Larry David was so protective of his scripts for the new HBO sketch show, "Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness," that not even former President Barack Obama could curb his enthusiasm — and was swiftly shut down by the comedian for trying to offer notes.
Obama's Notes Met with Resistance
The duo, long-time friends and co-creators of the show, had Obama serving as co-executive producer and appearing in the series. However, director Jeff Schaffer revealed in an interview with Variety published Friday that a hilariously tense exchange occurred between them.
"He gave a few notes about something and Larry went, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, we got it,'" Schaffer told the outlet. "And the president goes, 'I spent half an hour talking about how funny everything is. I give you one note and you get into a defensive crouch.'"
The co-writer, co-creator, and director continued: "The president said, 'When I was in the Oval Office, I took advice and listened to my advisors, and I was the president of the United States.' And Larry just goes, 'Yeah, but I'm the president of this.'"
Obama's Input Valued Despite the Spat
Despite the exchange, Schaffer emphasized that Obama's input "was invaluable" and that he had read much of the material and "was really liking it." Schaffer added that Obama has a "good rapport" with David, who has long established himself as America's cheekiest curmudgeon.
David and Obama's Friendship
David recently appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and confirmed that he and Obama frequently golf together. However, when David received an invitation to the former president's 60th birthday, he recalled feeling utter anxiety about possibly being expected to perform stand-up. The "Curb Your Enthusiasm" creator told Kimmel he was overjoyed when he got disinvited.
David's Political Commentary
David has tackled all sorts of political taboos across 12 seasons of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." He appeared to ruffle some MAGA feathers by telling Variety that he was "embarrassed to be an American" following recent UFC fights held on the White House lawn. "It was a travesty," he told the outlet. "What else can you say about it? It was embarrassing."
