Ted Danson has revealed that he offered to appear onCurb Your Enthusiasmbecause he felt sorry for series creator and star Larry David.Curb Your Enthusiasmbegan with a special that aired on HBO in 1999, with the series running for 12 seasons between 2000-2024. In the series, Danson played a fictional version of himself, and would often appear with his real-life wife, Mary Steenburgen. Danson first appeared in season 1, episode 2, and would make frequent appearances throughout the show, including in this year’sCurb Your Enthusiasmseries finale.
On his podcastWhere Everybody Knows Your Name(viaThe Hollywood Reporter), Danson discusses joining the showafter watching the pilot episode. Even though Steenburgen liked the episode,Danson reveals that he was not a fan and felt sorry for David, who was a new friend to him at the time. He later told David that he and Mary would be “happy” to appear on the show as themselves if he ever needed them. When looking back at the series, Danson says that appearing on the show “changed my life.” Danson’s full comments about joining the series can be found below:
Curbreally did change my life, because it reinvigorated my desire to be funny. But, I did it, I’ve told this story before, but we watched the pilot ofCurb, Mary and I. Mary thought it was great. I thought it sucked. I thought it absolutely sucked. And I felt sorry for my new friend, Larry David. So in trying to be encouraging kind of thing, I said, ‘You know, if you ever need us to play ourselves, we’d be happy to.’ And in that sort of idiocy, you know, I ended up being part of something that changed my life.
What Danson Appearing In Curb Your Enthusiasm Meant For The Show
Danson Became David’s Archenemey
Danson’s role in the series gave the fictional version of Larry David an archenemy. In Danson’s first episode, “Ted and Mary,” Larry tells Cheryl that he would rather be friends with Mary instead of Ted, showing that the two already have a strained relationship. Throughout the series,Larry and Ted would often have misunderstandings and become confrontational with each other. While Larry would make enemies in almost every episode, Ted would be the one that he would have to regularly see because he was friends with Cheryl. After Ted started dating Cheryl, it added another layer to their antagonistic relationship.
Ted Danson’s Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 12 Return Flips A Forgotten Larry Gag From 4 Years Ago
Ted Danson returns as himself in Curb Your Enthusiasm season 12, episode 6, with his subplot reversing a hilarious rivalry with Larry from season 10.
Since Danson is an actor, the show was able to use the fictional version of him in ways that it wouldn’t have been able to with the other characters. This included Ted having a role in Larry’s fictional TV showYoung Larry, as well as Larry attacking a standee for a movie starring Danson as Robert E. Lee.
Our Take On Ted Danson’s Comments On Curb Your Enthusiasm
The Fictional Danson Brought Out The Worst In Larry
Danson’s difficult relationship with Larryled to some of the most confrontational and awkward moments in the series, especially once he started dating Cheryl. Even though Larry also had a difficult relationship with Jeff Greene’s (Jeff Garlin) wife Susie (Susie Essman), Ted’s relationship with Cheryl put him in another category on Larry’s enemy list.
Danson’s comments about the pilot ofCurb Your Enthusiasmalso puts in perspective that the show’s early episodes were not as strong as the show would later become. Many other beloved TV comedies, likeSeinfeldandThe Office,also had early episodes that didn’t reflect the heights that the shows would later achieve in their runs. While Danson’s original offer may have been because he felt sorry for David, he was able to play an important role in a show that would evolve to become one of the best TV comedies.
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Cast
Curb Your Enthusiasm is a Comedy television show created by Larry David, the same creative mind behind the wildly popular sitcom, Seinfeld. Starring Larry David himself, along with Cheryl Hines, and Jeff Garlin, the show acts as a semi-fictionalized look at Larry’s every day life and the people he would come in contact with.
