While Larry David could certainly fill an hour each week interacting with various characters on the show, it’s even more entertaining for the viewers when we’re treated to cameos. Over the eight seasons, all sorts of celebrities have appeared on the show as themselves as friends and foes of Larry.
Here is a look at ten of the best cameos from Curb along with some choice quotes to jog your memory (or convince you to watch that episode).
10. Martin Short
Season 3: “The Terrorist Attack”
I had to include Martin Short’s cameo appearance for one reason: I personally think his character Jiminy Glick is hilarious. Larry spots Martin Short walking down the street. Larry goes on to ask Martin Short how to do the Jiminy Glick voice and hilarity ensues. Bonus cameos in this episode from Paul Reiser and Alanis Morissette.
Quote:
Larry David: “How do you do that voice? What is that? I try to do it at home.”
Martin Short: “Ranges that go high and then very low.”
Larry David: [Imitating] “Ranges that go high and then very low.”
9. Christian Slater
Season 7: “The Hot Towel”
At a party at Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen’s house, Larry has a run in with Christian Slater while grabbing some snacks. Christian Slater really goes to town on the caviar and Larry, in his ever-untactful nature, calls him out on it. Christian Slater is, needless to say, not happy about Larry telling him how much caviar he should be consuming. Slater has the last laugh, however, when he exposes Larry’s hiding spot to a man looking to assault Larry.
Quote:
Larry David: “I think you’re going over your allotment a little bit, no?”
Christian Slater: “My allotment?”
Larry David: “You know, we’re each entitled to take a certain amount so everybody else can have a little bit too.”
8. Ben Stiller
Season 4: Various episodes including “Ben’s Birthday Party”
Larry David and Ben Stiller were set to star in The Producers together so, naturally, Stiller invites Larry to his birthday party. At the party, Larry is in rare form. He brings no gift (to be fair, Stiller did say “no gifts”), he swears at children, and to top it all off he stabs Ben Stiller in the eye with a skewer. Needless to say, Ben Stiller and Larry David did not end up starring in The Producers together.
Quote:
Ben Stiller: “You wouldn’t even shake my hand the first time we met.”
Larry David: “You sneezed… you had snot all over your hand!”
Ben Stiller: “That was a dry sneeze, Larry!”
Larry David: “I can’t assume dry, I gotta assume wet!”
7. Muggsy Bogues
Season 4: “The Surrogate”
Larry’s good friend Richard Lewis has a new girlfriend who happens to be black. Lewis is self-conscious in this relationship because he can’t stop thinking about the stereotype that black men are believed to be well endowed. As the debate of whether or not this is true rages on, a chance encounter with former NBA superstar Muggsy Bogues could prove to provide answers. Unfortunately, the run-in with Bogues is in the men’s room and he catches David trying to check out his “equipment”. Bogues attacks David, but luckily Larry fakes a heart attack and is saved from a beating.
Quote:
Larry David: “I’m not gonna shake your hand, I’m in the bathroom.”
Muggsy Bogues: “I appreciate that.”
6. Ricky Gervais
Season 8: “The Hero”
In the most recent season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Ricky Gervais appeared as a pompous version of himself. First by accepting a $500 dollar bottle of wine as a gift, then forcing Larry to agree to attend the 3 hour play he is starring in while implying he would give him free tickets (he didn’t). On top of that, Gervais manages to steal the woman Larry is currently dating away from him. Larry gets the last laugh this time as he saves Gervais and his former date from being mugged on the subway.
Quote:
Ricky Gervais: “I love the laugh track on [Seinfeld], it reminds you when to laugh!”
Larry David: “Oh yeah..”
Ricky Gervais: “We didn’t do one [in Extras].”
5. Dustin Hoffman & Sacha Baron Cohen
Season 5: “The End”
Season 5 of Curb ended with an adoption scandal, a kidney transplant, and Larry David’s death. On the operating table, Larry passes away and finds himself in heaven. His two guides to his newly found paradise are played by the hilarious Dustin Hoffman and Sacha Baron Cohen. Despite meeting golf legend Ben Hogan and starlet Marilyn Monroe, David can’t let go of an argument he had with Cheryl about DVD cases. The argument is revisited with Dustin Hoffman and gets so heated that Larry is kicked out of heaven and sent back to Earth.
Quote:
Guide Hoffman: “Listen to your guide, you take the DVD-”
Larry David: “Oh, Mr. Great Guide, who let me do that TV Guide cover?”
Guide Hoffman: “F&%k you!”
Larry David: “F&%k you!”
Guide Cohen: “Whoa, whoa, whoa!”
4. Bill Buckner
Season 8: “Mister Softee”
Larry meets up with Bill Buckner at a baseball convention where his is getting Mookie Wilson’s autograph for Jeff’s birthday. This chance encounter comes after Larry let a ball go through his legs while playing first base in the championship softball game. Larry and Buckner bond over the embarrassment that stems from this and become friends. Later, when Larry gives the ball to Jeff, he tosses it to Buckner, who misses the catch and lets the ball go out the window. Eventually, Larry and Buckner come across a burning building where a woman has to drop her baby to safety. Bill Buckner catches the baby and erases 25 years of missing that one ball.
Quote:
Larry David: “I saw this commercial last night, and Michael Jordan had a Hitler mustache.”
Bill Buckner: “Yeah I saw that. He’s the first one to wear that since Hitler. Isn’t he?”
3. Michael J. Fox
Season 8: “Larry vs. Michael J. Fox”
Another guest star from the most recent Curb season, Michael J. Fox gets the chance to poke fun at his condition. Some notable instances include Fox shaking his head in disapproval at Larry, only to blame the Parkinson’s; Fox offering Larry a soda only to shake it up (unintentionally?); and Fox making a lot of noise wearing heavy boots in the apartment above Larry’s. The episode (and season) ends with Larry miming a violin at a Parkinson’s benefit only to be kicked out of New York by Mayor Bloomberg.
Quote:
Michael J Fox: [Phone rings]” Let me get that. I’ll be back in two shakes.”
2. Shaquille O’Neal
Season 2: “Shaq”
Sitting court-side at a Lakers game, Larry decides to stretch out his legs. Unfortunately it is just as Shaq is about to check back into the game. Shaq trips over Larry’s legs and severely injures himself in the process. Not much to say here, but Larry is booed out of the Staples Center.
1. The Cast of Seinfeld
Season 7: various episodes
As stated in the episodes leading up to it, this was a chance to “make up for the finale” of Seinfeld. And it delivered. Getting the four main cast members together again was a great thing to watch. You got to see them in Jerry’s apartment, the diner, everywhere. Plus some cameos from Wayne Knight as Newman and Steve Hytner as Kenny Bania were a great bonus. From Jason Alexander’s serious acting techniques to Michael Richards poking fun at his racial outbursts, this arc of Curb is probably the most memorable yet.
Quote:
George Costanza: “Well, I’ll never meet anyone else again.”
Jerry Seinfeld: “Probably not.”
George Costanza: “Meeting is hard.”
Jerry Seinfeld: “Meeting is hard, why can’t you meet?”
George Costanza: “Can’t meet! Why is that?”
Jerry Seinfeld: “This is what single people are thinking about from the minute they wake up in the morning. And yet, we’re surrounded by people. They’re right next to us, on the bus, on the street, but we can’t meet them.”
George Costanza: “Why won’t they meet us?”
Jerry Seinfeld: “Because strangers have a bad reputation.”
George Costanza: “A few bad strangers ruined it for the rest of us.”
by Kenny Pickett
1 Comment
i don’t even watch curb your enthusiasm (too enthusiastic), yet i found this list enjoyable