Biographer Says Larry David Found Seinfeld Torturous

Biographer Blake J. Harris said on the Oct. 23 episode of Obsessed: The Podcast that Larry David would rather spend a year in prison than do another season of Seinfeld. The remarks concern Harris's biography Emperor of Nothing: The Making of Larry David, released October 20. Harris attributed the strain to David's self-imposed pressure to generate strong ideas and insist every moment meet a high standard, especially ahead of the fifth season in 1993. Seinfeld, co-created with Jerry Seinfeld, ran nine seasons from 1989 to 1998 and won 10 Emmy Awards. Harris said that while reviewing a draft, David told him, "I think we've done too much of this – of me being anxious and worried about coming up with ideas," and that Harris disagreed. An unnamed colleague quoted via The Hollywood Reporter said doing episodes was as painful for David as passing kidney stones. Lloyd Braun told Harris it was agony given high standards and relentless work. Julia Louis-Dreyfus said on a Sept. 1 podcast that creative disagreements came with doing the work well. USA Today said it contacted David's representative for comment. Coverage does not include a response from David.