Larry David Says He Regrets His Biography — SkimNews
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- Blake J. Harris published “Emperor of Nothing: The Making of Larry David” on Oct. 20 after six years of David’s participation; it is the first authorized biography of the “Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” creator.
- Larry David initially called himself uninteresting and resisted a traditional biography, then agreed only after Harris framed the project as an ensemble story about his work, with David as protagonist and the spotlight elsewhere.
- Alan Zweibel introduced Harris to David after dismissing reports that he would not participate; Harris proposed a Yankees-only first call, then spoke weekly for six months during COVID and roughly monthly for five years, with Los Angeles meetings every six months.
- Larry David read the finished manuscript and objected to material presenting him as sweet, crossing out a Mary Steenburgen quote as “Too nice, embarrassing!”; Harris used half of it while retaining final say over the text.
- Emperor of Nothing gives limited attention to David’s marriages and divorce; Harris calls that the book’s fairest criticism and says he did not press the subject because he lacked interest and suspected David wanted to avoid it.
- Larry David sees a vast gulf between himself and his “Curb Your Enthusiasm” persona, while his wife and other close observers say they are basically the same; Harris calls that somewhat hyperbolic but says the private David has more heart and apologizes after conflict.
- Larry David said after reading the manuscript that he regretted the book “immediately” and “still,” then praised Harris’s work and said the issue was people knowing about him; Harris remains unsure how literal the joking was.
Why it matters: For readers, David’s six-year cooperation and praise for Harris make this an unusually authorized portrait; for David, the same access yielded personal details he says he wishes people did not know. That tension gives the book’s selective treatment of his marriages and private life added context.
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