New Biography Explores Larry David's Jewish Roots and Creative Legacy

Blake J. Harris, a journalist and documentarian whose early career was inspired by the sitcom Seinfeld, has published a new biography titled Emperor of Nothing: The Making of Larry David. The book, released last month, details the life and career of the co-creator of Seinfeld and the star of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Harris spent six years working on the project, which involved extensive communication with David, including numerous video calls and an in-person appearance in the finale of Curb.

The biography traces David’s origins in Brooklyn, exploring how his upbringing and early exposure to Jewish comedy shaped his artistic voice. However, Harris notes that David rarely discussed the specific impact of being Jewish on his work or whether he saw himself as part of a distinct comic tradition. Harris described David as too intelligent to be unaware of these associations, yet he did not feel a sense of mission regarding his identity as a Jewish writer.

The project began in 2020 when Harris met Jeff Schaffer, a writer and director who worked on both major shows. Schaffer helped facilitate the initial contact, a process that required careful maneuvering due to David’s value for privacy. Alan Zweibel, an early Saturday Night Live writer, played a key role in arranging the first conversations. Harris employed a strategy he called a George Costanza-style scheme, suggesting to Zweibel that he would focus their first discussion on the New York Yankees, a topic both men loved, rather than David’s television career.

As the global pandemic emerged, Harris and David maintained contact through countless phone and Zoom calls. Harris eventually traveled to Los Angeles to meet David in person and spent time on the set of the final season of Curb. The book includes emails between the two men, documenting David’s eventual agreement to cooperate with the project.

Harris, who identifies as a proud Jew, observed that David was heavily influenced by comedic voices such as Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, and Nat Hiken. Despite these influences, David generally avoided discussing the broader American Jewish comedy tradition. The book details David’s early life, including his birth at Brooklyn Jewish Hospital in 1947 and his time in Hebrew school. It also notes that his father, Morty, worked for a clothing business linked to the organized crime group Murder, Inc.

Throughout his career, David crossed paths with numerous Jewish performers, including Jerry Seinfeld and Carol Leifer. He also maintained a lifelong friendship with Richard Lewis, who was born in the same hospital the same week as David. The two worked together on Curb until Lewis’s death in 2024. David occasionally incorporated his Jewish background into his stand-up routines, such as a bit about the Son of Sam killer being Jewish, which he found surprising.

The book highlights that the development of Seinfeld was not guaranteed, as network executives were wary of the show being too New York, a term often used as a euphemism for too Jewish. Rick Ludwin, an NBC executive who championed the series, noted that he was not from New York and not Jewish, but believed the show was funny and viable. Seinfeld went on to dominate ratings in the 1990s, with its finale in 1998 watched by 76 million Americans.

While the character George Costanza is often seen as a stand-in for David, the comedian rarely appeared on camera until the launch of Curb in 2000. The show featured many scenarios rooted in Jewish life, including episodes about rabbis, synagogues, and funerals. One notable 2011 episode, titled Palestinian Chicken, addressed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with humor that Harris notes might be less common today. David recently shared his surprise that some viewers found the episode racist, given the plot involved him dating a Palestinian woman.

In a recent essay for the website Air Mail, David satirized the political demands of the Democratic Socialists of America, proposing a humorous two-state solution involving Pitcairn Island. Harris expressed gratitude for interviewing several Jewish comedy figures who have since passed away, including Richard Belzer and George Shapiro. The book also reveals personal details, such as David’s two daughters, Cazzie and Romy, who he considers the most important people in his life, contrasting with the childless persona on Curb.

Harris concluded that while there is significant overlap between the on-screen persona and the real man, the differences are meaningful. He noted that the real Larry David has a heart, a quality the character on the show rarely displays. This nuanced portrait offers readers a deeper understanding of the man behind one of television’s most iconic characters.