Larry David reflected on his 24 years and 12 seasons of working on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” sharing with the guys at “Smartless” that he only had buyer’s remorse for casting actors who were bad a improv “a couple of times.”
“It’s only happened a couple of times in the show where people were trying to be funny. And that’s, like, the worst thing you can do,” David told Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes (the latter of whom actually guest starred on the comedy’s final season earlier this year) on Monday’s podcast episode.
“Not many,” he said, “but there have been a few who really couldn’t do it.”
Loosely fictionalized around David’s own life as an actor and writer in Los Angeles, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” costarred Cheryl Hines, Susie Essman, J.B. Smoove, Jeff Garlin and the late Richard Lewis and was famously improvisational, with each scene given a rough outline treatment before cameras began rolling.
There was a smattering of unforgettable guest stars over the years, both those who played versions of themselves and others as bit comedic roles unlucky enough to find themselves in David’s orbit (Hayes played a lawyer named Christopher Mantle on Season 12, Episode 5 and Episode 8, for instance).
Other highlights over the years included Elizabeth Banks, Jon Hamm, Martin Scorsese, David Schwimmer, Rosie O’Donnell, Bill Hader and Ben Stiller — among many others.
“Just about everyone in Hollywood has been on that show or ‘Law & Order,’” Bateman joked on Monday’s “Smartless,” lamenting that he and Arnett never got the call to come in.
“I will say, it does sound like a really, from what I’ve heard, from my friends who have been on the show, that it’s one of the greatest experiences, up there with, like, ‘Saturday Night Live.’ It’s just an incredible group — and you’re improvising,” he continued.
“I think it’s the improvising. Actors really love to improvise,” David agreed.
That’s when Bateman dug into who may have not been up to snuff in that department. “But I’ll bet you’ve had some that have been, like, forget it, I will sink in that atmosphere — do not, I’m not coming on,” he began.
“Yes,” David admitted of actors who have rebuffed his calls. “Not many, but there have been a few who really couldn’t do it.”
“What do you do about those who say, ‘Oh yeah, great, I love improvising,’ and then they come on and they’re just horrendous?” Bateman asked. “Who has a conversation with them, you or the director?”
“You mean somebody who we’ve asked to do it?” David asked.
“To do it, and they clearly are way over their skis with improvisation,” Bateman clarified. “Do you do a, ‘OK guys, let’s take a quick five — can I talk to you for a second?’”
“It’s only happened a couple of times in the show where people were trying to be funny,” David said. “And that’s, like, the worst thing you can do.”
“That’s a hard note to give,” Bateman said. “What’s that sound like? Do you pull them aside?”
“It sounds like, don’t — here’s the note: Don’t try to be funny. That’s the note,” David said, matter-of-factly.
Bateman then recalled a time when he himself was caught “over his skis” improvising with Vince Vaughn, who’s also guested on “Curb.”
“He was doing something genius, and then I said something, and he just stopped and he just looked at me and said, ‘Do you think that’s helping?’” Bateman said. “And I thought it was part of the dialogue. But it was Vince saying to Jason, ‘Shut your mouth and let me do my thing.’”
Listen to David’s full interview on “Smartless,” here.
