These days, Larry David is currently satirizing American history with his new HBO series “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness.”
Prior to that, he perfected the art of cringe comedy with “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and before that made television history as co-creator of legendary sitcom “Seinfeld.”
Once upon a time, however, David was just another underemployed comedian trying to make a buck in Hollywood.
Larry David Auditioned for ‘Mork & Mindy’ But It Didn’t Go Well
It was at that stage in his career that David auditioned for a role in beloved sitcom “Mork & Mindy,” which ran from 1978 until 1992.
The series was both a showcase for the improvisational brilliance of star Robin Williams and a spinoff of “Happy Days,” with both shows created by Garry Marshall.
In his memoir, “My Happy Days in Hollywood,” Marshall recalled the time that his sister Ronny Hallin, a producer on “Mork,” met with David about a potential role on the show.
“[She] tried to recruit another funny comedian named Larry David early on, but when Larry came in for the audition, he penciled up the scene he was supposed to act in,” Marshall wrote, as recounted by Parade. “Ronny asked him what he was doing, and he said, ‘punching up the script.’”
The Audition Was Not Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Good
According to Marshall, there’d been a bit of a misunderstanding, and wires had gotten crossed.
“He thought he was auditioning as a writer,” Marshall explained, noting that David didn’t get the part — as a con man named Ellsworth. To add insult to injury, he also wasn’t hired as a writer — although, to be fair, star Williams tended to ignore “Mork & Mindy” scripts, preferring to ad-lib much of his dialogue.
Auditions continued, and eventually the part of Ellsworth went to David Letterman. This marked his first-ever role in a sitcom (although he’d previously been a member of the cast of “Mary,” Mary Tyler Moore’s short-lived variety show).
Acting Was Not David Letterman’s Jam
During those days, David Letterman was a primarily a standup comic.
He appeared in a few more sitcom roles, but quickly came to realize he was no actor, unlike many of his standup contemporaries..
That led him to pursue a whole other avenue of television. That resulted in his quickly cancelled NBC daytime talk show in 1980, which led to far more success when he launched “Late Night with David Letterman” in 1982.
Larry David Eventually Warmed to Acting
Much like Letterman, Larry David’s main gig was also standup comedy — and he also realized acting was a big lift for him.
“I was inspired to become a comedian because I was a bad actor,” David recalled in a 2015 interview with the New York Post. In his memoir, Marshall seconded that. “He didn’t think he was an actor at all,” he wrote of David. “Years later, when he developed his series ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm,’ he would think differently.”
