Larry David

Writer-director-producer Larry David achieved enough success for one lifetime as the creator of one of the most beloved sitcoms in television history, only to make an incredible transition into the star of his own hit cable series a few short years later. Beginning as a struggling stand-up comic in New York, David's early work as a television comedy writer included relatively unremarkable stints on the late-night sketch shows "Fridays" (ABC, 1980-82) and "Saturday Night Live" (NBC 1975- ) in the mid-1980s. It was while working on these shows that David first met future collaborators Michael Richards and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who later became core cast members of the sitcom David created with fellow comedian Jerry Seinfeld. Conceived as a "show about nothing," "Seinfeld" (NBC, 1989-1998) became one of the most popular shows of all time, despite a rocky start in its formative first season. In addition to his producing and writing duties on the series, David's notoriously acerbic personality also served as the inspiration for Seinfeld's best friend, George Costanza (Jason Alexander). After leaving "Seinfeld" David dabbled in feature films, but it was as an even more socially-inept version of himself on his improvisational comedy series "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO, 2000- ) that he achieved his second monumental triumph on the small screen. David's twisted take on life and his unique ability to mine laughter from its painfully awkward moments turned him into one of television's most unlikely and oddly lovable protagonists. Late in his career, his uncanny resemblance to 2016 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders brought David back to sketch comedy with a recurring role on "Saturday Night Live," even as he starred in the Broadway comedy "Fish in the Dark."