Larry Charles: Comedy Samurai and the Radical Truth Behind the Laughs

A Life in Laughter—and Pushing Boundaries

If you're talking about the last four decades of American comedy, you're talking about Larry Charles. He's the mind behind moments that changed the comedic landscape—Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Borat, Religulous, and more. Now, Charles is telling his own story in the new book Comedy Samurai: The Mostly Epic Quest of a Mostly On-Time Jewish Comedian. It's part memoir, part masterclass, and all Larry Charles.

When I sat down with him, we dove deep—not just into the projects fans know him for, but the philosophies, risks, and realities that shaped them. Larry’s reflections are sharp, honest, and often hilariously blunt—just like his work.

“Mad About You” Wasn’t Exactly Larry Charles—Until It Was

Larry Charles, it's an honor, man, how are you?
Larry Charles: How are you, Jim? Nice to see you.Comedy Samurai is such a cool book, but I have to start with something that I don't think most people are gonna touch on. I cannot believe you were a writer for Mad About You—that so doesn't fit.
Larry Charles: Yeah, I was a showrunner actually, so I kind of was in charge of the entire show. That came off of Seinfeld. I had done Seinfeld for a few years. I had kind of hit the wall creatively. I couldn’t have stayed there forever, but I’m a gambler and I wanted to roll the dice and do some new challenge. And, you know, I was in the middle of kind of a difficult marriage, quite honestly. And here was a show about a marriage that was kind of ideal that I just didn’t buy. Whose marriage is like that? It was like a fantasy.

I thought, what if I could do a kind of Scenes from a Marriage, like a sitcom that isn’t necessarily as funny as Seinfeld but gets into the reality and the truth of what being married is about? And the two actors, Paul and Helen, were great, and they were totally into it. That’s what we did for the couple of years I was there.

Comedy as Counterculture

There’s a theme in the book I really wanted to touch on—this idea of counterculture comedians. Growing up, it was Richard Pryor, Red Foxx in my dad’s car, and of course, Carlin. They pushed things. I think of Shane Gillis on SNL recently—some found it uncomfortable, others saw genius. As a writer, do you appreciate what he did?

Larry Charles: I'm not afraid of people crossing the line, of people offending others. I remember when Andrew Dice Clay was on SNL and Nora Dunn walked off the show. That’s kind of what’s supposed to happen in comedy. You’re supposed to risk offending people because your ideas are so radical that some are going to be uncomfortable.

Right or wrong, that’s the role of comedy—to push barriers. Think about Andy Kaufman. The great comedians risk alienation with the audience. It’s necessary to find the new language of comedy.

From Mulaney to Carlin: Evolution Onstage

I thought what John Mulaney did—addressing his rehab and issues—took real guts. He was a “safe” comedian, and that pivot could’ve cratered his career.

Larry Charles: That’s very analogous to George Carlin. Remember, Carlin was doing Ed Sullivan, the “hippy dippy weatherman,” and then he pivoted to “seven words you can’t say on TV.” Comedians evolve. And those are the ones we feel most connected to.

The Unexpected Rise of Seinfeld

Were you guys aware while working on Seinfeld that it had this undercurrent of edge, of something different?

Larry Charles: At the beginning, Larry David said, “We’ll do 13 episodes, we’ll make a little money, it’ll get canceled, and we’ll move on with our lives.” That was our mindset. Larry wanted the show to get canceled! He couldn’t take the pressure.

We didn’t worry about the impact—we just wrote what made us laugh. And as it turned out, what made us laugh made the world laugh too. Our motto was “no hugging, no learning.” The show was losing in the ratings to Jake and the Fatman, remember that? So we were free to just do what we thought was funny. In retrospect, we realized we’d made Seinfeld—the Seinfeld.

Directing Danger: The Madness of Borat

Let’s talk Borat. Unlike Spinal Tap, where everyone was acting, you were dealing with real people. How do you direct that?

Larry Charles: I love Spinal Tap, but yeah, that was scripted. Borat was unpredictable. Only Sacha [Baron Cohen] had any idea what we were doing. The rest was unscripted, real reactions. We didn’t know how people would respond. That volatility—it comes off the screen. It’s why people connected to it. It was more than a movie. It created a new language of comedy.

Books, Coffee, and Big Thoughts

Your book, to me—it’s a “coffee book.” I want the physical copy. It’s one I turn my phone off for. I called it that because it makes you sit down and really think.

Larry Charles: Thank you. That’s the goal.

Do you like where comedy’s heading? With podcasting, are we getting back to comedians being more aggressive, more honest?

Larry Charles: In stand-up, yes. TV and film comedy has been flattened out, sanitized. But stand-up? It’s flourishing. It's freer. It’s where people are pushing boundaries with integrity. That’s where real comedy lives now.

Legacy and the Curveball of Truth

My son is 21 and a huge film and music guy. I had him watch MASH*—he was shocked how different it was from the show. But that kind of movie can’t be made today.

Larry Charles: Right. But you can say anything onstage now. That’s the big difference. You go to a stand-up show, and you hear someone telling the truth. That liberation—the audience appreciates that. Seinfeld, Borat, Curb—those shows did that too, but you rarely see it in mainstream media now.

Speaking of Curb, when someone thanks me for my military service, I laugh because of that episode. It's one of the funniest things ever. But that takes guts. You have to know where you’re going with that or risk serious backlash.

Larry Charles: That’s Larry David, man. He questions the common wisdom. “Thank you for your service” used to mean something. Now it’s a reflex. And Larry saying “hello” instead—he was more sincere. But it had consequences. That’s comedy.

Detroit, Don’t Worry—Larry’s Coming

Larry, thank you. This book made me pause and really reflect. It’s not just stories—it’s a look at what comedy can be.

Larry Charles: Thank you so much, Jim. I can’t wait to come to Detroit and see you in person.

We’ll set it up. Ridley’s, bookstores, let’s go. You’re always welcome in the Motor City.

Comedy Samurai: The Mostly Epic Quest of a Mostly On-Time Jewish Comedian is available now. It’s a hilarious, poignant, and insightful deep dive into the man who helped shape—and challenge—comedy as we know it.

Turn your phone off. Get the book. And laugh with purpose.