‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’: Larry David Has a Clever Way of Ditching Friends at Restaurants, Ted Danson Reveals
The HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm is all about Larry David’s social foibles and neuroses. David plays himself and bases the episodes on his real-life grievances. Even the show may be toned down though, at least the way his friends tell it. Ted Danson, who also appears on Curb as himself, describes a Larry David episode that would be hilarious on Curb.
Danson was a guest on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast on March 10, 2018 while promoting The Good Place Season 2. When discussing his appearance on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Danson recalled some real life Larry David episodes. David is currently developing a 12th season of Curb.
‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ creator Larry David invites friends to dinner, then bails
It’s no secret that David doesn’t care much for social gatherings. Still, he tries to make the effort to see his friends. In typical Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion, the real life David will change his mind before the agreed upon time.
“He is looney tunes when it comes to social niceties,” Danson said on WTF. “He does things like let’s all go out to dinner. Great, and we all show up at the time, at 8:30 and he is sitting at the table with his entree because he decided he’d rather do something else later that evening. As you sit down, he’s saying goodbye. Literally, without any problem. He won’t accept invitations to people’s homes for dinner anymore because it’s too hard to get out of. In a restaurant, you can do what he does.”
His friends react to this
By now, David’s friends know what being friends with him means. They handle such frustrations with a laugh.
“There’s a part of you that just wants to go, grab him by the lapels and throw him on the ground,” Danson said. “So you do it with humor but that’s your job.”
However, Danson admits that on one level, they respect David’s audacity.
“Part of you admires it too because you kind of wish you had come early and had your entree,” Danson said. “That’s just the way he is.”
Larry David is nicer than he appears on ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’
Despite his curmudgeonly Curb Your Enthusiasm person and his real-life quirks, David’s friends see his real heart. Danson shared how his wife, Mary Steenburgen, who also plays herself on Curb, considers David a true mensch. So they can live with a “ships passing” dinner encounter.
“He’s got a huge heart of gold,” Danson said. “Mary once told him, it almost brought tears to his eyes, she said, ‘If I were ever really in trouble you’d be one of the first people I’d ever call.’ He has a huge, generous heart of gold. Very sweet.”
