Before he starred in his own long-running and massively popular series Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David was co-creator on the ground-breaking sitcom Seinfeld. Though David wasn't one of the stars of the show, his unique humor could be felt throughout it. And he did manage to make a few appearances here and there.
David's cameos on the show were never very overt. He would sometimes pop up in a small role or his voice would be heard off-screen. Given how famous he has become on his own show, it's fun to look back at his small appearances. Here are Larry David's cameos on Seinfeld, ranked.
Tennis Announcer (The Lip Reader)
The Season 5 episode "The Lip Reader" finds George attending a tennis match and unwittingly becoming a brief television star. As George is enjoying an ice cream sundae, the television camera catches him making a mess of himself.
David provides the voice of one of the tennis announcers who begins mocking George and his messy eating habits, saying things like "Hey buddy, they got a new invention. It's called a napkin." It's interesting to hear David make fun of a character who is confirmed to be largely based on David himself.
Man On The Beach (The Marine Biologist)
"The Marine Biologist" is one of the funniest episodes of the series with one of the finest payoffs to a joke in any sitcom. And though he is not seen on the screen, David helps to set up the biggest moment.
After running into an old high school friend, Jerry lies and tells her George is a marine biologist to impress her. George goes along with the lie which, of course, comes back to haunt him. While taking a stroll on the beach with his new girlfriend, they come across a beached whale. David is heard off-screen shouting "Is anyone here a marine biologist?"
Shop Vendor (The Gum)
David is such a big star in his own right now, it's strange to see him pop up in such a small and unexpected way in the series. One of the most random cameos he makes is in this Season 7 episode.
George spends the whole episode enraged that he thinks a cashier took his $20 bill that he marked with a red pen. Near the end of the episode, George is buying a pack of gum from a shop and David plays the vendor who refuses to accept the money because it has been marked.
Greenpeace Activist (The Pilot)
Season 4 of the show ventured into the world of meta-comedy as Jerry and George attempt to make a sitcom about their mundane experiences, in other words, they make a show about nothing. They also have to deal with the studio executive Russell who falls in love with Elaine.
After being rejected by Elaine, Russell joins Greenpeace in an effort to impress her. David plays one of his Greenpeace comrades out on the ocean. After Russell falls overboard, David promises to tell Elaine of his heroism.
Prisoner (The Finale)
The series finale of Seinfeld is one of the more controversial ones in television history. Expectations were high for the ending, but many fans were let down by seeing the four main characters sentenced to prison for their various misdeeds.
The last scene of the show finds Jerry performing stand up in prison for a very unenthusiastic crowd. As his set continues to bomb, David can be heard as one of the prisoners threatening to cut Jerry. That's a pretty harsh heckle.
Newman (The Revenge)
One of the most memorable supporting characters on the show is Newman, Kramer's postman friend and the sworn enemy of Jerry. Actor Wayne Knight did a spectacular job in the role, but some fans might not be aware that David actually originated the part.
The first mention of Newman in the series is when Kramer talks about his friend on the next floor who is threatening suicide. David provided the voice of Newman in that episode, but for reruns and DVD releases, Knight rerecorded the lines himself.
Science-Fiction Actor (The Heart Attack)
The Season 2 episode, "The Heart Attack" features another one of David's most random cameos. He appears in some cheesy science-fiction movie that Jerry is watching on television. In the middle of the night, Jerry wakes up, thinking of a joke and writes it down.
In the morning, Jerry can't read his own handwriting and doesn't remember what it was he finds so funny. Then he sees the movie again and hears David screaming "Like flaming globes, Zigmund. Like flaming globes!" Then Jerry realizes that it wasn't funny to begin with.
Car Thief (The Alternate Side)
Though it is not remembered as well as some of David's onscreen appearances, David's role as a car thief on the show is one of his funniest appearances. In this Season 3 episode, Jerry's car is stolen out in front of his apartment.
Jerry calls his car phone and David is the voice of the thief on the other end. He is very matter-of-fact and reasonable about stealing the car. He later calls back to ask Jerry some questions about the car's features and settings.
Frank Costanza's Lawyer (The Chinese Woman)
David made his most memorable onscreen appearance in this Season 6 episode. When Elaine and Jerry are walking down the street, they see Frank Costanza talking to a man in a cape, played by David.
As it turns out, the man is Frank's lawyer who is helping him with his divorce. In a typical bit of Seinfeld mystery, it is never explained why this lawyer chooses to wear a cape like he's a superhero. Though, to be fair, he does end up saving a woman from jumping from a bridge which is pretty heroic.
George Steinbrenner (Various Episodes)
It's quite easy to determine that David's best and most memorable role in Seinfeld is as the voice of George Steinbrenner, the owner of the New York Yankees and George's boss. Only the back of Steinbrenner's head is ever shown, and David's voice is heard.
This proved to be a pretty substantial cameo for him, and David helps to turn Steinbrenner into one of the most unusual and hilarious characters. From his obsession with calzones to his love of hot tubs, he gets some memorable moments.