While most of his talents were confined to behind the camera, Seinfeld showrunner Larry David appeared in several episodes in minor cameos. Seinfeld, which quickly became one of the most popular sitcoms of all time, ran on NBC from 1989 to 1998, following the relationships and daily minutiae of four adult friends in New York City. The show was conceptualized in 1988 by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, with iconic Seinfeld character George Constanza largely being modeled after David and his own experiences.
While better known today for starring as a fictionalized version of himself on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David’s career skyrocketed in the late-‘80s and ‘90s as the co-creator, showrunner, and head writer of Seinfeld. After serving as the sole showrunner for seven seasons, David left the series in 1996 due to fears of the writing quality of his episodes going downhill, though he departed on amicable terms (via The Hollywood Reporter).
David still holds Seinfeld in a positive light in his career, even reuniting the entire main cast for a fake Seinfeld reunion in Curb Your Enthusiasm season 7. While he left the series as the official writer and showrunner ahead of Seinfeld season 8, he did return to write the controversial season 9 finale. Aside from his behind-the-scenes contributions, David notably played many different roles on the series in minor cameos, both off and on-screen. Here’s a breakdown of every Seinfeld episode Larry David appears in and who he plays.
Season 2 Episode 8, “The Heart Attack”
One of the best recurring gags on Seinfeld are the fake movies the main characters go to see, most of which include voice or on-screen cameos by Larry David. In Seinfeld season 2 episode 8, “The Heart Attack,” Jerry is watching a science fiction b-movie on TV until he falls asleep, spending the rest of the episode asking the gang to read what he illegibly wrote down after the film inspired a joke. The movie Jerry is watching in Seinfeld season 2 is called The Flaming Globes of Sigmund, and is shown twice during the episode: once when Jerry falls asleep, and again at the hospital. When watching the movie again, Jerry recalls the joke, realizing it’s not even funny. Each time The Flaming Globes of Sigmund plays in Seinfeld, the character on-screen—dressed in an aluminum space suit and goggles—is played by Larry David, with a pretty rough Austrian accent.
Season 4 Episode 2, “The Trip, Part 2”
In a blink-or-you’ll miss it cameo, Larry David makes an appearance in Seinfeld season 4’s two-part premiere as one of Kramer’s California neighbors. The first few episodes of Seinfeld season 4 take place in California, with George, Jerry, and Kramer finding jobs in Hollywood for various reasons. Seinfeld's zany character Kramer was trying to be an actor, and got into trouble when a woman he met at an audition was found dead with the script he gave her on her body. When the police finally track down Kramer, a scene is made in his new apartment building, with George, Jerry, and plenty of Kramer’s new neighbors crowded around to watch. To the right of the screen when Kramer’s neighbors are shown, Larry David is visibly seen as an unnamed onlooker.
Season 4 Episode 23, “The Pilot”
Later that season, Larry David returns for a more obvious on-screen Seinfeld appearance. The season 4 finale, “The Pilot,” features Jerry and George working on rehearsals for their NBC pilot episode of Jerry while Elaine attempts to rebuff the advances of their new boss, NBC president Russell Dalrymple (Bob Balaban). Elaine tries to ease the blow of rejecting him by saying she can’t date a high-powered man, instead preferring someone selfless like a member of Greenpeace. Russell takes this as a sign and joins Greenpeace, though becomes lost at sea after the team’s failed attempt at attacking a whaling ship. Russell and the cover for Jerry’s pilot script float away at sea while one of Russell’s Greenpeace coworkers yells to him that he’ll find Elaine Benes and tell her about the great work he did on the whaling job. This vocal coworker was played by Curb's Larry David, who went uncredited as “Man on Raft #1.”
Season 6 Episode 4, “The Chinese Woman”
Larry David’s best-remembered appearance on Seinfeld was in the season 6 episode “The Chinese Woman,” in which he briefly portrayed Frank Costanza’s lawyer. Frank’s lawyer was unnamed, but Larry David’s cameo was fairly memorable considering the flashy black cape he wore when meeting Jerry Stiller’s character on the streets of New York City. David’s portrayal was fairly integral to the episode’s plot, as Jerry and Elaine had spotted Frank meeting with the odd character only to later learn it was his lawyer. George then finds out Frank needed the caped lawyer because his parents were getting divorced. At the very end of the episode, Larry David’s lawyer character returns when catching Elaine Benes’ Seinfeld friend Noreen before she jumps off of the Brooklyn Bridge, saving her life.
Season 7 Episode 10, “The Gum”
The final on-screen Larry David Seinfeld cameo occurs in season 7 episode 10, “The Gum.” One storyline of the episode followed George Costanza believing the cashier at Monk’s shortchanged him, knowing he gave her a $20 bill with a pair of lips he doodled on it. At the end of the episode, wearing a Henry VIII costume from the Institute for the Preservation of Motion Picture Costumes and Wardrobes for Kramer, George attempts to buy a pack of gum from a street vendor. The vendor, played by Larry David, rejects his money and says, “I beg your pardon, Your Majesty, but we don’t accept bills with lipstick on the president,” revealing George had the money all along.
Larry David’s Various Voice Cameos On Seinfeld
Aside from his infrequent on-screen cameos, Curb Your Enthusiasm's star was best-known for voicing the recurring character George Steinbrenner. As a real-life figure and concurrent owner of the Yankees, Seinfeld couldn’t really hire someone to fictionally portray him so often on the show while George worked for him. In 14 episodes, Larry David lent his voice to George’s chaotic boss George Steinbrenner, who was only shown from the back of his head. Larry made plenty of other voice appearances throughout the series, including the man who stole Jerry’s car, the original voice of Newman, a prisoner in Seinfeld’s season 9 finale, the man on the beach who asks for a marine biologist, and the announcer of the tennis match George attends.