Live.

Stream Fridays on Tubi.

Stream Fridays on Shout Factory.

Buy Fridays on Amazon.

Saturday Night Live (Hulu, Peacock)

For more than 40 years, creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels' sketch comedy series has been the home of many of television’s most iconically funny moments, and a jumping off point for some of the most successful careers in entertainment, ranging from obvious comedic actors to masters of various other crafts.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Larry David: Ironically, it was only just a few years after Fridays was cancelled in 1982 when Larry David took a job as a writer for Saturday Night Live (and stayed on for a total of 18 episodes) before returning three decades later to be the long, long running sketch comedy lardmark’s resident Bernie Sanders to Emmy-nominated acclaim and host two of its most memorable episodes in recent memory.

Stream Saturday Night Live on Hulu.

Stream Saturday Night Live on Peacock.

Buy Saturday Night Live on Amazon.

Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO Max)

Despite the fame, wealth, and various celebrity acquaintances that creating Seinfeld has blessed him with, Larry David still has reasons to be a cynical mess - mostly due to the series of disastrous circumstances he constantly finds himself in and, usually, at no one else’s fault but his own.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Larry David: After serving as the co-showrunner of a hit series featuring a character inspired by his infamous neurotic behavior, Larry David’s big follow-up was playing himself in a 1999 mockumentary that soon evolved into Curb Your Enthusiasm - an Emmy-winning HBO original series over two decades in the running that offers a brilliantly cringeworthy, partially improvised, and satirical look at Hollywood as seen through the eyes of one of its angriest residents.

Stream Curb Your Enthusiasm on HBO Max.

Buy Curb Your Enthusiasm on Amazon.

Misery Loves Comedy (Peacock, Tubi, IMDb TV)

People from various parts of the world who are in the business of telling jokes (including the likes of Martin Short and two-time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks) share their own personal stories of how comedy can often be no laughing matter in this revealing and even inspiring documentary made with, and for, comedians by a veteran comic.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Larry David: If you truly want to know more about the real Larry David, the comic-turned-writer/actor appears as one of the many notable and experienced talking heads in Misery Loves Comedy - director Kevin Pollak’s fascinating inside look of what it takes to be a comedian - to share some of his proudest and least proudest moments telling jokes on stage.

Stream Misery Loves Comedy on Peacock.

Stream Misery Loves Comedy on Tubi.

Stream Misery Loves Comedy on IMDb TV.

Rent Misery Loves Comedy on Amazon.

Sour Grapes (Amazon Rental)

After a man (Craig Bierko) takes home a $400,000 jackpot from an Atlantic City slot machine, his cousin and good friend (Steven Weber) begins to grow jealous and is convinced that he deserves at least half of the loot because it was actually the gift of his last two tokens that led to the big win.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Larry David: Before creating Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David’s real first big follow-up to Seinfeld was his feature-length debut in 1998 as the writer and director of Sour Grapes, a comedy with the man’s signature style of crass comedy and a few distinct similarities to the plot of Envy, a 2004 film starring Ben Stiller and Jack Black that, coincidentally, David also executive produced.

Rent Sour Grapes on Amazon.

Whatever Works (Amazon Rental)

After going through a divorce, a reclusive, insulting, easily annoyed, middle-aged New York City native (Larry David) strikes up an unlikely friendship a 21-year-old runaway from Mississippi (Evan Rachel Wood), only to be made even more complicated when the young lady’s parents track her down and arrive in the city.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Larry David: Nine years after directing his first (and only) film, Larry David returned to movies as a performer in the central role of Whatever Works, a witty and likable comedy about a self-described unlikable man learning how to love himself and others again that, at times, feels like what might happen if Woody Allen had written and directed an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Rent Whatever Works on Amazon.

Radio Days (Cinemax)

A series of vignettes celebrate and pull lid off of the golden age of radio in the early 1940s, as seen through the eyes of its performers, but also interconnected with the story of a working class Jewish family’s personal struggles in Rockaway Beach, New York.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Larry David: More than two decades before he cast him as the boisterous protagonist of his 2009 comedy Whatever Works, writer, director, and narrator Woody Allen cast Larry David in Radio Days in the brief, but memorable and certainly unmistakable, role of a supposedly communist next door neighbor to the family at the center of the film who convinces Josh Mostel’s character, Abe, that resting on the Jewish day of rest is a waste of time.

Stream Radio Days on Cinemax.

Rent Radio Days on Amazon.

The Three Stooges (Amazon Rental)

The bumbling and rivalrous brothers Moe (Chris Diamantopoulos), Larry (Will & Grace cast member Sean Hayes), and Curly (former MadTV cast member Will Sasso) try to save the orphanage they grew up in when it goes bankrupt, only to find themselves embroiled in an obscure murder plot and also appear on a reality show.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Larry David: Larry David also gives a surprising, but scene-stealing performance in The Three Stooges - a 2012 reboot of the classic comedy shorts/tribute to the iconic trio of performers who brought Vaudeville to the screen better than anyone before - as Sister Mary-Mengele, a nun who raised the three goofs after they showed up on the doorstep of her orphanage.

Rent The Three Stooges on Amazon.

Clear History (HBO Max)

A former marketing executive (Larry David) is given the chance to plot revenge against his old boss (Jon Hamm) who made billions out of an electric car company idea which he refused to market, turning him into a national disgrace and forcing him to adopt a new look and identity.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Larry David: A year after the Three Stooges reboot became one of his biggest movie acting roles to date, Larry David led the star-studded cast of Clear History - a hilarious HBO original movie from Superbad director Greg Mottola that David also wrote with former Seinfeld writers Alec Berg, David Mandel, and Jeff Shaffer.

Stream Clear History on HBO Max.

Rent Clear History on Amazon.

Larry David is a prime example of someone who helped change the face of comedy and has yet to stop putting his own unique stamp on it. Now, we will just have to wait until Curb You Enthusiasm Season 11 premieres on HBO in October 2021 to see how he continues his impressive reign next.

If you’ve been on the Internet this weekend, you’ve probably already heard that Prince William has been declared the World’s Sexiest Bald Man -- not to be confused with Sexiest Man Alive Michael B. Jordan. This occurred after a research firm went through Google search data and found the English prince, who is second in line to the throne, had been searched in combination with the word “sexy” a sum of 17.6 million times. Now other sexy bald man Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has shared his take on the title, and it’s an A+.

While one might expect The Rock to take a little bit of offense to not being the sexiest bald man in the whole wide world, it seems he has never considered himself for the title in the first place. In fact, he was downright offended that Curb Your Enthusiasm Star Larry David did not land the title, noting on a Twitter post related to the title that he would be “demanding a recount.”

Unfortunately for both Dwayne Johnson and Larry David, neither of them even made the Top 5 when it came to sexy famous bald men. Instead, the Top Five was rounded out by some other actors and sports stars. Along with Prince William in the #1 slot, famous boxer and bald man Mike Tyson was #2. Following Mike Tyson was Dwayne Johnson’s Hobbs and Shaw co-star Jason Statham, singer Pitbull and Michael Jordan, who needs no introduction (info via The Sun).

Now that I have the full Top 5 in front of me, I’m realizing just how bald the Hobbs and Shaw franchise really is. Still, it’s worth noting Dwayne Johnson is an actor who was actually famous before he was bald. As a wrestler his hair was varying lengths, but he started shaving it around 2010, when his movie career was kicking into gear with projects like The Tooth Fairy. By the time The Rock played Hobbs for the first time in 2011’s Fast Five, he was rocking the shaved head look. It's also worth pointing out the actor did make it in the Top 10, landing in the 9th spot (2.6 million searches) just ahead of his other Fast co-star Vin Diesel, who nabbed the #10 slot (2.3 million searches).

As for Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm’s “bald bastard” -- a nickname that used to make Larry David laugh on set -- told Jimmy Kimmel a few years ago that he had "never flirted with a toupee," embracing his baldness proudly after Kimmel asked him if he was self-conscious about his hair loss.

Anyway, as of yet, Larry David has not commented on The Rock's pronouncement, but I doubt The Jungle Cruise star is the only one on the interwebs to feel this way.

Curb Your Enthusiasm is absolutely a comedy TV institution at this point, a full 20 years after it first debuted on HBO. Larry David's creation may not have eclipsed Seinfeld in popularity, but it's arguably had a bigger influence over modern television than the '90s sitcom. Part of its success comes from the fantastic ensemble cast that David has amassed over the years, but one of the most prominent members of that group unfortunately won't be around at all for Season 11, with comedian Richard Lewis revealing he didn't take part in any of the upcoming episodes.

I can't imagine what would have happened had Curb Your Enthusiasm's eleventh season aired without audiences having any prior knowledge of Richard Lewis' absence. Perhaps it's hyperbole to say that riots would have broken out, but at the very least, fans would have some harshly worded outgoing messages on their answering machines. (A joke that speaks to how long this show has been airing.) So it's probably good that Lewis made the announcement himself on Twitter, as seen below.

While I obviously understand what he was saying, it's amusing to think about Richard Lewis not being in Curb Your Enthusiasm because he "endured a back." Now when it comes to enduring fronts, that's where J.B. Smoove's Leon comes in. But I digress.

It's true that Richard Lewis only appears on Curb Your Enthusiasm in a recurring capacity, and doesn't always show up as much as Larry David's other co-stars like Jeff Garlin and J.B. Smoove. However, Lewis appeared in seven out of the ten episodes that made up Season 10, which marked his highest frequency rate for the entire series, which had previously topped off at five. It felt like the show was comfortable giving him more to do on the whole, but of course life got in the way, and now we won't be seeing him at all for a while. I guess they'll have to fill the void with a ton of guest spots from Hollywood's elite.

All that said, Richard Lewis didn't exactly announce he was fully out of the Curb Your Enthusiasm universe for good. There's no telling at this point whether or not Larry David will bring the show back for Season 12, but considering HBO has basically given him the freedom to come and go as he pleases, it's a possibility. And in a statement to Variety, Lewis voiced his hopes to make an eventual return, saying:

Somebody send Susie over to Larry's house to yell at him about confirming Season 12 until it happens. Until then, we'll be sitting over here with an anti-pants tent in reaction to Richard Lewis' absence while waiting to hear when Season 11 will premiere on HBO. (And while also waiting for Larry David to show up on SNL to reference all the Bernie Sanders memes from the inauguration.)

Larry David and Pete Davidson may be connected by Saturday Night Live at this point, but for a long time, the famous Curb Your Enthusiasm star and Davidson were connected in another way: He dated Larry David’s daughter, Cazzie David. Now, the budding Hollywood name is telling the amazing story about the time her dad snapped her out of her post-breakup blues in only a way that Larry David possibly could.

Pete Davidson and Cazzie David had dated for 2 ½ (often intense) years when she ultimately broke up with the King of Staten Island star. As someone with anxiety, she says she immediately regretted her decision and reached back out, only to find that it was too late. Davidson had quickly moved on to a much higher-profile romance with Ariana Grande. This led to lots of hurt feelings and emotionality from Cazzie.

In fact, Cazzie David admitted in an interview with the LA Times that she when she flew to her sister’s graduation after the break-up she literally “shook uncontrollably” in her famous dad’s arms. The crying and exhaustive sleep continued until her famous dad Larry David finally snapped her out of it with a comment that is pretty on-brand for the longtime comedian, who told her to cut it out, noting,

It likely didn’t help that Pete Davidson’s dating life, engagement and subsequent break-up with Ariana Grande were all over the internet over the next few months, both due to their respective fanbases and the quickness in which they jumped into the deep end and got engaged. After the break-up, Pete Davidson even addressed what happened on SNL, assumedly to help calm down the gossip. His relationship with Cazzie was decidedly lower profile, but it lasted longer. It just took Larry David's unique point of view to help Cazzie snap out of it.

This is only one of the stories about Larry and Cazzie David’s unconventional relationship that will appear in Cazzie David’s new book, No One Asked For This. She also touches on her relationship with Hollywood and being the child of a well-known and respected actor in comedy. She’s not the first celebrity kid to deal with the trappings of having a famous parent and she won’t be the last.

Still, alls well that ends in Larry David being Larry David, if I do say so myself. As for the former lovebirds, Cazzie David noted she eventually made up with Pete Davidson (and still has a great relationship with her dad, who also noted in the interview that they are basically “in a contest as to who is crazier.”) As for Davidson, he’s now cycled through a slew of famous names in his dating history, including Ariana Grande, Kate Beckinsale, and also reportedly Once Upon A Time In Hollywood actress Margaret Qualley and model Kaia Gerber. But he and Cazzie David are now friends. She showed him the essay about their break-up in her new book and there's even a dedication to Pete Davidson in it.

It's hard to go wrong when it comes to picking the "Best Episode" of Seinfeld. Sure, the first season is an exercise in the show finding its footing, but even those episodes are very funny, and everything else is iconic television. Because of this, there's a lot of variety possible when it comes to answering the subjective question, but for series co-creator Larry David, there is one chapter that stands out: "The Contest."

Back in the 1990s the idea of having an entire episode of a network sitcom dedicated to the act of masturbation was beyond taboo, and it seems that the episode's backstory plays a big part in why it's David's favorite, in addition to its Emmy-winning quality (it won that year's "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Comedy Series" prize). It was during a virtual fundraiser for the Democratic Party of Texas this weekend that the Seinfeld co-showrunner/producer/occasional cameo-maker named it his favorite (via The Hollywood Reporter).

Larry David was joined by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jason Alexander for the event, and together they reminisced about challenges and maneuvers that were required to make "The Contest" happen. For starters, David did what he could to try and hide the idea from executives as NBC, specifically by not keeping it on an idea board in the writers room that was used to keep track of plots for upcoming episodes. This allowed the writers to work on the script surreptitiously and not get the whole thing preemptively shut down. Said the co-creator,

That last sentiment probably put a smile on the faces of those of you who know a bit about Seinfeld's history, as Larry David was known behind-the-scenes for regularly threatening to quit. It was even turned into a meta joke in the series' fourth season a.k.a. the same season as "The Contest" when Jason Alexander'sGeorge (widely recognized as the show's version of David) rages against executives at NBC for threatening his "artistic integrity" when he is working with Jerry Seinfeld to pitch "a show about nothing."

For those who don't remember or aren't familiar with the episode, "The Contest" begins when George tells Jerry, Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and Kramer (Michael Richards) that his mother took a hard fall as a result of catching him masturbating in her house. He proclaims that he will never do "that" again, to which all of his friends scoff. This leads to them setting up a bet to see who among them can go the longest without fondling their own nethers.

As it turned out, Larry David's caution was a bit unnecessary. When the executives attended the table read for the thought-to-be controversial episode, they didn't protest the idea at all, and it went to air as envisioned. It almost certainly helped that while the plot of "The Contest" was about self-pleasure, the word "masturbation" isn't used a single time.

The episode was a massive hit that caused a spike in the ratings, and Larry David credits it with changing public perception about what Seinfeld was as a show. To paraphrase the co-creator, the show became much more than Cheers' little brother in the Must See TV lineup, and revealed the sitcom to be different than anything else on television. Said David during the mini-reunion:

The ratings reports definitely support that timeline. A few months after "The Contest" aired, the show was moved from Wednesday night to Thursday night and had its first 20 million-plus audience, and then it became a pop culture staple.

For those of you who are now interested in watching "The Contest," all of Seinfeld is currently streaming on Hulu, and for those of you who don't have a subscription you can always purchase the episode at a digital retailer.

When Curb Your Enthusiasm returned to HBO early in 2020 after another multi-year hiatus, the delightfully cringe-inducing comedy was seemingly back at the top of its satirical game, with Larry David injecting episodes with broadly topical subject matter such as MAGA hats, workplace sexual harassment, celebrity entrepreneurism and more. Fans can expect to see more of Larry's persnickety nature, too, with HBO recently confirming Season 11's future existence. Someone who is quite happy about that turn of events is Curb's essential co-star Jeff Garlin.

CinemaBlend recently had the pleasure of talking with Jeff Garlin (also well-known for ABC's The Goldbergs) about all kinds of things, with Curb Your Enthusiasm's future being one of the major topics early on. Let's get into what he said about Season 11, as well as why he considers Larry David to be such an original genius.

Talking Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 11

When I congratulated Jeff Garlin about Curb Your Enthusiasm's Season 11 renewal, he was definitely excited about it. However, he wasn't entirely optimistic that production will start up according to the current plans in place. In his words:

Considering the U.S. is in the throes of a serious pandemic uptick, Hollywood's future is as up for debate as anything else. While some productions are set to start up in different parts of the world, the Los Angeles area is still very much a question mark. As such, Jeff Garlin was a little worried about whether the proposed start date would be maintained, while predicting that coronavirus stats would see another big increase around Labor Day in September.

With the conversation already touching on the pandemic and self-quarantining, I asked Jeff Garlin if he thought Larry David might be thinking of taking on the ongoing crisis with Season 11's plotline. And while the actor couldn't speak 100% for what Curb Your Enthusiasm's creator will be doing, Garlin's early impressions are that the new episodes won't take on a coronavirus-related storyline. In his words:

Considering how many other TV shows will probably work pandemic narratives into upcoming seasons – not to mention all the social unrest over racial divides – Curb Your Enthusiasm might stand out from the pack if Larry David does indeed choose to bypass current events. That said, Jeff Garlin would be up for the challenge if David did go that route, even if it wouldn't be the actor's top option.

It certainly is hard to think about what Larry David could write about for Curb Your Enthusiasm that wouldn't be entertaining in all the ways. I guess if he wrote about his own show getting cancelled, that might not be as much fun as other options. Thankfully, we don't have to worry about that reality anytime soon.

Why Jeff Garlin Thinks Larry David Is A Genius

Jeff Garlin has the rare privilege of being on one of network TV's most popular comedies, The Goldbergs, on top of spending the past 20 years as a regular on Curb Your Enthusiasm during its on-and-off years. While reflecting on the HBO series' lengthy legacy, Garlin held Curb up as one of the most influential shows out there, and praised Larry David as a "true genius" for changing the face of modern TV comedy. Here's how he put it:

Those kinds of compliments weren't stated flippantly, either. Jeff Garlin has been in the business a long time, and has worked with a plethora of filmmakers and TV creators. But there's only one of them that he's chosen to keep working with continuously for two decades, and Garlin has also teamed up with Larry David outside of their TV relationship, such as for their live-on-stage conversations at L.A.'s comedy club The Largo. For my money, David and Garlin are as solid a comedy pairing as Abbot and Costello or Laurel and Hardy, while obviously being more vulgar and risqué. (Plus, the latter duos didn't have such A+ comedic accessories as the great J.B. Smoove and Richard Lewis.)

Beyond pointing out that shows like The Office and other super-popular comedies were influenced by Curb Your Enthusiasm's antithetical and problematic protagonist, as well as its blend of real-life people in heightened situations, Jeff Garlin also pointed out that there were many more projects that failed to make a name for themselves outside of Curb's shadow. Below, he talks more about just how one of a kind Larry David is.

If only Larry David had also created Curb Your Enthusiasm's instantly recognizable theme song, too. Ah, well, he's still doing pret-taaaay pret-taaaaaaaay pret-tay good in my book. Here's to Curb surviving longer than any other TV comedy!

Curb Your Enthusiasm fans can definitely start getting excited about the prospects for Season 11, even if we're not really sure when it will make its debut on HBO. Fans can currently watch all ten seasons right now on HBO Max. In the meantime, definitely check out our Summer 2020 TV premiere schedule and our Fall 2020 rundown to see what shows are already tapped to debut for the rest of the year.

Like few TV shows that came before or after, HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm is a project whose central format could conceivably be extended forever, assuming Larry David ends up achieving immortality. While that ball is in the court of either science or dark magic, HBO announced that Curb Your Enthusiasm has officially been renewed for Season 11. And to be expected, the show's creator and star had a brilliantly on-brand reaction to the news.

Ever the self-aware curmudgeon, at least on TV if not in everyday life (but also in everyday life), Larry David shared his reaction to the Season 11 renewal as part of HBO's public announcement. Check it out below:

Could anyone have expected anything less from Larry David? Only those who haven't ever seen Curb Your Enthusiasm and never knew he had anything to do with Seinfeld, maybe. But for those that have delighted in David's career over the past 30+ years, that reaction is gold, Jerry! Gold! Also, who's actually upset about more Curb? Nobody!

Amy Gravitt, HBO's Vice President of Programming, gave Season 10 credit for tapping into the country's zeitgeist in an "uncomfortably delightful" way, and also says that Larry David is already in the thick of the creative process. It wasn't clear right away how many episodes Season 11 will be, but considering Seasons 1-10 were all ten episodes each, one can fully expect that the new season will follow suit.

Season 10 did indeed serve as an intentionally warped mirror to reflect the last few years of society back on the world. For one, Larry nearly cancelled himself by divulging in some #MeToo-offending behavior with his office assistant (on more than one occasion, at that). In the series premiere, he ironically wore a "Make America Great Again" hat to stop people from talking to him in public. At different points, Larry offended the transgender community (Including guest star Laverne Cox), and nearly destroyed an interracial couple's relationship over their expectations for their as-yet-unborn child's race. Perhaps his biggest and most foolish error, however, was not enjoying the shit out of Timothy Olyphant's character despite him being a Timothy Olyphant character.

As it usually goes from year to year, Curb Your Enthusiasm featured a slew of guest stars that popped in and out of Season 10 to give Larry (and sometimes Jeff and Leon) hell. The finale alone had Jonah Hill, Sean Penn and Mila Kunis, with other episodes bringing in Alan Tudyk, Clive Owen, Jane Krakowski and many more. I can't wait to see what kind of universally known and obscure celebs Larry will have around in Season 11. (R.I.P. Marty Funkhauser.) My money is on the show getting somebody involved with Tiger King. Maybe Larry buys a zoo?

Of course, most fans already wonder if Larry David is going to theme Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 11 after the current pandemic and self-quarantining. Considering Season 10 ended right around the time COVID worries had taken over, with a season finale that featured hand sanitizer in important ways, people were already wondering how fictional Larry David would handle staying at home with only his neuroses for extended periods of time. Personally, I want to see him get stuck with Ted Danson for the initial 14 stretch.

The overarching narrative in Season 10 was the Larry's Lattes spite store that Larry opened next door to Mocha Joe's. But considering that story ended with an irreversible disaster, the door is wide open for Season 11 to start off in a completely unrelated place. While waiting to hear more news about it, head to our 2020 Summer TV premiere schedule.

Pretty-pretty-pretty big spoilers below for the Season 10 finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm, so be warned!

Curb Your Enthusiasm ended its highly topical tenth season with a finale that neatly tied up several of the season's storylines, and in a way that allowed for a slew of hilarious celebrity cameos. The season already welcomed series newcomers such as Vince Vaughn, Timothy Olyphant, Abby Jacobson, Esai Morales, Laverne Cox and plenty of other big names, but "The Spite Store" went all out.

Check out the rundown of just about every cameo the Curb Your Enthusiasm finale had to offer.

Jonah Hill

A lot of Curb Your Enthusiasm's season finale covered how popular Larry's "spite store" idea was throughout Hollywood, with various celebrities running local businesses into the ground by opening up fancier stores next door. The first of these examples viewers saw was Jonah's Deli, a spite deli founded by Jonah Hill, whose former go-to spot Irv's Deli served him a sandwich with a hair in it, and then claimed it was his hair. Boom. A spite deli was born, inspiring Hill to get away from acting altogether.

Sean Penn

The second celebrity spite store was Sean's Exotic Birds, which was the always flappable Sean Penn's response to being slighted by the next-door establishment Ray's Exotic Birds. You see, Penn wanted a talking bird, but was flummoxed to discover the bird he bought from Ray's was a mute bird that only sort of grunted. WTF, Ray? When you throw that kind of bullshit at Sean Penn, you're gonna get spited, and with a whole other store full of exotic birds just like yours.

Mila Kunis

The third celebrity spite store, which appeared later in the episode after the cold open, was M.K.'s Jewelers, which was opened up by none other than That '70s Show vet Mila Kunis. The actress ended up putting the next-door business K.L. Jewelers out of business after she'd attempted to get a watch fixed there, and they refused to refund her money once she discovered their fix didn't work. The catch with this one is that Kunis wasn't actually running her store like an actual jewelers the way that Jonah Hill and Sean Penn were invested in their deli and bird shop, respectively. Sometimes spite is just spite.

Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb

The Curb Your Enthusiasm finale cold open itself was a faux segment on NBC's Today, with anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb being the first two faces seen in the episode. Naturally, the segment was all about Larry's spite store influence.

Josh Mankiewicz

NBC News' Josh Mankiewicz, best known for his work on Dateline NBC, was the on-location reporter covering the spiteful rivalry between Latte Larry's and Mocha Joe's. In interviewing both Larry and Joe, Mankiewicz played devil's advocate by trying to get Mocha Joe to relent and apologize to Larry for banning him (as well as admitting his scones are really just muffins). I mean, Mocha Joe clearly admitted his tables are wobbly. Not that anything is wobbling in that store space anymore.

Chaz Bono

Transgender entertainer and author Chaz Bono showed up on Curb Your Enthusiasm as the latest Funkhauser relative, Joey Funkhauser. Within the narrative, Joey had also transitioned, having recently had the surgery that supplied him with a penis big enough to knock things off of countertops, such as priceless watches and Latte Larry's self-heating mugs. Weirdly enough, Bono's penis kind of ruined Larry's life, not that there's anything wrong with that.

Alex Karpovsky

HBO vet Alex Karpovsky is probably best known for playing Ray on Girls, but his entry into the Curb Your Enthusiasm-verse was as Dr. Seiderman, who gave Larry the first-opinion medical advice that he would need surgery and extended rehab for his beep-panic injured knee. Of course, Larry asked about getting a second opinion, which hurt the doc's feelings. This sub-plot might not have worked as well if not for Karpovsky flying off the handle in a way that perfectly mimicked Larry's rage. That's what we needed more of from Jon Hamm's cameo.

Tommy Dewey

Former co-star on Casual and The Mindy Project, Tommy Dewey brought his 24-carat smile to Curb as Dr. Fuller, the much more lenient physician that Larry went to for a second opinion. Despite his positive demeanor, it was clear that he had underlying issues with Dr. Seiderman, and those issues came to a head when the two hilariously got in each other's faces later in the episode.

Paul Scheer

Comedy renaissance man, Black Monday star and Nailed It winner Paul Scheer (whose former The League co-star Nick Kroll also appeared in Season 10) showed up as a realtor whom Larry has loads of antipathy for, despite also being a bald guy. Scheer won out in the end, having sold the house next to Larry's to Mocha Joe and new girlfriend April after gaining a bunch of lawsuit settlement money from Larry.

Mary Holland and Sam Richardson

Two Veep veterans showed up on Curb Your Enthusiasm, with Mary Holland and Sam Richardson playing a married couple whose relationship grew strained after Larry hounded them about whether they wanted their mixed-race child's skin to be on the lighter side or the darker side. (Which inspired a simple but poignant "What the fuck is the matter with you?" from Susie.) Perhaps the best moment involving either character, though, was Larry trying to sit down comfortably on the couple's living room single-person day bed.

Ian Roberts

Upright Citizens Brigade co-founder Ian Roberts is forever dependable for pulling off memorable bit roles in popular comedies, with his overtly literal Arrested Development doctor standing out, and he is just as great in Curb's finale as a fire chief confused by Latte Larry's lack of toilets and other design issues that aided in the store burning down completely. This particular exchange featured one of the season's best line readings, too.

Classic.

Diallo Riddle

Former Late Night with Jimmy Fallon writer Diallo Riddle co-created two very unique TV comedies in 2019, Comedy Central's South Side and the IFC surreal variety show Sherman's Showcase. He played a more subdued cameo in Curb Your Enthusiasm than most others on this list, but it was still an important moment in the narrative. He was one of the siren-abusing firemen that sped past Larry in order to get coffee at Latte Larry's, which set up Larry's behavior later in the episode that led to firemen not arriving in time to stop the coffee shop from burning down. But at least Riddle's character liked the coffee.

Sadly, there's no telling when the next time we'll get new Curb Your Enthusiasm episodes, with no word from HBO or Larry David about what may come in the future. I know I'm not the only one hoping for David to come up with a pitch revolving around coronavirus isolation.

Until we know more, Curb Your Enthusiasm is available today, March 23, for digital download, with the DVD coming out on July 21.

Comedy legend Larry David of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Seinfeld fame has become a Saturday Night Live favorite for his portrayal of Bernie Sanders during his various election campaigns. David has been feeling the Bernie Sanders burn since before the 2016 presidential election, and Sanders' decision to run for the top job again in 2020 means he's in demand at SNL again. As it happens, however, David feels that Sanders winning the election would be terrible... for him.

Larry David dropped by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to promote the new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm on HBO. When Stephen Colbert asked if David had anything to ask Bernie Sanders, who would be appearing on The Late Show, this was David's response:

According to Larry David, Bernie Sanders winning the presidential would be good for the United States overall, but would also really complicate his lifestyle. After all, President Bernie Sanders would mean at least four years of David needing to drop by SNL to impersonate him. I can't imagine Saturday Night Live finding anybody better than the comedy legend who is literally related to Sanders!

Larry David had Stephen Colbert (and the Late Show audience) in stitches as he shared why Bernie Sanders recovering from his heart attack and remaining in the presidential race make his personal life more difficult. Alec Baldwin could probably relate! He started impersonating Donald Trump on SNL prior to the 2016 presidential election, which Trump at that point seemed unlikely to win.

Alec Baldwin ultimately wanted to move away from the Donald Trump impersonations on Saturday Night Live, although those impersonations did win him an Emmy. If Bernie Sanders does become the next President of the United States, would Larry David also get too sick of flying back and forth across the country to want play Sanders for just a few minutes? Maybe an Emmy wouldn't hurt.

The 2020 presidential election is still the better part of a year off, so unless Bernie Sanders drops out of the race sometime soon, Larry David may find himself called upon to fly across the country for SNL on a semi-regular basis. Check out a recent SNL appearance by David as Sanders:

Whether or not Larry David will appear, you can catch new episodes of Saturday Night Live on Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC starting January 25. This season of SNL has already seen some big events not involving David's version of Bernie Sanders, ranging from Jason Momoa ripping his shirt open to Eddie Murphy returning to his old stomping grounds to bring back a bunch of his old characters.

As for when you can absolutely see Larry David back on the small screen, Curb Your Enthusiasm returns to HBO for Season 10 on Sunday, January 19 as one of the many big winter and spring TV premieres.

With all the hubbub surrounding the loss of Friends on Netflix, Seinfeld fans were thrilled that the streaming giant was finally able to acquire the rights to the beloved sitcom. Though fans had been asking for years to have the NBC series be available to stream on Netflix, it was Hulu that wound up with the rights to the show back in 2014. While the Hulu deal paid $180 million to be split between parties, the Netflix deal will pay the Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld each a whopping nine figures or more for the rights to stream Seinfeld.

Earlier this month, Netflix managed to nab the sitcom from Hulu in a five-year deal with Sony Pictures Television. It cost the streaming platform around $500 million. Per TheWrap, Seinfeld creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, who also starred in the title role, are set to be making anywhere between $100 to $125 million with the deal. If you’re thinking that’s a whole lot of money, you’re not wrong.

Jerry Seinfeld is no stranger to Netflix deals, either. Back in 2017, the comedian managed to strike a deal with the streaming service that included stand-up specials, producing scripted series, and the rights to the actor’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. The series, hosted by Seinfeld, aired on Crackle for nine seasons before heading to Netflix in Season 10 and is still going strong.

Hulu’s rights to Seinfeld will expire in 2021 and that’s when the sitcom will be available to stream on Netflix. The popular show about nothing (which is something I really needed to know before watching or risk being a bit lost) premiered in 1989 on NBC and ran for nine seasons before ending in 1998.

Netflix acquiring the rights to Seinfeld is interesting because it comes at a time when NBC’s other comedies are finding homes elsewhere. Friends is leaving Netflix in January 2020 and will be made available on HBO Max. Meanwhile, the beloved workplace comedies The Office and Parks and Recreation will leave Netflix in 2021 and will air exclusively on NBCUniversal’s newly announced streaming service, Peacock.

Jerry Seinfeld admitted to wanting to end Seinfeld while it was still at the height of its creativity, calling the decision to end the series in Season 9 as “the perfect moment,” even though NBC was vying for another season. It's rare that a creator has the ability to finish a show on their own terms (though The CW has recently gotten into the habit of warning its showrunners a season in advance of cancellation).

Although the news of Seinfeld coming to Netflix is a big deal, there’s been a lot of competition lately, especially since every studio seems to want in on the streaming platform. As a consumer of TV, to buy or not to buy is always the question.

Elsewhere in the NBC sitcom world, Superstore and The Good Place returned with new seasons this week. For a list of more new and returning comedies, be sure to check out our Fall TV guide for every premiere date through November.

The Winter Olympics are only held every four years, but that's probably still too rigid a schedule for someone like Curb Your Enthusiasm's Larry David, a character who cascades through life at his own pace. Ahead of Curb Your Enthusiasm's first seasonal DVD release in 6 years -- Season 9 comes out on Tuesday, March 6 -- CinemaBlend spoke with showrunner Jeff Schaffer about both the latest and the upcoming season, and I asked where he thought the fictional Larry might excel at the Winter Olympics. Unsurprisingly, Schaffer's answer was hilarious and so very Larry.

There isn't all that much that separates the real Larry David's headspace from TV Larry's headspace, though the fictional version is much more actively eager to share that headspace with everyone around him. (Often with vindictive intentions.) And so everything Jeff Schaffer proposed sounds pretty...pretty...pretty good to me.

Larry's not the most athletic guy, at least in a Winter Olympics sense of the word, so it's not surprising that he might be best in curling, an event where skill and precision are utilized over brute strength and other physical attributes. Plus, everybody likes to use curling as a punchline these days. But wait, on second thought, Larry probably wouldn't be competing in the event, because how in the world?

No, Larry would be better suited doing some announcing during the Winter Olympics. And it would make all the sense in the world if the (fictional) International Olympic Committee and (fictional) NBC decided to bring in Larry David to offer some cantankerous counter-analysis for the network's more charm-oozing analysts, perhaps as a replacement. After all, David's Seinfeld was one of NBC's biggest hits of all time. Thus, if everyone made the grand efforts to get Larry out to PyeongChang to share his views about the global event, it would take less than a second for him to rain criticisms down on the Games' more head-scratching elements.

If taking down a sport itself is too small-scale, Larry could easily then up the ante by partially dismissing the skill and training of hundreds of international athletes in order to put all the glory on the inanimate timepiece. Not that Jeff Schaffer was doing that, as he was commenting more on the abundance of time-based competition, but we're talking about Larry here, and Larry couldn't possibly have the entire globe listening in without doing everything possible to alienate everyone. That'd be a hell of a way to end the series, if nothing else.

While we're hoping Season 10 will arrive on HBO by the end of the year, Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Complete Ninth Season will hit retailers on DVD on Tuesday, March 6. Season 9 is also currently available for digital download purchase, though we're betting the special features will be worth the wait.

For those who need some laughs in the meantime, head to our midseason premiere schedule to see everything that's coming to the small screen in the coming months.

As one of television's most beloved creators, Larry David is the master of not only his domain, but also his entire future. After a six-year hiatus, David returned to HBO for a ninth season of the acclaimed cringe-fest Curb Your Enthusiasm, and instead of taking another extended break, David is already locked in for more, as HBO announced Curb has been officially renewed for Season 10. Looks like Larry managed to keep himself alive after that wacky finale.

Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 10 is only just getting into the development process, so we're obviously not sure of any overarching plotlines that we'll be seeing. However, it appears all involved are pretty confident, as production is set to begin in the spring, which is just a few months away. Is it just me, or does a springtime writing session feel like too joyous of an approach for Curb Your Enthusiasm's doomed stories?

Season 9 only capped off its Fatwa plot on December 3, and while many fans expected to go through an extended wait time before hearing about Curb Your Enthusiasm's future, a joyous time was had by all when the Season 10 renewal came in. It's not necessarily surprising that Season 10 is happening in general, since both the real and fictional Larry David have eternal shelf lives, but we just weren't sure if David and executive producer Jeff Schaffer had the creative mojo going to develop another batch of episodes so soon after Season 9's run was completed. Thankfully, we didn't have to wait very long to learn that they apparently do have some story ideas cooked up for Larry's next misery-soaked adventure.

In HBO's announcement, Larry David offered up his thoughts on the matter, and they're as Larry as you'd expect.

Since only certain plot elements carry over from one season of Curb Your Enthusiasm to the next, it's unclear how closely Season 10 will stick to the situations that Season 9 set up. Will Larry still be involved with Lin-Manuel Miranda's retooled Fatwa! The Musical production? Will Ted and Cheryl still be romantically involved? Will Jeff and Susie's marriage continue being threatened by random infidelity? Will Larry's mail keep being disrupted? Will Funkhouser ever forgive Larry over the death of his nephew? Will Leon keep talking about his dick? Okay, so that last one can probably be guaranteed.

All nine current seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm can be watched on HBO Go and HBO Now, as well as on Amazon Prime, for those who have HBO programming tied to their accounts. Season 10 likely won't debut until the latter half of 2018, so while we're waiting to hear more news, check out our 2018 Netflix premiere schedule and our 2018 midseason premiere schedule to see all the shows you'll be able to watch in the meantime.

Larry David's long running comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm returned for a whopping ninth season this year, and it didn't disappoint. We saw plenty of new situations for Larry to deliciously mess up, as well as new guest stars like Lauren Graham, Bryan Cranston, and Elizabeth Banks. This Sunday brought the season finale, titled "Fatwa!", which may or not may not end up being the show's series finale-- considering David's haphazard tradition of taking years off between seasons. And with the production of Larry's musical with Lin Manuel-Miranda coming to a fever pitch, the series leaned on its guest star and had Curb go full Hamilton.

The episode opens with rehearsals mounting for Fatwa the musical, based on Larry David's persecution by the Ayatollah for the majority of the season. Hamilton scribe and actor Lin Manuel-Miranda and Darry continue to butt heads, with Miranda continually bulldozing over Larry's creative contributions about the project. While Larry has a fight with producer about outfit repeating, Miranda endlessly pisses of the show's costume designer.

Eventually all of the episode's confrontations come to ahead when Larry insults Lin Manuel-Miranda's family, after hosting his swinging cousins for a few nights in his home. This cannot stand, and Lin challenges him to a Hamilton-esque duel as the cast and crew of the musical attend a paintballing trip. They load their pistols (with Nick Offerman serving as referee), and Larry accidentally shoots Miranda in the back of the throat. This cartoon version of Hamilton's penultimate song is utterly ridiculous, and is the result of the last few episode's conflict.

Overall, Season 9 of Curb Your Enthusiasm felt far more cohesive and plot-driven than the show has ever been. The main conflict surrounding Larry and the Ayatollah was a throughline throughout all of the episodes, and reared its head again in the finale. In addition to the musical "Fatwa", the final moments of the finale brought into question whether or not Larry was actually pardoned. After his conflict with Lin Manuel-Miranda stopped the musical in its tracks, Larry was once again accosted for the fatwa, and the season closed with him running for his life.

In addition to the season long conflict, Curb Your Enthusiasm also brought in a bunch of classic guest stars from the show's tenure. Some of Larry's many enemies showed up while he was under investigation for the fatwa, including Michael J. Fox, "Car Pool Lane's" Monina, and "The Ski Lift's" Lisa (Mo Collins). This felt like a not so subtle nod to the controversial Seinfeld finale, where the groups' various foes returned while they were arrested. Cheryl Hines also returned this season as Larry's ex-wife, who began dating frenemy Ted Danson. Overall, Season 9 was far more plot driven than some of its predecessors, while still feeling very much like the same show we know and love.

Curb Your Enthusiasm is streaming its nine seasons on HBO's streaming services. Be sure to check out our midseason premiere list to plan your next binge watch, and see if your favorite show got the chop with our cancellation list.

Few people in the world are worse at handling social situations than Larry David. After all, the legendary comedy writer has made a career off of his intentional inability to properly connect with most people, culminating in the HBO masterpiece Curb Your Enthusiasm (which recently returned for an already spectacular Season 9). That said, it looks like that particular brand of humor also translates to network television, because the new promo for Larry David's upcoming episode of Saturday Night Live delivers the laughs by putting him in an uncomfortable scenario with Miley Cyrus. Check it out below and prepare to cringe.

If you have seen pretty much any episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, then you should generally know what to expect from any Saturday Night Live promo with Larry David in it. Here, the Seinfeld co-creator finds himself waiting for an elevator at the iconic 30 Rock building when he comes face-to-face with Miley Cyrus -- who will provide the music performance on this week's episode. While most normal people would exchange pleasantries and share the elevator up to the studio, David decides to cut the conversation short by taking another elevator on his own. As you can probably imagine, the rudeness is not lost on the industry-savvy Cyrus.

This is far from the first time that Larry David has done a Seinfeld/Curb Your Enthusiasm-esque bit to bring the laughs to Saturday Night Live. The comedy giant has become well-known for his ad-libbing strengths in the realm of uncomfortable comedy, and those chops have helped provide some of the best sequences during his appearances on the sketch show. Specifically, David appeared on Saturday Night Live as Bernie Sanders during the last election season (easily one of the best recurring characters in recent memory) and did an entire pre-recorded sketch in the style of Curb Your Enthusiasm -- aptly titled Bern Your Enthusiasm. The guy's comedic style is nothing if not distinctively pret-ty pret-ty good, and it very clearly seems to work for the folks at Saturday Night Live.

If Larry David is already leaning into that type of humor again for the SNL promotional material, then we can likely assume that the show will try to give us at least one Curb-themed sketch during its run on Saturday. Let's just hope that Miley Cyrus forgives him for this elevator debacle by the time that happens, or she might try and foist another elevator rider on him.

Larry David's episode of Saturday Night Live will air this weekend on November 4 at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC. If you're on the lookout for more information on the TV shows still set to debut this season, then make sure to check out our fall TV premiere guide. Also, if you want to hear what we have to say about everything in the world of streaming content, then listen to The Cord Cutter Podcast!

Turns out there's a reason why Senator Bernie Sanders and Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David look so similar, they're actually related! Watch the two discover the news in the video below, and note the look of disbelief on both of their faces:

The clip is from the PBS series Finding Your Roots, which featured both Bernie Sanders and Larry David in its Season 4 premiere last night. The news is particularly hilarious for both men, as Larry David has spent the past year portraying Bernie Sanders on Saturday Night Live. While it was great to see both od their reactions separately, it would've been even more funny to see them interacting now that they know they're cousins.

If only this information had been revealed prior to the start of Season 9 of Curb Your Enthusiasm, perhaps Larry David could've worked in a spot where he interacts with Bernie Sanders. Considering the two's busy schedules and the infrequency between seasons of the show, there's a good chance an opportunity for the two to collaborate in that way will never happen again. Worst case scenario, there's always Saturday Night Live to give us more great moments between the two like this one:

As for Season 4 of Finding Your Roots, the series has even more celebrities lined up beyond Bernie Sanders and Larry David. Next week's episode teases Christopher Walken, Carly Simon and Fred Armisen and it's going to be an absolute trip if any of them end up being related. Even if that were true, it would be hard to top the Sanders and David relation. In fact, the only thing that could possibly top that in the time we live in is learning President Trump is actually a missing link to the Baldwin brothers.

Finding Your Roots airs on PBS Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on PBS. For more on the series, read up on the controversy the show had two years ago when they edited an episode with Ben Affleck to remove information regarding one of his slave-owning ancestors. This show was also responsible for Kyra Sedgwick finding out she was related to her husband Kevin Bacon, which is certainly a shock to most but she seemed to handle it well. As far as television is concerned for the rest of the fall season, there are plenty of shows worth watching that can be found right now on our fall premiere guide.

Netflix has just released the trailer for its upcoming true crime documentary, Long Shot, which is set to debut on the streaming service in September. The film, directed by Jacob LaMendola, tells the incredible true story of Juan Catalan who was charged in 2003 with first degree murder and found facing the death sentence. Incredibly, the footage that ended up supporting his alibi was filmed for an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Check out the preview for the documentary below.

In May 2003, 24-year-old North Hollywood resident Juan Catalan was arrested and charged with the murder of 16-year old Martha Puebla. Puebla had been sitting outside her home in Sun Valley when a car stopped with several men inside. She approached by one of them and, according to witnesses, it was an individual with whom she was familiar. The man pulled out a pistol and shot Puebla in the head.

Puebla's murder had been connected to testimony she supplied in a case in which Catalan's brother, Mario, was a defendant. Juan had an alibi, but it wasn't an alibi that was easy to prove. He was one of 56,000 people attending an LA Dodgers game during the time the crime was committed. Unfortunately, ticket stubs from the game were insufficient to sway prosecutors who attempted to frame the narrative as Juan Catalan seeking revenge.

Although he spent more than five months behind bars, Juan Catalan was ultimately exonerated thanks to Curb Your Enthusiasm. In the 2004 episode, "The Car Pool Lane," Larry David winds up attending that very same Dodger game with a prostitute that he hires just so he can use the carpool lane and make it to downtown Los Angeles in time.

Juan Catalan didn't remember what show was filming that night in May, but he did remember one of the stars: Bob Einstein. Although Catalan wasn't then a Curb Your Enthusiasm fan, he was a fan of Einstein's Super Dave. From there, defense attorney Todd Melnick was able to get in touch with HBO and the Curb producers, who gladly provided access to all their raw footage. Sure enough, Catalan could clearly be seen with his daughter in one of the shots.

The men who killed Martha Puebla were ultimately brought to justice. In 2007, Jose "Peps" Ledesma and and Javier "Coco" Covarrubius plead guilty to the murder and accepted a life sentence without parole. It was also determined that two of the LAPD detectives handling the case, Martin Pinner and Juan Rodriguez, were criminally negligent when they falsely told gang members that Puebla had informed on them.

Long Shot is set to debut on Netflix Friday, September 29. The release of the documentary is one way this will make for a very Larry David weekend. After a six year hiatus, Curb Your Enthusiasm is also set to return for its ninth season the following Sunday, October 1. If you haven't already seen it, make sure you check out the season nine trailer.

One of the more higher profile TV shows dropping this fall is the return of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. After taking a few years off, Larry David is bringing his beloved comedy series back for Season 9, and people are understandably excited to see what new things Larry has to say "meh" over. There's been very little in the way of new footage, but now HBO has finally released the first trailer for the season. Taking aim at Peak Superhero, the trailer envisions a world in desperate need of a hero to uphold some very specific rules of society.

The first trailer for Curb Your Enthusiasm is here! While there's no new footage from any of the actual new episodes (kind of a bummer), the trailer does set the mood of what to expect. Going for a Batman tone, an epic narration states that we need a hero who "never stays silent" and "fights against injustice where ever he finds it." A signal is then lit, shining the face of none other than Larry David across the sky. Larry see's the signal from his bedroom, but doesn't really feel like answering the call just yet. The video contains a few references to previous seasons of the show, like Al Abbas Original Best Chicken and "Respect Wood."

Everything is looking very promising for the return of Curb Your Enthusiasm. While we still don't know very much about the content of the season, we do know it'll be jam packed with guest stars. Celebrities like Elizabeth Banks, Bryan Cranston, Ed Begley Jr., Lauren Graham and Nick Offerman are all slated to appear in the season. And let's not forget the return of Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines, Susie Essman, Ted Danson, and of course, J.B. Smooth as fan favorite Leon.

For those unaware, Curb Your Enthusiasm is a comedy series on HBO created by and starring Larry David as a fictionalized version of himself. The show was essentially if Seinfeld had been allowed to curse and be offensive, and it was REALLY funny. The show ended after eight seasons but is now coming back after taking some time off. As of now, only the one season is announced, but more may be on the table depending on how Season 9 does.

Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 9 will run for 10 episodes and is scheduled to hit the airwaves once again on Sunday, October 1 at 10:30 p.m. ET on HBO. Keep up to date on all the big shows coming back for the rest of the summer season and the upcoming fall with our TV release guides. For all the latest TV news, make sure to keep it right here at CinemaBlend and we'll keep you updated with new information as soon as it becomes available.

Fans of HBO'S Curb Your Enthusiasm have been waiting many years for the show to return for a new season. For a while, it seemed like the show was never going to come back, even though it had never officially been cancelled and Larry David had never definitively said he was done. Progress was made in the last couple of years, and we've known for a little while that a Season 9 was really happening. Now, HBO has finally announced the premiere date for the ninth season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, and it's not all that far off. Check out the hilarious announcement video:

Curb Your Enthusiasm will be back for its Season 9 premiere on Sunday, October 1 on HBO. The official premiere date confirms the date that was unofficially (and surprisingly) leaked by actor JB Smoove while introducing a band at a concert last month. Kudos to HBO and Larry David for fully embracing the fact that David wasn't exactly off making movies or new TV shows aplenty since the Season 8 finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm aired in 2011.

From 2011 to 2017, Larry David mostly appeared as himself on TV shows, although he did become a familiar face on SNL for a couple of years thanks to his portrayal of Bernie Sanders. That said, I don't want to impugn the artistic integrity of his performance as Sister Mary-Mengele in 2012's The Three Stooges movie. That... also happened. Now, we can finally look forward to him reprising his greatest role: a fictionalized version of himself this October.

The October 1 premiere date tracks with what HBO programming president Casey Bloys stated about Season 9 way back in July 2016. At that point, he revealed that Season 9 would debut in 2017. The odds were that we'd either get new episodes in the last quarter of the year or we wouldn't get new episodes at all until 2018, despite Bloys' intention. Thanks to the video of Larry David on a spinning pedestal, we can confirm the October premiere.

Unfortunately, there's not too much else that can be confirmed about Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 9. Cast members Larry David, JB Smoove, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, and Susie Essman will all reprise their roles from earlier seasons. Lauren Graham of Gilmore Girls landed a recurring role for Season 9, but all we know is that her work on Curb was different than her work on other projects. We can only hope that HBO follows the announcement video up with a trailer in the not-too-distant future.

If you're in need of some shows to watch between now and October 1, our summer TV premiere schedule can point you in some good directions. Our 2017 Netflix schedule has all the streaming video dates you could possibly need.

When it comes to Seinfeld, there are almost too many iconic elements to count. From Kramer's legendary ability to enter Jerry's apartment in one swift slide to George Costanza's inhuman knack for lying, the show produced a ton of pop culture mainstays that persist to this day. That said, arguably nothing from Seinfeld has become more instantly recognizable than the show's slap bass theme music. As it turns out, NBC almost axed the theme before the show went on the air. Composer Jonathan Wolff explained:

As Jonathan Wolff points out in his Great Big Story interview, everyone involved in the production of Seinfeld appreciated the music, but the executives at NBC did not like the sound. They apparently missed the point that the music was SUPPOSED to annoy audiences, and Larry David stepped in to convince them. Leave it to the man who served as the inspiration for George to put his foot down and save the Seinfeld theme. It has me wondering if this conflict served as the inspiration for George's passionate plea that Jerry would be a "show about nothing" in Season 4. The similarities are pretty clear.

The Seinfeld theme music is one of the most fundamental aspects of the show that you probably never really noticed. While it may sound the same during the opening and closing of a given episode, Jonathan Wolff composed different music for each installment of the series to correspond with whatever stand-up routine bookended the episode. As Wolff describes it, Jerry Seinfeld tends to deliver his jokes in a certain cadence and rhythm, and the theme of the series was designed to work at that pace. By doing this, Wolff could make the music hold for laughs, accentuate a punch line, or punctuate a scene.

You can check out an example of this idea in action below to get a better sense of it for yourself:

I know that there's a longstanding rivalry between Friends fans and Seinfeld fans for Must See TV supremacy, but anyone has to admit that this is a pretty cool revelation. "I'll Be There For You" simply never had that much flexibility.

Make sure to stay tuned for more information related to all of your favorite TV shows, with or without a slap bass involved. For those of you looking forward to all of the most highly anticipated spring television debuts, make sure to check out our comprehensive midseason premiere guide and fill out your TV viewing schedules accordingly!

There’s no question that Seinfeld is one of the greatest sitcoms ever made. Re-runs still air regularly on some channels, and it’s not really an exaggeration to say that most people have seen at least one episode or know a quote or two from the nine season long series. Seinfeld has been parodied before, but the main cast of actors have never really stepped back into the roles that made them TV icons. That changed last night when Julia Louis-Dreyfus, arguably best known for her role as Elaine Benes on Seinfeld, hosted Saturday Night Live and briefly reprised her greatest role for the cold open.

The sketch started out as usually enough as an SNL political based cold open, this time parodying a debate in Brooklyn between President hopefuls Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Any sketch that features the genius impressions from Kate McKinnon and Larry David is already a winner, with the two of them having played these characters throughout the entire election. The two comedians perfectly embody those farcical characters, and it was great to see them trade barbs and try to one-up each other.

After Bernie Sanders and Hilary Clinton get into a slap fight over the minimum wage debate and Kate McKinnon’s Clinton makes Sanders “feel the burn,” Beck Bennet’s Wolf Blitzer passes the moderating torch over to Kenan Thompson for the "black question". This was one of the highlights of the sketch as the music changed to smooth jazz and Thompson was backlit by funky purple light. He even came with his own seventies themed graphic.

After that, Wolf Blitzer opened the floor to questions from the audience for the most memorable moment of the sketch. One of these New Yorkers was Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Elaine Benes in full character (including the crazy hair)! She got the opportunity to ask both candidate questions, starting with Bernie Sanders. This was also something of a Seinfeld reunion because it was Larry David who created and wrote the sitcom. The two stepped into a classic Seinfeld routine with Bernie Sanders filling in for the role of George Costanza and basically just doing lots of screaming.

Honestly, this part could have gone better as it was just a retread of old Seinfeld jokes that didn’t really feel organic in the context of the sketch. However, the sketch picked up again when they brought out another New Yorker from the fashion industry, Rachel Greene from Friends! Originally played by Jennifer Aniston, this impression was performed by Vanessa Bayer, who gave a spot on performance. Rachel's question was followed by yet another set from Elaine, which the audience all wanted more of.

I almost wish the whole sketch had been a Q&A with New Yorker sitcom characters (of which there are probably hundreds), but this sketch still managed to bring the laughs.

The West Wing was a rarity in several ways, not the least of which was how the characters managed to use snappy dialogue and walk-and-talks to make the particulars of politics interesting for primetime. There were ups and downs along the way, but it was a consistently solid show. The West Wing never would have become the popular and critical hit that it was were it not for writer/creator/showrunner Aaron Sorkin at the helm for the first four seasons. He left before the fifth, and Sorkin admits that it was advice from Larry David that kept him from being too miserable about departing.

Aaron Sorkin’s account to THR of his conversation with Larry David reveals a lot about how much both men put into their respective series. Seinfeld and The West Wing were very different shows, but they were huge hits, and the head honchos leaving before the run was finished put them in a sticky situation. For his part, Sorkin had written or co-written most of the episodes of the first four seasons; going cold turkey into Season 5 couldn’t have been easy.

He certainly left the show on a doozy of a cliffhanger. President Bartlet’s daughter had been kidnapped, conflict was brewing in a big way overseas, Bartlet chose to recuse himself from office due to his personal turmoil, and…exit Sorkin. Fans were certainly dying to know what would happen in the Season 5 premiere, and Sorkin was curious enough to want to have a look himself, despite Larry David’s warning.

Given all the changes that were in store for all the characters following Aaron Sorkin’s departure, it was probably good for Sorkin’s health that he not try to soldier through the Season 5 premiere. Larry David may have been professionally miserable, but Sorkin couldn’t have wished that on himself. He did miss out on some great plot twists and story arcs in the last few seasons of The West Wing, but it’s nice to know that he has no regrets about not watching. Besides, if he ever wants a fix of his old show, he can always watch some of the highlights of his own tenure. 

Every Saturday Night Live generation has its great political impersonation. Dana Carvey had George H.W. Bush, Darrell Hammond had Bill Clinton, Will Ferrell had George W. Bush, and now Larry David has Bernie Sanders. Over the last few months, the genius that created Seinfeld has crafted a brand new, equally iconic persona by lampooning presidential candidate Bernie Sanders with pitch perfect authenticity. David took to the SNL stage last night to tackle his hosting duties, and as you can probably expect, the show featured an amazing Bernie Sanders skit that took a shot at David's classic series Curb Your Enthusiasm. Check it out below.

The SNL writers clearly did their homework on Larry David’s famous HBO sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm, because the skit is a nearly perfect recreation of the series’ awkward, cynical humor. The sketch begins with Bernie Sanders at a rally shaking the hands of his supportes; when one supporter coughs into her hand, Bernie refuses to shake it which causes a massive scene and draws the ire of several people in the crowd. At Bernie’s campaign headquarters his staff – all of whom perfectly mimic characters from Curb – chide him for not sucking it up and merely shaking the woman’s hand because he needs all of the support he can get. After an intense shouting match, Bernie storms out to get a cup of coffee. During his walk one of his supporters is in a car crash, and asks him to pop her shoulder back into place – a request he squeamishly refuses. As he frantically runs away from her she screams and curses at him, completely reversing her positive opinion of the progressive politician. Back at his headquarters Bernie watches the result of the Iowa caucus and realizes he has lost by five votes: four people from the sneezing incident and the woman in the car.

Beyond the fact that it’s a perfect impersonation of the democratic socialist, the sketch also reminds us just how much we miss Curb Your Enthusiasm. The show featured flamboyant characters and awesome personalities, but truly shined primarily through the way in which it poked fun at everyday awkward situations. Bern Your Enthusiasm is an honest stroke of genius; even if Bernie does not get the democratic nomination when the primaries roll around, we hope that SNL still finds a way to incorporate Larry David’s caricature of him into the show at every possible avenue. If ever there was a reason to vote for Bernie: it would give us four more years of Larry David.

Anyone with an affinity for political humor would be wise to check out the video above. It’s perfect political satire, as well as a phenomenal call back to one of the greatest comedy series in recent memory. We will keep you up to date with the latest and greatest sketches from Saturday Night Live as they become available to us, stay tuned!

Saturday Night Live’s format as a sketch comedy show where pretty much anything can happen is what has allowed it to continue for over forty years now, but the show just wouldn’t be the same without the plethora of great hosts that have appeared over the years. Some have certainly been better than others, but SNL is always worth the watch just to see how the headliner pulls off the live comedy. NBC has just announced a pair of newhosts who promise to bring plenty of laughs: Larry David and Melissa McCarthy.

Larry David’s will tackle hosting duties on the February 6 episode of Saturday Night Live. As the legendary mind behind Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm - in which he also starred – there can be no doubt that he’ll be great. In fact, it’s almost absurd that his February 6 appearance will be his first time hosting. David was a writer for SNL way back in its tenth season and he's been featured in sketches, so he should certainly know what he’s doing.

Melissa McCarthy will host the episode after Larry David, taking the main stage on February 13. She’s currently wrapping up her role on the recently-cancelled Mike & Molly and is set to star in big screen films The Boss and Ghostbusters later this year. If those qualifications aren’t enough to guarantee that she’ll fantastic, the fact that this will be her fourth time as host should seal the deal.

Comedy aside, the musical guests for Larry David’s and Melissa McCarthy’s episodes should be entertaining. British band The 1975 will make their SNL musical debut on the February 6 installment, and Kanye West will appear for the seventh time on the show on February 13. The 1975 and Kanye West have albums shortly to be released, so the material should be relatively fresh.

Of course, all of the guests appearing in these episodes will face some pretty high expectations. SNL has been on a relatively hot streak in recent months. Donald Trump as host was making headlines for the series before he even took to the stage, and the level of excitement surrounding the Tina Fey/Amy Poehler joint hosting gig paid off with a fabulous night of comedy. Musical guest Lorde was so exceptional that she was accused of lip-syncing her performance. Even newbie Adam Driver was able to spoof his Star Wars connection to hilarity.

We still have a couple of weeks to wait before we get to see these guests on Saturday Night Live, but we certainly have a lot to be excited for on the sketch comedy front in February. Be sure to tune in to SNL on February 6 and February 13 at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC to catch Larry David and Melissa McCarthy in action.

While today’s TV crossovers usually involve superheroes or Dick Wolf shows, networks used to be a little more cavalier in what series were thrown together in the name of quirkiness. NBC was all about blending their Must See TV sitcoms together in the 1990s, and the world might have seen characters from Seinfeld and Friends mixing it up, had it not been for the creative iron fist of Larry David.

Former Seinfeld writer Peter Mehlman shared a story about NBC’s attempts to get the two hit comedies to collide, and he offered up what was quite possibly the best stipulation imaginable to sway David into considering it.

Oh man, that would have immediately become one of my favorite TV moments of all time. I mean, I didn’t hate Ross with all of my might, but his mopey-mope ways were grating, and seeing him meet some form of demise as crafted by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld is a concept of epic comedic proportions. Would George have forced him to lick cheap envelope glue? Would Kramer have crushed him beneath dozens of bags full of cans? Would Elaine have gotten Puddy to beat him to death? Okay, that last one seems extreme but is it? Is it?

Honestly, if the episode wouldn’t have a groundbreaking moment like that – whether it come in a dream sequence or something similar – then what would be the point of having the two characters groups meet up? The Seinfeld crew definitely wasn’t one to use a gimmick for the gimmick’s sake, and if the humor wasn’t at the forefront of an idea, then it was generally scrapped. My brain hurts thinking of ideas NBC would have pitched, such as Kramer getting a job at Central Perk, or George and Phoebe going on a calamity-filled date. A caper episode centered on Newman, Bania, Ugly Naked Guy and Gunther robbing a bank and running from cops? That, I’d have watched.

Mehlman also shared with Uproxx the time that NBC came up with their “blackout night” idea, in which all of the Thursday night comedies would feature a New York blackout. As you can imagine, Larry David was quick to say no to that one, too, and it was the only NBC show that night that bypassed the concept.

Happy Festivus, everyone!