Two masters of discomfort took the stage as if they’d wandered there by mistake. Trading jabs, complaints and the occasional historical aside, comedy veterans Larry David and Jeff Schaffer spent the hour doing what they do best: turning cynicism into an art form.
At the South by Southwest featured session Friday at the JW Marriott, “Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” writers David and Schaffer spoke with award-winning journalist Lorraine Ali, author of “NO LESSONS LEARNED: The Making of Curb Your Enthusiasm as Told by Larry David and the Cast and Crew,” to discuss their upcoming HBO series, “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness.” Funded by Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company, Higher Ground, the series reimagines American history through 28 sketches, blending historical accuracy with cynical comedy.
Walking out to a full venue, David — authentically himself — hushed the praise.
“Stop it, stop it,” David said. “What am I even doing here? What is this?”
As David warmed up to the crowd, Ali asked what they’ve been up to since the finale of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Schaffer explained that their new show follows the same structure, using an outlined script that allows for improvisation.
“(It’s) the 250th birthday of America,” Schaffer said. “It’s a little odd to be celebrating our nation at this time. It’s sort of like having a birthday for your friend who’s in rehab … (But) it’s a great way to show all the ups and downs that our nation has gone through.”
Backed by the Obamas, the former President appears in a sketch. According to Schaffer, David and Obama liked to “give each other shit” — starting with their first meeting, when Obama offered notes on their script.
“(Obama said), ‘When I was in the White House, you know I used to take notes from my advisors, I was president of the fucking United States,’” Schaffer said. “And what did you say?”
“I’m president here,” David said.
The cast features longtime collaborators Jerry Seinfeld, Susie Essman, J.B. Smoove and Jeff Garlin, alongside other comedy stars like Ted Danson, Bill Hader, John Hamm and Vince Vaughn. The duo then previewed a sketch from the series, spanning American history from the colonial era to modern day.
“We took really great pains from the props, costumes and sets (to) make everything look as authentic as possible,” Schaffer said. “Then we drop Larry (in), and all hell breaks loose.”
Schaffer said each sketch “is its own for the cinematic universe,” acing period aesthetics with color grading and composition. To David, accuracy was a priority.
“(David) made us change something, not a little issue, not for comedy reasons, but for historical accuracy,” Schaffer said. “We’re watching (the sketch), and Larry says, ‘This isn’t right … Seward hasn’t purchased Alaska yet.’ So we had to fucking reshoot the thing to get it right. ”
“People who watch the show, people (who) know history, they go, ‘Oh they don’t know what the hell they’re doing.’ You don’t want to give people ammunition,” David responded.
“I don’t know,” Ali said. “I think you do.”
The session ended with a short Q&A featuring audience questions — though David made it clear when he didn’t like one.
“How do you balance historic relevance, social commentary and —,” Ali read before David interrupted.
“Oh, shut the fuck up. What’s wrong with you? Social relevance, get the hell out of here,” David remarked.
Ali closed the session by asking the duo if they had any final remarks. David laughed, giving a sarcastic sign-off.
“Be good to yourself. Treat yourself well. Love yourself,” David said.
