Why Larry David never wanted this biography made and how a George Costanza scheme won him over

Larry David initially strongly opposed biographer Blake J. Harris’s plan to write about his life, saying he did not want people knowing about him and did not see himself as worthy of a book. The account matters because it shows how Harris gained the confidence of a famously private comedian to document a career that helped shape television comedy.

Harris spent six years researching the biography, which covers David’s 75 years. To break the ice, he arranged for their first phone call to be only about the New York Yankees, avoiding discussion of “Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm”; they talked for 45 minutes, after which they began speaking regularly. David co-created “Seinfeld” in 1989 and later starred in “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, which ran for 12 seasons.