Larry Charles | From NBC’s “Seinfeld” to “Comedy Samurai: Forty Years of Blood, Guts, and Laughter” | Comedy Samurai

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00:00 Larry Charles joins Story & Craft

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Larry Charles: I had been learning

how to play the harmonica.

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I was even taking lessons.

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And then this, working with Bob

Dylan and I actually gave up the

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harmonica 'cause I felt like an idiot.

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You know, playing harmonica

like with Bob Dylan around.

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It's like ridiculous.

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Announcer: Welcome to Story Craft.

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Now here's your host, Marc Preston.

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Marc Preston: Okay, here we go back again.

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You and I thank you so

much for stopping back by.

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It means a lot to me.

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Hey, if you're brand new

to the show, welcome.

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My name is Marc Preston and, uh, you know,

we've been, uh, out for a couple, three

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weeks or I lost track of just a few weeks.

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Took a little hiatus, spent a

little bit of time with, uh, I

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used to call 'em my little people.

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They're not so little anymore.

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Uh, my, uh, college kids, my youngest

daughter, about to go off to Europe

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to study for the fall semester.

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Also, uh, my son who is uh,

about to wrap up his last.

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Semester of college.

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So, you know, enjoyed spending

some time with them, stirring

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up a little bit of mischief.

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So took a, took a moment to do that

back today with a great episode,

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sitting down with a comedy icon.

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Larry Charles.

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Now, uh, Larry has written,

produced, uh, directed.

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I mean, some, some of the.

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Most notable television shows, uh, movies,

uh, over the last 20, 30 plus years.

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Uh, Seinfeld, curb Your

Enthusiasm, uh, entourage.

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He's worked with Sasha Baron Cohen on

Borat, and, uh, Bruno and the Dictator.

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And, uh, uh, also, uh, Matt, about you.

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Bill Mars documentary, religious,

uh, he's also done, uh, the comedians

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with Billy Crystal and Josh Gad.

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You know, he is just done a lot

and he's documented it in his

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new memoir called Comedy Samurai.

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40 Years of Blood Guts and Laughter.

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Uh, we talk about that.

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Uh, and really it was just very

cool to sit down with a guy

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who has his kind of pedigree.

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He's been there, he's done it, uh,

and he's got stories from the field.

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Do me a favor, if you would just

do a small little favor, grab your

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device, phone, iPad, computer.

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Well, don't grab your computer.

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Well, you get what I'm saying?

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Go ahead and, uh, follow a

story and craft, if you would,

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that way you get notified every

time a new episode comes out.

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Also, leave a review, leave some stars.

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A little bit of love.

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Always appreciated.

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Uh, also if you go to story and

craft pod.com, everything about the

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show, it's right there past guests.

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Reach out, drop me a note.

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Always love hearing from you.

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That's very cool.

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Uh, so it is all right there.

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And, uh, also on the front page you can

see some ways where you can help support

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story and craft some new cool ways to, uh,

kind of be a part of what we got going on.

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Okay, so let's jump

right into it, uh, today.

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It's Larry Charles Day right

here on Story and Craft.

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02:43 Larry Charles' Personal Story

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Larry Charles: Where are

you joining me from today?

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I am in Ventura, California.

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My house in Malibu, uh, burned

down on the fires of January.

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And so we were homeless for a

while and kind of vagabonds,

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Marc Preston: I'm so sorry to hear that.

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02:58 Impact of Losing a Home

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I, I had lost a home, uh, uh,

as a result of a hurricane.

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And I, I know that feeling of

like, okay, uh, what do we do next?

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And, and then you start really

prioritizing, you know, you start

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really realizing how important stuff

is, and you start like, the same

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time you start realizing some things

were more valuable than you thought.

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You know, it's, it's a whole

mental exercise, but that's,

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I'm glad to know you're okay.

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That's the most important

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Larry Charles: thing.

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We're okay.

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Our dogs are okay, but you're

really right about that.

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I mean, things that seem trivial or

frivolous have, or I have been imbued

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with a certain significance over time.

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And when you lose those things,

you start to kind of feel the

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loss of those things as well.

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There's not nothing, almost

everything is replaceable.

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That's important, but there are

things that are irreplaceable

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that are kind of, uh.

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Very poignant losses in our life.

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Marc Preston: For me, it was like, uh,

I didn't lose everything, you know?

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And that's the difference that I fire,

you know, hurricane Janelle, they're

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coming, you know, you know, you can

compare it to a degree, but if you're a

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little bit of a pack rat, uh, I, I wasn't

a pack rat, but there's some stuff I'm

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like, I just don't need that anymore.

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I know why.

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I'm still schlepping it around with me.

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Well, okay, well, mother Nature

took care of that for me,

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Larry Charles: right?

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Well, we had a fire in 2018.

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Not to belabor this point.

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But we had a fire in 2018 and, um, we've

had, we've evacuated a number of times.

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In 2018, we evacuated for like two weeks.

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We couldn't come back.

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And it, when I, when we survived

that fire, I took everything I had

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of like value, like memorabilia

and stuff that I had accumulated,

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and I actually put that in a vault.

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So all that stuff is saved and

I felt very lucky about that.

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But I've accumulated, because I am a

pack rat, I've accumulated a lot of stuff

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from 2018 to the present and most of

that stuff was completely obliterated.

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So, you know, it's a lot.

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Marc Preston: Yeah.

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The thing I'm doing now on my, my

father passed, I ended up, well, I say

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my grandparents passed and my father

passed, and I'm now the recipient of

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Untold Boxes, which reside in one of

my kids' closets of, uh, pictures going

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back to the thirties and, and earlier.

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Yeah.

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And.

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I keep telling myself I need to sit down

and scan all these pictures and then,

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you know, 'cause I always hear about

people say, I lost all these pictures.

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Like, did you, you

didn't scan any of them.

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And which is something our

kids are never will even think

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about 'cause it's all digital.

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Yeah, yeah.

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No, true.

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So are you rebuilding the

same, uh, the same spot or

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are you kind of reconsidering?

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Larry Charles: No, no, I don't

think, I don't think we'll be able

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to go back to Malibu anytime soon.

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We might be able to rent a house there.

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We actually are gonna look at a house

this weekend in Malibu to possibly rent.

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'cause this place in Ventura,

uh, is, is temporary.

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Uh, but we're looking elsewhere also.

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I mean, we've been talking for

years about going north and you

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know, I'm not sure where to go.

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Um, and that's one of the things

that comes in the wake of this

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is like, wow, where should we go?

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We could go anywhere now.

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And we're, so, yeah.

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And, and with all the political craziness

we've even thought about Canada, so

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we're sort of like, you know, we're

exploring our options right now.

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We'll figure something out.

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Marc Preston: By the way,

congratulations on the book.

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There's so much stuff.

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I really wanna sit down and,

and even digest even more of it.

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Uh, but thank you.

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A lot of what you've done is, I was trying

to think of a way earlier to phrase this,

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but it's been, you know, it's kind of like

messages in the world that kind of need

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to get out or contemplations the satire

and, and which we'll get to all that.

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But just in the last 24 hours, it's

just like, okay, there's some really

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unserious people having a lot of

control over our lives right now.

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Yeah.

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Larry Charles: Yeah.

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That's a really great way to put it.

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Um, yeah, it seems like a, we're

in like a science fiction novel.

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And, um, it, it a science fiction satire.

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Um, and it's, it's hard

to know what the truth is.

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It's hard to ground yourself

to know what Well, that's

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their, that's their objective,

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Marc Preston: isn't it?

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Yes.

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To, to, to not even know what truth is.

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Larry Charles: It's working.

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I think we're all kind of unsettled and

unmoored and, um, I think as long as

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we're off balance, they have, um, control.

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Marc Preston: I look at it like this.

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I, uh, remember, uh, going to

Hebrew school and all that as a

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young kid, and I'm, I'm sure you

the whole never forget thing.

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I think there's a certain resonance to

that message and that vibe and, and, and

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that, and that in my ninth grade, uh,

American History books, uh, you know,

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talked about a lot of what was going on.

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Turn of the century,

turn of the last century.

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Right.

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And it, it makes me wonder for

somebody like yourself, is this

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in, is it in a backwards way?

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Is this beneficial?

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Is it inspirational to you to create.

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Something new, a new story, a new

message, a new way to communicate,

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the absurdity of the moment.

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Uh, it, it are weird times

like this inspirational to you

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in any way to create comedy?

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07:34 Comedy in Tragedy

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Larry Charles: Well, I think in a perverse

sense, yes, uh, uh, I can, I can take,

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you know, comedy as somebody once said,

and many people take credit for, the

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quote is tragedy plus time, you know?

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Um, so there's a lot of tragedy, um, and

comedy as I've learned over the years.

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My favorite kind of comedy, the

comedy that I kind of traffic in

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is, uh, um, often like a thin line

between the tragedy and the comedy.

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Finding things that aren't funny and

finding an angle that allows you to, uh,

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find a comic hook for it, an angle that

will make it funny and without, without

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exploiting it, without cheapening it,

uh, respecting it on some level, but also

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finding the humor in it, which is right

there on the surface and people need.

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That outlet also when they're

facing these insurmountable

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Marc Preston: things.

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If not, I think you're gonna get

a, a bottling up sociologically,

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a bottling up of a lot of stuff

that's gonna pop at some point.

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At a very, yeah, yeah.

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You know, you can't forecast that.

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08:37 The Influence of George Carlin

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But like, uh, George Carlin I think

was just a, a master at, just like

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right now, I'm like, if we could almost

like, you know, say a prayer, can we

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get him back just for a few months

just to comment on what's going on?

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Right.

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Because this, he foretold

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Larry Charles: all of this.

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I just heard a new George Carlin

thing that I'd never heard before.

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It's called I kind of, it's an album,

uh, that kind of got suppressed.

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And it's called, I kind of like

it when a lot of people died.

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And, uh, I was like, wow, I can't

believe that's the title of the album.

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And I listened to it and it is the

most extreme George Carlin album.

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It's one of his last

things that he recorded.

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I actually, actually, he

recorded it on nine 10.

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Uh, 2001.

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And that was

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Marc Preston: No kidding.

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How did, how did you rummage this up?

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Because I don't, I remember his last

comedy special or two where I know he

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got some people dinged him because it

seemed like he was a little acidic.

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Yeah.

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But I think it's kind of the culmination

of just, it's almost as if it's his way

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of saying, were y'all not listening to me?

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You know?

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Right, right.

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Uh, like a frustration kind of like that.

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This,

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Larry Charles: this was a, first of

all this, it's really super funny,

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um, but it's also as dark as you

could possibly get, but Carlin is

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such a skilled craftsman that he's

able to find the angle, the hook.

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To talk about mass death in a way that is

undeniably funny and yet still honors the

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horror of it at the same time, you know?

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Yeah.

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Larry Charles: And I heard about it.

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I heard, I was listening to some

interview with, uh, Anthony, Giselle,

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Nick and another comedian, and this

Anthony brought, brought up this,

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this thing, and I'd never heard of it.

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And I immediately went to

iTunes and there it was.

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And, um, uh, uh, well, what was,

what was the name of it again?

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It's called, what was the name of it?

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I like it when a lot of people die.

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It is one of a kind.

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It is one of a kind.

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The good thing about, uh, you wanna

bring back George Carlin, which

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I understand that would be great.

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But the good thing about standup is

that there are always progeny, you know,

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there are progeny of Bruce and of Richard

Pryor and of George Carlin, and there

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are standups today working who are mining

that territory and, and walking that line.

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So there are like sort of the children

of George Carlin are out there.

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Marc Preston: Y you have such

a deep, well, I don't even know

241

11:00 ,120 --> 00:11:01,949

where to kind of kind of fish out.

242

11:01 ,949 --> 00:11:04,709

Like, you know, the good, I mean

there's so much great stuff.

243

11:04 ,709 --> 00:11:07,350

Like right now I'm like, okay,

would be a good time right now for

244

11:07 ,350 --> 00:11:09,390

a re-release of re of Religious.

245

11:09 ,660 --> 00:11:10,380

That would be great.

246

11:10 ,380 --> 00:11:14,219

You know, I just am curious what was

the impetus for you to write the book?

247

11:14 ,219 --> 00:11:17,490

Were you just trying to pull all

these notes and ideas together?

248

11:17 ,490 --> 00:11:20,640

Kind of explain where you're at

besides just telling some stories.

249

11:20 ,640 --> 00:11:22,410

What was the impetus for

putting the book together?

250

11:22 ,439 --> 00:11:25,500

Larry Charles: Well, the original draft

by the way, was a thousand pages long.

251

11:25 ,500 --> 00:11:30,240

So I had been making notes on my

life from the time I was a kid.

252

11:30 ,240 --> 00:11:35,939

I don't know why, but I had always kept,

uh, I have a great memory for some reason

253

11:35 ,939 --> 00:11:41,790

genetically and I have always kept track

of these crazy surreal events in my life,

254

11:41 ,970 --> 00:11:46,680

starting with my childhood, which, which

was the first 500 pages originally of this

255

11:46 ,680 --> 00:11:52,500

book that we really, really, we cut that

and we're gonna make that a separate book.

256

11:52 ,935 --> 00:11:55,725

Um, because they didn't wanna

publish a thousand page book.

257

11:55 ,725 --> 00:12:00,345

It's just not economically really

feasible these days for most, most books.

258

12:00 ,525 --> 00:12:04,485

So, um, I've just been keeping

track of this with the thought of

259

12:04 ,485 --> 00:12:06,675

writing something at some point.

260

12:07 ,035 --> 00:12:10,035

And, you know, it's spilled

over into my professional life.

261

12:10 ,035 --> 00:12:14,205

I've had so many surreal

professional experiences as well.

262

12:14 ,325 --> 00:12:19,155

I'm just somebody who like ha has

weird stuff happen to them and, you

263

12:19 ,155 --> 00:12:21,645

know, and so I kept track of all of it.

264

12:21 ,795 --> 00:12:26,205

And then when the pandemic happened

and I was kind of sitting around, I

265

12:26 ,205 --> 00:12:30,765

thought, well, maybe this is the time I,

I was, you know, hungry to do something

266

12:30 ,915 --> 00:12:34,725

and I was kind of restrained by the

pandemic and I was able to sit in my

267

12:34 ,725 --> 00:12:36,885

house and start working on the book.

268

12:36 ,885 --> 00:12:38,745

And I actually wrote the book on spec.

269

12:39 ,060 --> 00:12:42,689

You know, without thinking about what

I thought, maybe I published it myself.

270

12:42 ,689 --> 00:12:47,040

I didn't know what I was gonna do, and

suddenly I had this thousand page book, I

271

12:47 ,040 --> 00:12:50,670

gave it to my agent, and then, you know,

the rest is what, what you're looking at.

272

12:51 ,089 --> 00:12:52,020

Marc Preston: I think it's wonderful.

273

12:52 ,020 --> 00:12:54,750

I think, you know, to say that you,

you've been a part of things that have

274

12:54 ,750 --> 00:12:56,370

been talked about a lot, you know?

275

12:56 ,370 --> 00:12:56,371

Yeah.

276

12:56 ,610 --> 00:12:59,069

Be it a be it a series that just hit it.

277

12:59 ,099 --> 00:13:01,530

There's certain things I don't

know if could happen today.

278

13:01 ,530 --> 00:13:01,890

I don't know.

279

13:01 ,949 --> 00:13:04,235

I mean, because you have so many

different, like, you know, you're

280

13:04 ,235 --> 00:13:05,760

talking about like Seinfeld, you know?

281

13:05 ,790 --> 00:13:06,030

Yeah.

282

13:06 ,089 --> 00:13:09,780

When you had only three, I guess we had

four networks back then, but you didn't

283

13:09 ,780 --> 00:13:11,430

have streamers and all that, you know?

284

13:11 ,490 --> 00:13:15,540

Um, it, it had me thinking, what

would Larry Charles do today?

285

13:15 ,540 --> 00:13:17,130

You know, what would be different?

286

13:17 ,160 --> 00:13:19,349

Or would there be any kind of

difference in your approach?

287

13:19 ,349 --> 00:13:23,339

Because back then you could have one

show and you could, and it's like that.

288

13:23 ,339 --> 00:13:25,140

Or like shows like er or whatever.

289

13:25 ,140 --> 00:13:25,199

Yeah.

290

13:25 ,199 --> 00:13:27,569

Which had insane audiences.

291

13:27 ,599 --> 00:13:27,660

Yeah.

292

13:27 ,660 --> 00:13:27,839

Really

293

13:28 ,290 --> 00:13:30,209

Larry Charles: pitch tens of

millions of people in those days

294

13:30 ,209 --> 00:13:31,890

when there was only a few choices.

295

13:32 Creating Content in the Digital Age

13:32 ,130 --> 00:13:34,410

I, today, I could tell you I would be.

296

13:35 ,670 --> 00:13:37,230

And, and I have a YouTube channel.

297

13:37 ,230 --> 00:13:40,020

I mean, I would be doing

much more independent stuff.

298

13:40 ,350 --> 00:13:45,360

Uh, I would be sidestepping the

mainstream media most likely and trying

299

13:45 ,360 --> 00:13:50,100

to go directly to the audience through

YouTube or other methods like that.

300

13:50 ,100 --> 00:13:54,090

I think that would be where most

of my work would be at this point.

301

13:54 ,090 --> 00:13:56,880

And that's where most of where

I'd like most of my work to

302

13:56 ,880 --> 00:13:58,530

be going forward, even now.

303

13:58 ,770 --> 00:14:03,330

But I think if I was starting the,

the, uh, the liberation of YouTube

304

14:03 ,330 --> 00:14:07,920

without having to go through the, the

studios and the production executives

305

14:07 ,920 --> 00:14:12,660

and the notes and the filters that

try to, you know, take the edge

306

14:12 ,660 --> 00:14:16,530

off of everything, you could create

something, whatever it is, by the way.

307

14:16 ,680 --> 00:14:21,630

And form is even more, um, you know,

open-ended now than it used to be too.

308

14:21 ,630 --> 00:14:25,260

A sitcom has certain rules, a

variety show has certain rules.

309

14:25 ,380 --> 00:14:26,970

Now there are no rules either.

310

14:26 ,970 --> 00:14:30,930

You create your own set of rules

and if it works and the, the.

311

14:31 ,305 --> 00:14:35,115

The, the parameter for what

something working is, does

312

14:35 ,115 --> 00:14:36,345

an audience respond to it?

313

14:36 ,345 --> 00:14:37,905

Does it resonate with an audience?

314

14:38 ,055 --> 00:14:39,345

You could do that directly.

315

14:39 ,345 --> 00:14:43,605

You put your thing on YouTube and you just

let it out there and see what happens.

316

14:43 ,785 --> 00:14:48,135

That, to me, is a very exciting way

to create, uh, without the middleman.

317

14:48 ,165 --> 00:14:48,255

Mm-hmm.

318

14:48 ,705 --> 00:14:51,735

Larry Charles: And, um, that's definitely

what I would be doing now, and that

319

14:51 ,735 --> 00:14:53,565

is sort of what I am doing now.

320

14:53 ,745 --> 00:14:55,305

Marc Preston: I, I completely

identify with that.

321

14:55 ,305 --> 00:14:56,475

I started off my career.

322

14:56 ,905 --> 00:14:59,875

I think 17 years old

working in radio in Dallas.

323

14:59 ,875 --> 00:15:02,845

And, and I, and I, at a very short

time, I ended up working at a bbc I a

324

15:02 ,845 --> 00:15:04,225

syndicated show and is really great.

325

15:04 ,225 --> 00:15:07,585

And I'm like, you know, that's one

thing I love about this format of

326

15:07 ,585 --> 00:15:11,155

a podcast is it's, it's kind of,

you know, I've done the thing where

327

15:11 ,155 --> 00:15:14,785

you're, you're formatted, you've got

your network clocks, you have to think

328

15:14 ,845 --> 00:15:16,135

about all these other kind of things.

329

15:16 ,135 --> 00:15:18,595

And I'm like, and I'm like,

you know, what do I want to do?

330

15:18 ,595 --> 00:15:21,865

What is, you know, and I'm, I'm, uh, hard

just hardheaded enough to do whatever

331

15:21 ,865 --> 00:15:25,375

the heck I wanna do sometimes, you

know, it's like, this makes sense to me.

332

15:25 ,675 --> 00:15:30,444

Uh, because in the, in traditional radio

format, you had five, maybe you're lucky,

333

15:30 ,444 --> 00:15:33,865

15 minutes to chat with somebody, and

it's usually hyperfocused, you know,

334

15:34 ,194 --> 00:15:35,694

the, the opportunity to speak with you.

335

15:35 ,694 --> 00:15:37,015

I'm like, yeah, this is what I love.

336

15:37 ,015 --> 00:15:39,325

I, you know, be able

to ask other questions.

337

15:39 ,330 --> 00:15:43,285

You know, you know, you talk about the

YouTube idea, is it something, and I

338

15:43 ,285 --> 00:15:46,255

haven't had the opportunity to check it

out yet, but is it something where you're.

339

15:46 ,740 --> 00:15:49,680

Just, is it commentary or

is it, is it, are you doing?

340

15:49 ,680 --> 00:15:49,980

Uh,

341

15:50 ,100 --> 00:15:53,370

Larry Charles: uh, you know, I'm very,

I'm, I'm as, as you might know from my

342

15:53 ,370 --> 00:15:57,060

inability to like, you know, kind of do

all the stuff that, you know, that were

343

15:57 ,060 --> 00:15:59,340

the requirements for the podcast itself.

344

15:59 ,340 --> 00:16:00,450

I'm a technophobe.

345

16:00 ,840 --> 00:16:05,610

I'm really not, um, very good with

the technology of anything really,

346

16:06 ,120 --> 00:16:08,130

uh, like from a toaster on up.

347

16:08 ,460 --> 00:16:09,210

Uh, and mm-hmm.

348

16:09 ,480 --> 00:16:15,240

So, um, what I've done a lot of are these,

um, social or political commentaries

349

16:15 ,240 --> 00:16:20,220

where I'm just using my phone and just

filming myself doing a, you know, a

350

16:20 ,220 --> 00:16:27,090

two to three to 10 to 20 minute essay,

uh, directly into the phone and then

351

16:27 ,090 --> 00:16:29,280

putting that out on social media.

352

16:29 ,460 --> 00:16:35,610

I've also, with my own money and very

small amounts of money, I might add, I've

353

16:35 ,610 --> 00:16:41,010

made like three, uh, documentaries, non,

non, let's call them nonfiction shows.

354

16:41 ,010 --> 00:16:42,450

Not really documentaries.

355

16:42 ,750 --> 00:16:44,235

Uh, one is called Who Killed God.

356

16:44 ,850 --> 00:16:49,140

Which is kind of like a, uh, a

who done it about looking at, I

357

16:49 ,140 --> 00:16:52,500

was looking at the world going,

wow, the world is so messed up.

358

16:52 ,590 --> 00:16:55,620

If there is a God, if there

was a God, where is he?

359

16:55 ,830 --> 00:16:56,370

You know?

360

16:56 ,370 --> 00:17:00,510

And so I had this idea of a,

of a kind of a dateline type

361

17:00 ,510 --> 00:17:02,130

of thing about who killed God.

362

17:02 ,520 --> 00:17:07,440

And, uh, I did a, a, a documentary,

uh, I had written a, a treatment,

363

17:07 ,500 --> 00:17:11,130

uh, for a Smother Brothers

miniseries that didn't sell.

364

17:11 ,250 --> 00:17:16,380

So I took that and I made that into

a documentary of my own for YouTube.

365

17:16 ,410 --> 00:17:21,810

You know, so I've done these things

that are like YouTube centric, you know,

366

17:21 ,810 --> 00:17:25,680

and reaching a certain good audience,

you know, and that's been exciting.

367

17:25 ,950 --> 00:17:30,030

Uh, again, bypassing all the

notes and all the filters that

368

17:30 ,030 --> 00:17:33,270

you usually have to go through to

get that stuff done and doing it.

369

17:33 ,480 --> 00:17:38,460

I'm also committed to trying to do things

on a, as low a budget as I possibly can.

370

17:38 ,460 --> 00:17:40,175

Also, I don't wanna, uh, uh.

371

17:40 ,800 --> 00:17:42,540

Indulge myself.

372

17:42 ,600 --> 00:17:45,870

I don't believe in that kind

of Hollywood indulgence where

373

17:45 ,870 --> 00:17:48,060

movies cost two $50 million.

374

17:48 ,330 --> 00:17:49,830

It seems crazy to me.

375

17:50 ,070 --> 00:17:53,310

So I love the idea of doing

these things like out of pocket.

376

17:53 ,685 --> 00:17:56,385

And being able to reach an audience

and the audience doesn't care

377

17:56 ,385 --> 00:17:57,675

how much it costs, you know?

378

17:57 ,885 --> 00:17:58,095

Marc Preston: Yeah.

379

17:58 ,095 --> 00:18:01,575

Like you had mentioned even, uh, uh, in

your book, just the way you described,

380

18:01 ,575 --> 00:18:06,465

I think the paramount lot the uh, uh,

offices there, you know how unsexy

381

18:06 ,465 --> 00:18:09,975

it was, how gr dingy, you know, it's,

it's not really the money it gets done.

382

18:09 ,975 --> 00:18:12,435

You show up and you just

kind of put yourself into it.

383

18:12 ,435 --> 00:18:14,745

You start creating and

what happens, happens.

384

18:14 ,745 --> 00:18:18,195

And I, and looking at your body of work,

I'm like, and when I talk to guests, it's

385

18:18 ,195 --> 00:18:22,245

like you think of what does it take to

get a movie or a TV show made for, go

386

18:22 ,245 --> 00:18:24,135

from an idea to, okay, it's out there.

387

18:24 ,345 --> 00:18:26,535

It's a miracle sometimes it seems like.

388

18:26 ,565 --> 00:18:28,905

Uh, but now you could literally,

like you say, pick up your phone.

389

18:29 ,265 --> 00:18:31,080

You've put something into

the world, you gotta, yeah.

390

18:31 ,305 --> 00:18:31,515

Yeah.

391

18:31 ,545 --> 00:18:33,765

Um, you know, we were talking

about your wonderful memory.

392

18:33 ,765 --> 00:18:37,305

I have a good friend of mine named

Chris, who, who, who sort of, I think I

393

18:37 ,305 --> 00:18:41,025

have a decent memory for the years gone

by, but he remembers all the minutiae.

394

18:41 ,505 --> 00:18:41,835

That's one.

395

18:41 ,835 --> 00:18:42,645

I love talking to him.

396

18:42 ,645 --> 00:18:46,125

Like, you remember like little things

like what our kindergarten teacher

397

18:46 ,125 --> 00:18:47,595

might have been wearing one day or so.

398

18:47 ,625 --> 00:18:49,605

I don't know how he does it,

but it's, it's a miracle.

399

18:50 Larry Charles' Early Life and Family

18:50 ,055 --> 00:18:52,280

The origin story wise, you know,

going back, you grew up, um.

400

18:53 ,250 --> 00:18:54,630

In, uh, New York, right?

401

18:54 ,630 --> 00:18:56,010

Or where, where exactly did you grow up?

402

18:56 ,010 --> 00:18:57,000

Larry Charles: I grew up in Brooklyn.

403

18:57 ,000 --> 00:19:01,590

I grew up in a section of Brooklyn, um,

called Coney Island, Brighton Beach.

404

19:01 ,590 --> 00:19:04,800

I grew up right in the middle

there in a place, uh, uh,

405

19:04 ,800 --> 00:19:06,960

ironically called Trump Village.

406

19:07 ,320 --> 00:19:11,940

And Trump Village was a housing

project, a seven building housing

407

19:11 ,940 --> 00:19:17,190

project for low income families

built by Donald Trump's father Fred.

408

19:17 ,760 --> 00:19:17,910

Yeah.

409

19:17 ,910 --> 00:19:18,090

Who

410

19:18 ,090 --> 00:19:20,940

Marc Preston: was a Yeah, I'd

seen, yeah, I saw that as I got me.

411

19:20 ,940 --> 00:19:23,850

I wanna, I'm glad you brought that up

because I, I wanted to touch base on that.

412

19:23 ,850 --> 00:19:28,860

'cause you, you have a front row

seat to the, the unfortunate origin

413

19:28 ,860 --> 00:19:30,210

story of where we are right now.

414

19:30 ,420 --> 00:19:33,660

Um, so the, uh, what

were your folks up to?

415

19:33 ,660 --> 00:19:36,630

I mean, what was their, uh, you know,

where were your people from and how

416

19:36 ,630 --> 00:19:39,480

kinda how they kind of get to where,

because it sounds like to me, were

417

19:39 ,480 --> 00:19:42,060

they first generation in the US or,

418

19:42 ,090 --> 00:19:43,980

Larry Charles: yeah, my

father was first generation.

419

19:43 ,980 --> 00:19:46,470

In fact, he was the baby of his family.

420

19:47 ,054 --> 00:19:48,855

And, you know, his parents spoke Yiddish.

421

19:48 ,855 --> 00:19:50,774

They were from Russia and Poland.

422

19:51 ,195 --> 00:19:55,274

Uh, my mother's side of the family had

been here a couple of generations already.

423

19:55 ,514 --> 00:19:59,895

Were much more Americanized, but

both of my parents were extremely

424

19:59 ,895 --> 00:20:04,485

American and also born in that

time, uh, like in the late twenties,

425

20:04 ,485 --> 00:20:08,745

early thirties where they were like

coming of age after World War ii.

426

20:08 ,865 --> 00:20:14,985

My father was in the occupation forces,

um, in World War II in Japan, and he

427

20:14 ,985 --> 00:20:19,455

came out of World War ii and instead

of like, like a lot of people at that

428

20:19 ,455 --> 00:20:24,314

time using the GI Bill to buy a house or

something, he went to, he used it to go

429

20:24 ,314 --> 00:20:26,625

to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

430

20:26 ,774 --> 00:20:29,415

He wanted to be an actor and

he wanted to be a comedian.

431

20:29 ,835 --> 00:20:36,225

And, um, his stage name was sko,

the exotic, neurotic, and tried

432

20:36 ,435 --> 00:20:39,915

to, uh, he tried to break into

show business and really didn't

433

20:39 ,915 --> 00:20:42,794

have the persistence required.

434

20:43 ,185 --> 00:20:48,195

To make it and eventually dropped

out and essentially regretted

435

20:48 ,195 --> 00:20:50,115

that decision his entire life.

436

20:50 ,445 --> 00:20:56,175

Um, and never really found his footing in

life because he was so in love with show

437

20:56 ,175 --> 00:20:59,265

business and, and had kind of a bad, well,

438

20:59 ,505 --> 00:21:00,975

Marc Preston: where do you

think that love came from?

439

21:01 ,125 --> 00:21:06,495

What he was something that he just

loved watching and or was he just a ham?

440

21:06 ,495 --> 00:21:08,655

I mean, where, where did that

love of show business come from?

441

21:08 ,655 --> 00:21:12,285

Larry Charles: He was, he was a ham and

he was on all the time when we were kids.

442

21:12 ,705 --> 00:21:17,955

And, um, he was like, he was basically

our comedian, you know, in my house.

443

21:18 ,105 --> 00:21:23,715

He was doing shtick all the time, and,

uh, he loved movies instead of me, instead

444

21:23 ,715 --> 00:21:28,665

of pushing me to like learn or, you know,

my math or do my homework in science.

445

21:28 ,755 --> 00:21:30,855

He was like, who starred in this movie?

446

21:30 ,855 --> 00:21:33,675

You know, what's, you

know, quote this, you know?

447

21:33 ,675 --> 00:21:37,185

And he was always trying to get

me into the movie trivia and

448

21:37 ,185 --> 00:21:41,475

stuff, which worked because I was

inspired by that to a large degree.

449

21:41 ,480 --> 00:21:44,175

And, and he instilled that dream in me.

450

21:44 ,325 --> 00:21:49,065

And he had a lot of friends from,

um, the American Academy of Dramatic

451

21:49 ,065 --> 00:21:53,355

Arts who didn't wind up being

actors, but stayed in show business.

452

21:53 ,565 --> 00:21:57,015

And we would go visit them

in their various jobs like.

453

21:57 ,360 --> 00:22:01,379

You know, the production manager of

the Ed Sullivan show or you know,

454

22:01 ,409 --> 00:22:05,490

uh, we, the lighting director for the

craft music hall, and he would take me

455

22:05 ,490 --> 00:22:10,169

as a little kid to see the rehearsals

of the Ed Sullivan Show and of craft

456

22:10 ,169 --> 00:22:12,060

music hall and things like that.

457

22:12 ,270 --> 00:22:15,690

And if we saw a celebrity in the street

in Manhattan when we go to a movie,

458

22:15 ,810 --> 00:22:17,970

he would stop and talk to that person.

459

22:18 ,120 --> 00:22:20,129

So I was very exposed.

460

22:20 ,250 --> 00:22:23,580

And also seeing the Ed Sullivan

rehearsals, my father was into the

461

22:23 ,580 --> 00:22:25,710

glitz and the glamor and the star.

462

22:25 ,800 --> 00:22:25,889

Mm-hmm.

463

22:26 ,490 --> 00:22:29,100

But I was like, wow, is

this how you do a TV show?

464

22:29 ,100 --> 00:22:30,810

It's, I found it fascinating.

465

22:31 ,185 --> 00:22:33,735

Like all the, the logistics of a TV show.

466

22:33 ,735 --> 00:22:37,875

And I think that also got planted

in my mind, the behind the scenes.

467

22:38 ,055 --> 00:22:38,175

Well,

468

22:38 ,175 --> 00:22:39,885

Marc Preston: the, it sounds

like he kind of gave you the

469

22:39 ,885 --> 00:22:41,445

idea that this is within reach.

470

22:41 ,505 --> 00:22:44,715

This is not, you know, so far out

there where you could never get to it.

471

22:44 ,925 --> 00:22:45,075

You

472

22:45 ,075 --> 00:22:48,825

Larry Charles: know, yes and no, because

I think he was, he was not at all.

473

22:49 ,065 --> 00:22:52,545

I know this sounds strange based on

what I just said, but he was not at

474

22:52 ,545 --> 00:22:55,695

all encouraging of me to do this.

475

22:55 ,785 --> 00:22:59,775

This was just what he wanted to do, and

he kind of dragged me along with him, and

476

22:59 ,775 --> 00:23:02,835

inadvertently it had a major impact on me.

477

23:03 ,075 --> 00:23:04,005

Marc Preston: What did he end up doing?

478

23:04 ,005 --> 00:23:07,035

What was, was he trying different

things or did he kinda lock

479

23:07 ,035 --> 00:23:08,385

into a different profession?

480

23:08 ,835 --> 00:23:09,585

Through most of his career, he

481

23:09 ,885 --> 00:23:10,785

Larry Charles: drifted quite a bit.

482

23:10 ,785 --> 00:23:12,075

He had little businesses.

483

23:12 ,075 --> 00:23:16,455

He had jobs when he would start to get

successful at something, like he went

484

23:16 ,455 --> 00:23:21,465

and became a, a, a a, an accountant

for a while, and he started, he started

485

23:21 ,465 --> 00:23:25,575

working in hospitals as a controller

and he kinda worked his way up.

486

23:25 ,575 --> 00:23:26,955

He was a smart guy.

487

23:27 ,375 --> 00:23:30,015

And he was a together

person if he wanted to be.

488

23:30 ,225 --> 00:23:33,135

But it never filled that hole.

489

23:33 ,285 --> 00:23:34,305

And he would leave.

490

23:34 ,695 --> 00:23:38,235

And he was, uh, uh, very

unfaithful to my mother.

491

23:38 ,235 --> 00:23:41,205

And he was very self-destructive

in a lot of ways.

492

23:41 ,205 --> 00:23:47,085

So no matter how close he came to finding

something else to fill that hole, he would

493

23:47 ,085 --> 00:23:49,725

also sabotage it in some way, you know?

494

23:49 ,965 --> 00:23:54,345

So he drifted through his entire life

looking for something that he wanted

495

23:54 ,555 --> 00:23:56,625

and never really, really found it.

496

23:56 ,775 --> 00:23:57,045

Was

497

23:57 ,045 --> 00:23:59,505

Marc Preston: your mother a

stay at home mother or was

498

23:59 ,505 --> 00:24:01,155

she, was she working as well?

499

24:01 ,155 --> 00:24:04,155

Larry Charles: My mom was also

like, wanted to be an entertainer.

500

24:04 ,155 --> 00:24:08,265

She was a singer and, um, she made

like a record when she was like

501

24:08 ,265 --> 00:24:12,465

a teenager, you know, but again,

her parents were very discouraging

502

24:12 ,525 --> 00:24:14,895

and, uh, said, this is ridiculous.

503

24:14 ,895 --> 00:24:15,975

You have to get married.

504

24:16 ,365 --> 00:24:21,825

And, um, so she basically was a

housewife most of her life and also,

505

24:22 ,155 --> 00:24:26,265

uh, very unfulfilled until she finally,

my parents finally got divorced.

506

24:26 ,610 --> 00:24:28,080

We moved down to Florida.

507

24:28 ,080 --> 00:24:31,860

She married somebody else that

was an unhappy marriage as well.

508

24:31 ,950 --> 00:24:35,610

And when she, when that husband, the

second husband who was a good guy,

509

24:35 ,820 --> 00:24:39,870

well, when he passed away, that's

when she was able to liberate herself.

510

24:40 ,050 --> 00:24:42,060

They had moved to a condo development.

511

24:42 ,240 --> 00:24:44,310

She became the star of the condo.

512

24:44 ,520 --> 00:24:46,830

She started all the shows.

513

24:47 ,070 --> 00:24:51,000

You know, she did Chicago and all

these shows, and she was the star, and

514

24:51 ,000 --> 00:24:55,470

she was finally able in a way that my

father didn't, she was able to find an

515

24:55 ,470 --> 00:24:58,620

outlet for her creative muse, you know.

516

25:06 ,030 --> 00:25:07,919

Marc Preston: Well, you're

watching both of your parents at,

517

25:08 ,014 --> 00:25:12,330

at different levels of, you know,

inspiration and disappointment.

518

25:12 ,449 --> 00:25:15,090

How did that color you, your decisions?

519

25:15 ,090 --> 00:25:18,090

Because you're at a young age, I

mean, we're so like impressionable and

520

25:18 ,090 --> 00:25:21,120

probably by the time you're in junior

high, high school, you're seeing your

521

25:21 ,120 --> 00:25:24,239

parents a little bit more clear of

eyes and kind of where they're at.

522

25:24 ,840 --> 00:25:27,659

How did that inform what you chose to do?

523

25:28 ,469 --> 00:25:30,360

Larry Charles: Well, I don't,

you know, it's, in a way, it's

524

25:30 ,360 --> 00:25:32,040

like I didn't even have a choice.

525

25:32 ,100 --> 00:25:36,780

I, I knew from a very early age

that I wanted to be involved

526

25:36 ,780 --> 00:25:37,949

in the arts in some way.

527

25:37 ,949 --> 00:25:39,330

I was a cartoonist.

528

25:39 ,629 --> 00:25:42,929

You know, I, I, I didn't know

which, what form it would take.

529

25:43 ,590 --> 00:25:46,950

But I knew that I was attracted

to that world in some way.

530

25:46 ,950 --> 00:25:51,960

You know, it seemed like cartooning

or writing stories was something

531

25:51 ,960 --> 00:25:53,250

that might be attainable.

532

25:53 ,250 --> 00:25:58,110

The idea of show business or, you

know, being on TV shows or making

533

25:58 ,110 --> 00:26:03,060

movies, that seemed like a distant,

unrealistic dream to a large degree.

534

26:03 ,450 --> 00:26:05,670

Um, but I knew I wanted to do something.

535

26:05 ,670 --> 00:26:09,659

I was, I would've been happy, at

least at that time, being a freelance

536

26:09 ,659 --> 00:26:15,149

cartoonist or writing short stories

or that, that kind of world was fine

537

26:15 ,149 --> 00:26:17,490

with me and I was prepared for that.

538

26:17 ,790 --> 00:26:22,800

Um, but inadvertently stumbled

into Los Angeles and, you know,

539

26:22 ,800 --> 00:26:24,659

show business and it worked out.

540

26:24 ,899 --> 00:26:28,170

But I knew that I didn't

wanna wind up like my parents.

541

26:28 ,500 --> 00:26:32,250

Uh, I love my parents, but I

didn't want to wind up with a dream

542

26:32 ,250 --> 00:26:34,620

deferred and look back and go, wow.

543

26:34 ,620 --> 00:26:34,800

I,

544

26:34 ,980 --> 00:26:37,440

Marc Preston: well, Eric,

wonderful cautionary caution,

545

26:37 ,440 --> 00:26:39,420

not a bad, but a cautionary tale.

546

26:39 ,420 --> 00:26:40,920

You saw the result of not.

547

26:41 ,625 --> 00:26:43,274

You know, sticking with it for lack.

548

26:43 ,455 --> 00:26:45,225

I mean, of course they

had responsibilities.

549

26:45 ,225 --> 00:26:48,014

They had, I mean, uh, they had

you, but did you have any brothers

550

26:48 ,014 --> 00:26:49,245

or sisters growing up as well?

551

26:49 ,245 --> 00:26:49,365

Now?

552

26:49 ,370 --> 00:26:49,449

I

553

26:49 ,449 --> 00:26:50,355

Larry Charles: had, I

had a younger brother.

554

26:50 ,355 --> 00:26:51,135

I still have him.

555

26:51 ,135 --> 00:26:52,034

He is still around.

556

26:52 ,095 --> 00:26:54,314

And, uh, it was the two of us.

557

26:54 ,314 --> 00:26:54,675

Yeah.

558

26:54 ,735 --> 00:26:57,495

Um, and that, that was it

though, just the two of us.

559

26:57 ,584 --> 00:26:58,574

What did he end up doing?

560

26:58 ,695 --> 00:26:59,564

Marc Preston: Was he inspired?

561

26:59 ,715 --> 00:27:00,314

Kind of the same way.

562

27:00 ,389 --> 00:27:00,730

My brother,

563

27:00 ,794 --> 00:27:03,885

Larry Charles: my brother, I don't know

how much he's comfortable talking about.

564

27:03 ,945 --> 00:27:11,834

He, he was kind of a lost child because

my father had, um, lost interest in the

565

27:11 ,834 --> 00:27:16,125

family by the time my brother was born,

who's about three years younger than me.

566

27:16 ,605 --> 00:27:21,165

And so by the time I was six or

seven or eight, somewhere around

567

27:21 ,165 --> 00:27:23,235

there, my brother was four or five.

568

27:23 ,625 --> 00:27:27,764

My father was like drifting and he

was, you know, seeing other women

569

27:27 ,764 --> 00:27:30,014

and he just wasn't around anymore.

570

27:30 ,044 --> 00:27:35,475

And he was like very absent for quite

a few years before my parents broke up.

571

27:35 ,715 --> 00:27:38,445

And so my fa, my brother

was very fatherless.

572

27:38 ,850 --> 00:27:45,330

And, um, and he found solace, kind of

like in the kids in Brooklyn and kind

573

27:45 ,330 --> 00:27:49,140

of was like, you know, got into kind

of a, you know, I hesitate to call it

574

27:49 ,140 --> 00:27:54,540

a gang thing, but that's really what

he found a family there, you know?

575

27:54 ,720 --> 00:27:55,260

Mm-hmm.

576

27:55 ,500 --> 00:27:59,610

Um, where I was still, I was like

the kind of the darling of my actual

577

27:59 ,610 --> 00:28:02,190

family, my, uh, my extended family.

578

28:02 ,670 --> 00:28:06,960

My brother was kind of like a,

sort of a outsider in that world.

579

28:06 ,960 --> 00:28:10,560

He wasn't interested in that world

and loved being with his friends.

580

28:10 ,800 --> 00:28:16,410

And so he kind of also drifted for a long

time, got involved in some, you know,

581

28:16 ,740 --> 00:28:22,470

criminal activities, paid the price, um,

even though he was a solid, honorable

582

28:22 ,470 --> 00:28:27,360

person with a family, and eventually,

um, he's found some peace and he's

583

28:27 ,390 --> 00:28:32,340

having a, you know, a, a a, some kind of

contented life at this point, but never.

584

28:32 ,340 --> 00:28:33,510

He also, I think.

585

28:33 ,899 --> 00:28:39,780

Had dreams of something else and didn't

really pursue it and there was nobody

586

28:39 ,780 --> 00:28:42,360

around and I didn't help him really.

587

28:42 ,600 --> 00:28:45,629

But there was nobody around

to sort of encourage him to

588

28:45 ,629 --> 00:28:47,399

go down that path, you know?

589

28:47 ,610 --> 00:28:50,100

Marc Preston: But of course you're young

as well, you know, I mean, we're not, you

590

28:50 ,100 --> 00:28:55,439

know, I doubt you're wired at that, at, at

that age to know how to be able to help.

591

28:55 ,500 --> 00:28:56,610

Larry Charles: Yeah, no, I

592

28:56 ,610 --> 00:28:57,810

Marc Preston: can look back on now and

593

28:57 ,810 --> 00:28:59,220

Larry Charles: see that, but at the time.

594

28:59 ,550 --> 00:29:03,750

I, I was kind of like concerned

with my own pursuit, you know?

595

29:03 ,754 --> 00:29:04,125

Mm-hmm.

596

29:04 ,125 --> 00:29:06,389

And, uh, that's sort

of how that worked out.

597

29:06 ,629 --> 00:29:07,080

Marc Preston: You're great.

598

29:07 ,080 --> 00:29:08,340

God asked this question too.

599

29:08 Jewish Influence in Comedy

29:08 ,340 --> 00:29:11,879

I always, being a Jewish kid, I always

loved bar mitzvahs and weddings and stuff.

600

29:11 ,879 --> 00:29:14,940

When the old guys would get together,

you know, and you would talk, there was

601

29:14 ,940 --> 00:29:18,149

a, there was a different vocabulary,

the way they communicate and their

602

29:18 ,149 --> 00:29:19,649

sense of humor and sensibility.

603

29:19 ,649 --> 00:29:24,480

And it made me wonder, what, what in your

mind is it in the Jewish DNA that, that

604

29:24 ,720 --> 00:29:29,790

so many of our tribe have found their

way into comedy and, you know, the world

605

29:29 ,790 --> 00:29:31,649

that you, you know, have succeeded in?

606

29:31 ,920 --> 00:29:35,070

Well, first of all, do you think there is

something in the, in the water, or is it,

607

29:35 ,250 --> 00:29:36,780

is it kinda like the pizza in New York?

608

29:36 ,780 --> 00:29:38,040

It's like, you know, it's a water Well,

609

29:38 ,040 --> 00:29:40,889

Larry Charles: being a Jewish kid

in Dallas, by the way, I, I knew a

610

29:40 ,889 --> 00:29:45,000

few, uh, family Jewish families in

Dallas, and to me that was like,

611

29:45 ,030 --> 00:29:46,710

that was like an alien experience.

612

29:47 ,100 --> 00:29:49,530

Marc Preston: Our family actually came

up through Galveston, which is kind of

613

29:49 ,620 --> 00:29:53,760

there, you know, there is an interesting

documentary called Shalom Y'all, about how

614

29:53 ,760 --> 00:29:57,420

all these Jews came through like mobile

and New Orleans and Galveston and prison.

615

29:57 ,600 --> 00:29:58,530

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

616

29:58 ,530 --> 00:30:01,110

You know, and I'm still, you know,

he would've made a great governor

617

30:01 ,110 --> 00:30:02,790

compared to knucklehead we have now.

618

30:03 ,090 --> 00:30:03,480

But yeah.

619

30:03 ,480 --> 00:30:07,620

What, what do you think was the, what

do you think is the thing that kind

620

30:07 ,620 --> 00:30:10,020

of precipitated so many Jewish folks?

621

30:10 ,200 --> 00:30:13,050

Was the vaudevillian thing or what,

what do you think it was or is?

622

30:13 ,230 --> 00:30:15,990

Larry Charles: Well, there's a couple

of, uh, I, I've thought about this a lot.

623

30:15 ,990 --> 00:30:20,220

I mean, for one thing, the part part

of Brooklyn that I grew up in also

624

30:20 ,220 --> 00:30:28,050

fostered Larry David, Mel Brooks, Woody

Allen, Lenny Bruce, um, a lot of comedy,

625

30:28 ,500 --> 00:30:32,490

a lot of seminal comedy came out of

just this neighborhood in Brooklyn.

626

30:32 ,670 --> 00:30:37,200

It was kind of like how Kingston

Jamaica was like this little place that

627

30:37 ,200 --> 00:30:39,600

sort of fostered, you know, reggae.

628

30:40 ,080 --> 00:30:43,560

This little tr golden triangle

of comedy in Brooklyn.

629

30:43 ,830 --> 00:30:49,170

What wound up being like this incredibly,

you know, rich breeding ground for comedy?

630

30:49 ,440 --> 00:30:49,800

Why?

631

30:49 ,800 --> 00:30:54,990

That was the reason, in my opinion,

uh, uh, this was a, this was working

632

30:54 ,990 --> 00:31:00,390

class, poor people really to a large

degree, but very Jewish, you know, I

633

31:00 ,390 --> 00:31:04,530

went to like a very religious Hebrew

school, Orthodox Hebrew school.

634

31:04 ,770 --> 00:31:06,000

Um, really?

635

31:06 ,000 --> 00:31:06,300

Yeah.

636

31:06 ,360 --> 00:31:06,480

Okay.

637

31:06 ,480 --> 00:31:10,530

My parents were, were secular,

but my grandparents and my, my,

638

31:10 ,530 --> 00:31:14,130

my larger family was very Jewish.

639

31:14 ,130 --> 00:31:17,910

And the neighborhood you grew up in,

this Brighton Beach, Coney Island

640

31:17 ,910 --> 00:31:19,950

neighborhood was almost complete.

641

31:19 ,950 --> 00:31:21,060

It was like ale.

642

31:21 ,240 --> 00:31:24,090

It was almost completely Jewish, you know?

643

31:24 ,090 --> 00:31:28,140

And so there was no almost

exposure to the outside world.

644

31:28 ,500 --> 00:31:31,950

Uh, and I think the other part of it

that was important is there was this.

645

31:32 ,640 --> 00:31:35,610

You know, there's a

rabbinical quality to this.

646

31:35 ,610 --> 00:31:39,120

I had thought about being a rabbi

at one point when I was a kid.

647

31:39 ,330 --> 00:31:45,360

I think this Talmudic sort of interaction,

the debate that goes on in the Talmud.

648

31:45 ,629 --> 00:31:45,870

Yeah.

649

31:45 ,870 --> 00:31:50,280

You know, where, where people are kind

of giving opinions back and forth.

650

31:50 ,520 --> 00:31:53,820

I always felt that that was kind

of like the basis for almost

651

31:53 ,820 --> 00:31:57,000

like writing and writing comedy.

652

31:57 ,000 --> 00:32:01,290

You know, you're exploring questions

and if you explore those questions,

653

32:01 ,379 --> 00:32:03,870

and some of them are absurd, if

you look at the Talmud, a lot

654

32:03 ,870 --> 00:32:05,190

of those questions are absurd.

655

32:05 ,400 --> 00:32:11,370

I think that humor almost naturally

grew out of this Talmudic exploration.

656

32:11 ,370 --> 00:32:11,850

You know?

657

32:12 ,030 --> 00:32:15,750

And I think that may have

been part of the, um.

658

32:16 ,169 --> 00:32:20,040

You know, part of the DNA of

of Jewish comedy that became

659

32:20 ,040 --> 00:32:22,709

so seminal and so influential.

660

32:22 ,709 --> 00:32:27,030

You know, I think that that was a big part

of it, that, that sort of tradition and

661

32:27 ,030 --> 00:32:33,090

then being in these very, um, you know,

oppressed environments in Eastern Europe.

662

32:33 ,389 --> 00:32:36,840

I think, um, again for survival purposes.

663

32:37 ,020 --> 00:32:40,919

And now you could go to Africa, you

could go to countries in Africa or

664

32:40 ,919 --> 00:32:44,520

the Middle East, and you'll find

people who are oppressed and you'll

665

32:44 ,520 --> 00:32:49,889

see that they have great humor and

oppression is, humor becomes a survival

666

32:49 ,889 --> 00:32:52,439

tool for people who are oppressed.

667

32:52 ,590 --> 00:32:54,750

It's one of the few

things that they could do.

668

32:55 ,035 --> 00:32:58,455

To battle the oppression

that they must live under.

669

32:58 ,455 --> 00:32:58,815

You know?

670

32:58 ,815 --> 00:33:04,185

So I think those factors kind of led

to, in that period of time, a great

671

33:04 ,185 --> 00:33:08,055

flowering of Jewish humor that had

an influence on American culture.

672

33:08 ,415 --> 00:33:10,635

Marc Preston: It's so funny you say

that, that there is a, there is a,

673

33:10 ,965 --> 00:33:15,705

not an, uh, acrimonious argument to,

to the culture, but that's one of

674

33:15 ,705 --> 00:33:19,905

the things I enjoyed just being the,

the older guys being a contrarian.

675

33:19 ,905 --> 00:33:22,035

Because like, it's almost like,

are you just trying to argue?

676

33:22 ,575 --> 00:33:25,635

It's one thing I, I, I found

irritating, but yet I miss now.

677

33:25 ,835 --> 00:33:29,195

You know, uh, uh, I remember, uh, when I

worked at a BC radio network, there was

678

33:29 ,195 --> 00:33:32,435

a fellow who worked there who's Jewish,

and there was a fellow who is a kind of

679

33:32 ,435 --> 00:33:33,905

devout Christian, who's a good friend.

680

33:34 ,054 --> 00:33:35,105

They, everybody, they're all good.

681

33:35 ,195 --> 00:33:35,945

We're all good friends.

682

33:36 ,004 --> 00:33:38,945

And they's, they, but they were

about 20 years my senior, but they

683

33:38 ,945 --> 00:33:41,975

would sit down the arguments they

would get into, and they just, it

684

33:41 ,975 --> 00:33:43,655

would just be funny to listen to.

685

33:43 ,655 --> 00:33:46,355

And I miss being the fly on the wall.

686

33:46 ,685 --> 00:33:46,745

Yeah.

687

33:46 ,745 --> 00:33:48,665

At family events and things like that.

688

33:48 ,665 --> 00:33:51,365

And, and where you heard, you know,

I can hear my grant, just the, the

689

33:51 ,365 --> 00:33:54,665

drier sense of humor, you know, uh,

like for instance, you mentioned Mel

690

33:54 ,665 --> 00:33:58,715

Brooks, and if I was to be able to go

into a time machine and travel, like,

691

33:58 ,745 --> 00:34:02,195

okay, I would love to sit down with him

and Carl Reiner for one of their get

692

34:02 ,195 --> 00:34:04,145

togethers, just, just to listen to them.

693

34:04 ,145 --> 00:34:05,105

What did they talk about?

694

34:05 ,105 --> 00:34:05,855

What did they talk?

695

34:06 ,095 --> 00:34:09,935

Because Carl re reminded me so much of

my grandfather, his humor, it wasn't.

696

34:10 ,305 --> 00:34:10,635

Yuck.

697

34:10 ,635 --> 00:34:10,875

Yuck.

698

34:10 ,875 --> 00:34:13,695

It was kind of this dry,

but it was just hilarious.

699

34:13 ,725 --> 00:34:14,085

You know?

700

34:14 ,085 --> 00:34:14,805

It just landed.

701

34:15 Comedy Inspirations and Influences

34:15 ,045 --> 00:34:19,005

Who are your kind of, your Mount Rushmore

when you were coming up comedy wise?

702

34:19 ,065 --> 00:34:21,885

Uh, well, the people you're looking at,

like they're doing the thing I want to

703

34:21 ,885 --> 00:34:22,005

Larry Charles: do.

704

34:22 ,070 --> 00:34:26,355

The, the person, uh, before I got

turned onto Mel Brooks, mill Brooks

705

34:26 ,355 --> 00:34:30,525

was not like a onscreen personality

for a long time when I was a kid.

706

34:30 ,525 --> 00:34:35,055

He was like, he'd done the producers

and I wasn't really like exposed to the

707

34:35 ,055 --> 00:34:39,705

2000 year old man when I was young, so

I didn't really know too much about him.

708

34:39 ,885 --> 00:34:45,765

The person that was the, not even a

Mount Rushmore, he was all by himself.

709

34:46 ,095 --> 00:34:49,065

At the top of that heap

was Woody Allen for me.

710

34:49 ,425 --> 00:34:49,995

Um mm-hmm.

711

34:50 ,235 --> 00:34:53,625

We shared the same birthday, which

always I thought was a cool thing.

712

34:53 ,775 --> 00:34:57,135

This is all pre controversial Woody Allen.

713

34:57 ,375 --> 00:34:58,305

This is what, right.

714

34:58 ,305 --> 00:34:59,295

The young guy.

715

34:59 ,295 --> 00:35:02,955

And he was, he was the fir, you know, he's

from this neighborhood and here he is,

716

35:02 ,955 --> 00:35:08,535

he's made movies, you know, and I thought,

wow, somebody who actually did this.

717

35:08 ,865 --> 00:35:12,825

Somebody was able to do this, you

know, and I was amazed by that

718

35:13 ,004 --> 00:35:14,805

bananas and take the money and run.

719

35:14 ,955 --> 00:35:19,064

I must have seen them each like a,

a dozen times each, you know, and

720

35:19 ,064 --> 00:35:20,055

Marc Preston: just absorb.

721

35:20 ,145 --> 00:35:24,015

Oh, plus he was the first guy

that had his physical stature,

722

35:24 ,015 --> 00:35:25,365

the way he spoke and all that.

723

35:25 ,575 --> 00:35:28,575

He's the first one that ended

up, you, you know what I mean?

724

35:28 ,575 --> 00:35:28,634

Yeah.

725

35:28 ,634 --> 00:35:32,174

You wouldn't see this, I wanna say

Nehi guy, I wouldn't say that about

726

35:32 ,174 --> 00:35:34,725

him, but he, you know, there wasn't

anybody else like him out there.

727

35:34 ,725 --> 00:35:37,544

So I can see that, that a lot of

people probably saw themselves.

728

35:37 ,544 --> 00:35:39,225

He was original also,

729

35:39 ,225 --> 00:35:42,855

Larry Charles: he started by

writing jokes for other people.

730

35:43 ,154 --> 00:35:45,915

And I thought maybe that's

something I could do.

731

35:46 ,305 --> 00:35:51,435

I could maybe write a joke and give it

to a comedian or give it to a columnist

732

35:51 ,435 --> 00:35:56,384

or whoever I could give it to that might

need it, and maybe I could make money

733

35:56 ,384 --> 00:35:59,294

that way as a freelance comedy writer.

734

35:59 ,504 --> 00:36:05,504

And so he gave me ideas about he,

he gave me a way to sort of ground

735

36:05 ,504 --> 00:36:07,455

my ambition in something real.

736

36:07 ,830 --> 00:36:12,660

You know, then I, I got exposed to, there

was a show on in New York, uh, David

737

36:12 ,660 --> 00:36:17,340

Suskin used to host a show on Sunday

nights, and he did a show about how to

738

36:17 ,340 --> 00:36:23,465

be a Jewish son, and David Steinberg

was on, and Mel Brooks was on that show.

739

36:24 ,270 --> 00:36:28,200

As well as a couple of non show

business guys, but Mel Brooks,

740

36:28 ,890 --> 00:36:32,490

that was my first real exposure

to him, and he was hilarious.

741

36:32 ,700 --> 00:36:36,270

And then I became very addicted

to Mel Brooks, also got into the

742

36:36 ,270 --> 00:36:39,030

2000 year old man very soon after.

743

36:39 ,090 --> 00:36:40,710

You know, I loved the producers.

744

36:40 ,980 --> 00:36:44,160

And then the Blazing Saddles

came along, which was again,

745

36:44 ,400 --> 00:36:44,730

oh yeah,

746

36:44 ,730 --> 00:36:47,580

Larry Charles: that was one, that was one

of those earth shattering moments Also.

747

36:48 ,339 --> 00:36:49,690

Seeing Blazing saddles.

748

36:49 ,810 --> 00:36:55,089

So those two guys, I mean, later on, like

in high school, I got into Lenny Bruce.

749

36:55 ,330 --> 00:36:58,330

You know, he was a, he was too

adult for when I was a kid.

750

36:58 ,450 --> 00:37:02,259

But once I became sophisticated

enough, I got into Lenny Bruce.

751

37:02 ,350 --> 00:37:05,410

And those three really

are like the Mount for me.

752

37:05 ,410 --> 00:37:06,580

The Mount Rushmore

753

37:06 ,790 --> 00:37:07,390

Marc Preston: of comedy.

754

37:07 ,660 --> 00:37:10,779

Well, Lenny Bruce was the first one who

you get, the older you get, you realize

755

37:10 ,779 --> 00:37:14,529

the chances he was taking in the, in the,

uh, middle finger he was extending to Yes.

756

37:15 ,190 --> 00:37:16,509

The way things were done.

757

37:16 ,569 --> 00:37:16,660

Yes.

758

37:16 ,660 --> 00:37:19,600

To, to, you know, really he

was, he was the first man who

759

37:19 ,600 --> 00:37:21,190

landed on that shore, you know?

760

37:21 ,190 --> 00:37:21,399

Yes.

761

37:21 ,730 --> 00:37:24,250

Larry Charles: The fourth

person who doesn't get, um.

762

37:24 ,675 --> 00:37:29,415

As much attention, but my parents

would go up to the Cascos for like

763

37:29 ,415 --> 00:37:31,995

a week, once a year in the summer.

764

37:32 ,265 --> 00:37:36,735

And um, they would have nightclubs and all

the comedians would play the nightclubs.

765

37:36 ,945 --> 00:37:40,365

And the funniest comedian who

had the audience rolling in

766

37:40 ,365 --> 00:37:42,405

the aisles was Jackie Mason.

767

37:42 ,795 --> 00:37:44,205

And Jackie Mason.

768

37:44 ,240 --> 00:37:44,360

I

769

37:44 ,360 --> 00:37:46,485

Marc Preston: was, I was, as

you're saying this, I'm thinking

770

37:46 ,485 --> 00:37:47,685

Jackie Mason in my head, you know?

771

37:47 ,715 --> 00:37:47,925

Yeah.

772

37:47 ,925 --> 00:37:48,285

He

773

37:48 ,285 --> 00:37:49,935

Larry Charles: was, I

would sit in the back.

774

37:50 ,445 --> 00:37:54,255

The, you were allowed to sneak into the

nightclub and watch, and I watched him.

775

37:54 ,255 --> 00:37:59,805

I must have seen him also a dozen

times live like that in the hotels and

776

37:59 ,805 --> 00:38:04,185

what he could do for, to an audience

to get them rolling in the aisle.

777

38:04 ,215 --> 00:38:07,245

It wasn't even that he had

material, he didn't really have

778

38:07 ,245 --> 00:38:09,255

material the way Woody Allen did.

779

38:09 ,375 --> 00:38:10,965

He just had a rhythm.

780

38:11 ,385 --> 00:38:15,795

And like, he would like get you caught

up in his rhythm and people would

781

38:15 ,795 --> 00:38:20,745

start laughing and the laughing came

like in tidal waves after a while

782

38:20 ,925 --> 00:38:23,265

Marc Preston: and it was, it's kinda

like Don Rickles was the same way.

783

38:23 ,265 --> 00:38:23,385

Right.

784

38:23 ,385 --> 00:38:24,255

You know, Don had that.

785

38:24 ,315 --> 00:38:26,235

It was, it was very similar.

786

38:26 ,265 --> 00:38:26,325

Yeah.

787

38:26 ,325 --> 00:38:26,355

I

788

38:26 ,355 --> 00:38:29,115

Larry Charles: loved Don Rickles

also, and I loved Rodney Dangerfield.

789

38:29 ,115 --> 00:38:32,715

I would say that would round out

my youth basically right there.

790

38:32 ,715 --> 00:38:36,165

You know, I mean, I love George

Carlin too, and I loved when Richard

791

38:36 ,165 --> 00:38:40,335

Pryor came of age, uh, with his

concert movies and everything.

792

38:40 ,485 --> 00:38:42,315

Richard Pryor also changed my life.

793

38:42 ,315 --> 00:38:46,155

He came out with a couple of albums

and then the concert movies and that

794

38:46 ,155 --> 00:38:48,525

was yet another step up, you know?

795

38:48 ,525 --> 00:38:52,365

And he was really like, George Carlin

was like a non-Jewish comedian.

796

38:52 ,615 --> 00:38:56,545

So he was drawing on other influences

and Richard Pryor being a black

797

38:56 ,545 --> 00:38:58,525

comedian, was drawing on his influences.

798

38:58 ,705 --> 00:39:01,555

And that expanded my

comedy language as well.

799

39:01 ,825 --> 00:39:01,975

Marc Preston: Yeah.

800

39:02 ,065 --> 00:39:04,525

Richard Pryor, he changed the game.

801

39:04 ,525 --> 00:39:07,075

You know, when he came in it

was a whole different thing.

802

39:07 ,075 --> 00:39:10,225

And I just remember when I was a

kid, Eddie Murphy, you draw the

803

39:10 ,225 --> 00:39:14,545

kind of the daisy chain he connected

to, to uh, to Richard Pryor.

804

39:15 ,325 --> 00:39:17,995

And I just love that one thing when

he said, bill cos Butch, of course

805

39:17 ,995 --> 00:39:20,575

this kind of holds up in its own

way, but he talked about Bill Cosby

806

39:20 ,575 --> 00:39:23,725

and how Bill Cosby called him up so

you can't keep saying these things.

807

39:23 ,785 --> 00:39:23,845

Yeah.

808

39:23 ,845 --> 00:39:26,065

And he called up Richard

Pryor, Richard Pryor.

809

39:26 ,065 --> 00:39:26,755

It's like, fuck him.

810

39:26 ,755 --> 00:39:27,085

You know?

811

39:27 ,085 --> 00:39:29,005

It's like, who are you watching now?

812

39:29 ,005 --> 00:39:31,915

Like who, who is it now that

you think is carrying the torch?

813

39:32 ,005 --> 00:39:36,325

Uh, comedically, uh, even the

writing, even kind of telling stories.

814

39:36 ,505 --> 00:39:37,855

Who, who's out there

right now you're watching?

815

39:37 ,855 --> 00:39:40,735

Larry Charles: Well, both, first of all,

just lemme say both Richard Pryor and

816

39:40 ,735 --> 00:39:43,285

George Carlin continue to have influence.

817

39:43 ,465 --> 00:39:46,165

Even today on standup comedy.

818

39:46 ,165 --> 00:39:47,815

You see their influence.

819

39:48 ,134 --> 00:39:54,225

Those two schools of comedy still are,

you know, being explored that, that they

820

39:54 ,225 --> 00:39:59,174

started really, uh, even though they

have roots themselves that go back, um,

821

39:59 ,384 --> 00:40:02,055

I really like a, I like a lot of standup.

822

40:02 ,055 --> 00:40:08,325

I mean, I don't find too much in

movies or in television that actually

823

40:08 ,325 --> 00:40:12,944

makes me laugh out loud, you know,

but I can watch, you know, uh, bill

824

40:12 ,944 --> 00:40:17,805

Burr or somebody like that and they

will really, really make me laugh.

825

40:17 Exploring Comedy Preferences

40:17 ,805 --> 00:40:21,404

You know, there's a lot of comedians

that I'll just, again, I'll go on

826

40:21 ,404 --> 00:40:27,674

YouTube or TikTok or Instagram and I'll

get turned on to all kinds of comedy.

827

40:28 ,004 --> 00:40:30,765

Uh, and I'm, I have

eclectic taste in comedy.

828

40:30 ,765 --> 00:40:33,285

It doesn't have to be a

certain kind of genre.

829

40:33 ,285 --> 00:40:35,055

I like all kinds of things.

830

40:35 ,265 --> 00:40:40,334

There's a guy named Tim Heider, who, who

does brilliant stuff, very conceptual.

831

40:40 ,334 --> 00:40:43,725

You know, there's Bill Burr who

just kind of is like talking.

832

40:44 ,190 --> 00:40:47,040

From his soul, you

know, and there's just a

833

40:47 ,040 --> 00:40:49,020

Marc Preston: lot of, yeah,

I wouldn't wanna get into it.

834

40:49 ,025 --> 00:40:51,750

The, the other side of a debate

with Bill Burr about something

835

40:51 ,750 --> 00:40:52,920

he's very convicted about.

836

40:52 ,920 --> 00:40:54,690

You know, it is like, he

has strong convictions.

837

40:54 ,720 --> 00:40:56,310

'cause he makes good arguments.

838

40:56 ,370 --> 00:40:59,250

Uh, you know, and I just saw something

the other day, uh, he was on a red

839

40:59 ,250 --> 00:41:02,040

carpet or something and somebody

started talking politics with him.

840

41:02 ,040 --> 00:41:02,880

He's like, why you, I don't watch.

841

41:02 ,885 --> 00:41:03,750

Why, why are you coming to me?

842

41:03 ,750 --> 00:41:04,050

You know?

843

41:04 ,500 --> 00:41:06,060

And he just lays them out.

844

41:06 ,090 --> 00:41:06,510

He, he's a

845

41:06 ,510 --> 00:41:07,530

Larry Charles: great word before.

846

41:07 ,530 --> 00:41:12,570

'cause I think that, that a contrarian,

I think comedy and, and I've

847

41:12 ,570 --> 00:41:13,800

hung out with a lot of comedians.

848

41:13 ,800 --> 00:41:19,470

There's a contrarian quality to comedy

that is part of what sort of jet, you

849

41:19 ,470 --> 00:41:22,470

know, kind of, uh, inspires and motivates.

850

41:22 ,470 --> 00:41:23,490

And as a catalyst.

851

41:23 ,805 --> 00:41:26,984

For a lot of comedy is the

contrarian point of view.

852

41:27 ,285 --> 00:41:30,134

And, and George Carlin really

personified that really well.

853

41:30 ,134 --> 00:41:30,585

I thought,

854

41:30 ,765 --> 00:41:32,654

Marc Preston: you know, it's

only when I got a little older

855

41:32 ,654 --> 00:41:33,615

that I started appreciating.

856

41:33 ,615 --> 00:41:36,464

He wasn't just being at a contrarian

for the sake of being a contrarian.

857

41:36 ,464 --> 00:41:42,045

He, he was more just don't fall into

the, the, uh, propaganda of everything.

858

41:42 ,045 --> 00:41:42,134

Right.

859

41:42 ,134 --> 00:41:44,685

You know, question it, just be

questioning, you know, you may land

860

41:44 ,685 --> 00:41:46,065

at the same place, but question.

861

41:46 ,154 --> 00:41:46,274

Yeah.

862

41:46 ,815 --> 00:41:49,815

Look a little, you know, one of the things

I was curious about is the, you know, the

863

41:49 ,815 --> 00:41:53,475

things that you'd done, uh, like mad about

you when you give birth to something and

864

41:53 ,475 --> 00:41:56,625

you've created it and that's out in the

world and it starts taking on a life of

865

41:56 ,625 --> 00:42:00,734

its own and people start back in the air

when you had four networks and even three.

866

42:01 ,235 --> 00:42:04,565

What's that like for you when you

see a show or Seinfeld or anything

867

42:04 ,565 --> 00:42:06,155

else that just skyrocketed?

868

42:06 ,725 --> 00:42:08,045

Is it humbling?

869

42:08 ,045 --> 00:42:09,545

Is it sort of like, okay, this worked?

870

42:09 ,545 --> 00:42:10,895

Or you think about it mechanically?

871

42:10 ,895 --> 00:42:13,925

What's going on in your mind as you

see something taking off in the moment?

872

42:13 ,925 --> 00:42:16,295

Are you feeling like,

wow, this is awesome?

873

42:16 ,295 --> 00:42:19,475

Are you even, is it only after

the show's off the air and you can

874

42:19 ,505 --> 00:42:22,925

retrospect look back and you can

fully appreciate the impact it had?

875

42:22 ,925 --> 00:42:23,975

What, what's that like for you?

876

42:24 The Pressure of Producing Sitcoms

42:24 ,035 --> 00:42:26,465

Larry Charles: Well, just to,

just to clarify for the record,

877

42:26 ,465 --> 00:42:30,935

I didn't create mad about You or

Seinfeld, but, uh, I was, I was an

878

42:30 ,935 --> 00:42:32,915

important part of both those shows.

879

42:32 ,975 --> 00:42:38,195

I would say that the, the, um, the

experience, it was so hard to produce

880

42:38 ,195 --> 00:42:43,535

a sitcom, um, in terms of logistics

of actually the production itself.

881

42:43 ,830 --> 00:42:46,920

The casting, the editing,

but mostly the writing.

882

42:47 ,130 --> 00:42:50,970

The writing, there was so much

pressure to come up with scripts

883

42:51 ,060 --> 00:42:55,740

that in the moment, even when the

shows became wildly successful, there

884

42:55 ,740 --> 00:42:59,970

was no place to step outside of it

and go, wow, well, look at this.

885

42:59 ,970 --> 00:43:00,720

We're doing great.

886

43:00 ,720 --> 00:43:01,049

You know?

887

43:01 ,170 --> 00:43:01,259

Mm-hmm.

888

43:01 ,500 --> 00:43:03,690

It was like, what's next week's story?

889

43:03 ,990 --> 00:43:05,460

What's next week's script?

890

43:05 ,460 --> 00:43:06,240

What are we gonna do?

891

43:06 ,240 --> 00:43:08,130

We don't have a story for next week.

892

43:08 ,340 --> 00:43:13,470

So the pressure was, was crushing

really for a show like Seinfeld.

893

43:13 ,770 --> 00:43:16,200

I mean, Larry David

wanted to quit every week.

894

43:16 ,515 --> 00:43:20,415

He just did not want to go on because

the pressure was just crushing.

895

43:20 ,775 --> 00:43:22,694

Marc Preston: Uh, and well, when

you say the pressure, is it the

896

43:22 ,694 --> 00:43:26,295

pressure to succeed or is it pressure

from the network or pressure?

897

43:26 ,325 --> 00:43:26,625

No,

898

43:26 ,865 --> 00:43:28,995

Larry Charles: the, an

internal pressure to create,

899

43:29 ,295 --> 00:43:29,444

Marc Preston: uh,

900

43:29 ,444 --> 00:43:30,674

Larry Charles: to come up with the story.

901

43:30 ,674 --> 00:43:34,575

You know, one of the reasons Seinfeld is

great because we put a lot of pressure

902

43:34 ,575 --> 00:43:39,765

on ourselves to come up with great,

funny stories that made us laugh.

903

43:40 ,065 --> 00:43:42,165

And that's not easy to do.

904

43:42 The Evolution of Comedy

43:42 ,165 --> 00:43:45,884

And it goes to your question of

why there isn't a lot more comedy

905

43:45 ,884 --> 00:43:48,645

today that that feels that way.

906

43:48 ,645 --> 00:43:53,115

And that's because the language

of comedy is in flux right now.

907

43:53 ,295 --> 00:43:57,345

Um, all the cancel culture

and the woke culture and those

908

43:57 ,345 --> 00:43:58,634

things have a lot of value.

909

43:59 ,040 --> 00:44:01,649

And they are important, but

what they absolutely have done

910

44:01 ,649 --> 00:44:04,230

is thrown comedy into a flux.

911

44:04 ,440 --> 00:44:10,529

Uh, and so now people are trying to find

their footing and figure out what's funny.

912

44:10 ,529 --> 00:44:12,870

Nobody really knows anymore.

913

44:12 ,990 --> 00:44:16,680

There was kind of a common ground

of what was funny for a long time.

914

44:17 ,190 --> 00:44:17,399

Marc Preston: Yeah.

915

44:17 ,399 --> 00:44:19,319

Blazing Saddles could not get made now.

916

44:19 ,319 --> 00:44:19,529

Right?

917

44:19 ,620 --> 00:44:20,605

There's no way

918

44:21 ,044 --> 00:44:21,720

Larry Charles: right now.

919

44:21 ,720 --> 00:44:25,830

And it's a smaller audience for each

thing, and that's good in a way.

920

44:26 ,009 --> 00:44:29,759

But it means that the language

of comedy is very hard to define.

921

44:29 ,940 --> 00:44:32,910

And it's, it's kind of like we're

coming up with a new language

922

44:33 ,060 --> 00:44:36,029

and it's an evolutionary process

that will take a little time

923

44:36 ,299 --> 00:44:37,140

Marc Preston: for its time.

924

44:37 Behind the Scenes of Entourage

44:37 ,140 --> 00:44:40,890

It was, I, I just, I, I just

enjoyed watching about Entourage.

925

44:40 ,890 --> 00:44:43,980

How, how did that, how did

you get involved in that?

926

44:43 ,980 --> 00:44:47,040

Because that's a little different than

kind of everything else you were doing.

927

44:47 ,100 --> 00:44:47,339

Larry Charles: Yeah.

928

44:47 ,339 --> 00:44:52,230

Although, uh, for me, it connected, um,

you know, uh, Doug and Steve, the two

929

44:52 ,230 --> 00:44:54,210

guys who basically created the show.

930

44:54 ,600 --> 00:44:59,280

Um, we're trying to do, we're trying

to take the, trying to recreate their

931

44:59 ,280 --> 00:45:02,880

experience in Hollywood, which was

like, they were guys from Long Island.

932

45:03 ,120 --> 00:45:04,259

They were buddies.

933

45:04 ,380 --> 00:45:08,220

They eventually, you know, Steve

became friends with Marc Wahlberg.

934

45:08 ,430 --> 00:45:13,380

Marc Wahlberg had this crazy

entourage and, uh, a real people

935

45:13 ,380 --> 00:45:15,930

that the show was based on and right.

936

45:16 ,020 --> 00:45:20,520

They were like regular people thrust

into this world of show business.

937

45:20 ,520 --> 00:45:22,530

It wasn't really about show business.

938

45:22 ,650 --> 00:45:26,790

It was about these friends trying

to navigate a world that they really

939

45:26 ,790 --> 00:45:28,440

didn't know and trying to maintain.

940

45:28 ,680 --> 00:45:30,330

Marc Preston: See that, that's

kind of the way I perceived it

941

45:30 ,330 --> 00:45:31,920

and it kind of grew throughout.

942

45:31 ,950 --> 00:45:34,470

They seemed to get more

ma matured into it.

943

45:34 ,470 --> 00:45:38,190

And if you're a young man in his twenties

in Hollywood at, at that era, I mean

944

45:38 ,465 --> 00:45:40,380

that, that seemed to be kind of real.

945

45:40 ,380 --> 00:45:41,430

That's why I think it connected.

946

45:41 ,430 --> 00:45:42,990

It seemed like it's very plausible.

947

45:42 ,990 --> 00:45:43,530

You know, I think the key

948

45:43 ,830 --> 00:45:47,370

Larry Charles: to all of these things,

as you're saying, is um, this is true

949

45:47 ,370 --> 00:45:49,410

of sci ffel and this true of entourage.

950

45:49 ,785 --> 00:45:50,865

Is honesty.

951

45:50 ,924 --> 00:45:55,035

You know, you could, you could criticize

them, you know, you could say a, a lot

952

45:55 ,035 --> 00:45:56,865

of things about them that are critical.

953

45:56 ,865 --> 00:45:57,855

That would be true.

954

45:58 ,154 --> 00:46:02,295

But the thing that you cannot deny is

that they had a certain level of honesty.

955

46:02 ,505 --> 00:46:02,955

And that

956

46:03 ,345 --> 00:46:03,585

yeah,

957

46:03 ,645 --> 00:46:06,495

Larry Charles: resonates with

an, an audience is looking for

958

46:06 ,495 --> 00:46:08,654

something that's real and honest.

959

46:08 ,745 --> 00:46:13,485

No matter how surreal or crazy or

stylized it is, it's gotta have

960

46:13 ,485 --> 00:46:16,245

some sort of truth to it, you know?

961

46:16 ,395 --> 00:46:19,545

And if that truth cuts through,

the audience gets a chance

962

46:19 ,545 --> 00:46:22,005

to really connect to it.

963

46:22 ,335 --> 00:46:26,775

And that's a, that is a very

hard variable in all these shows.

964

46:26 ,775 --> 00:46:27,975

A lot of shows miss it.

965

46:28 ,275 --> 00:46:30,795

A lot of shows don't

really nail that truth.

966

46:31 ,320 --> 00:46:35,670

Um, even though they might be cool shows

and they never really connect in that

967

46:35 ,670 --> 00:46:40,950

way, but Seinfeld and Entourage, despite

whatever justifiable criticism people

968

46:40 ,950 --> 00:46:45,540

might have of them, they were speaking

truth and that couldn't deny, and,

969

46:46 ,290 --> 00:46:48,420

and that spoke volumes to an audience.

970

46:48 ,420 --> 00:46:51,029

And you can't, you can't change that.

971

46:51 ,029 --> 00:46:55,080

That's really an important connection,

that that is something you strive

972

46:55 ,080 --> 00:46:57,630

for, but you can't really force,

973

46:57 ,720 --> 00:46:58,320

Marc Preston: you know?

974

46:58 ,440 --> 00:46:58,560

Yeah.

975

46:58 ,560 --> 00:47:01,620

I think people have a sense of BS

meter for lack of authenticity.

976

47:01 ,620 --> 00:47:02,820

You know, they, they crave that.

977

47:02 ,820 --> 00:47:06,210

Whether it's something that they

ascribe to or believe in, you know,

978

47:06 ,210 --> 00:47:07,020

it's like, oh, this seems real.

979

47:07 ,020 --> 00:47:07,980

It seems like it can happen.

980

47:07 ,980 --> 00:47:08,190

You know?

981

47:08 ,460 --> 00:47:10,500

I wouldn't do that

necessarily, like Right.

982

47:10 ,650 --> 00:47:12,870

I'm wondering when y'all are crafting.

983

47:13 ,320 --> 00:47:17,640

The idea of a quintessential, like

a, an agent of a, a certain age and

984

47:17 ,640 --> 00:47:21,840

a certain how, how did, uh, uh, Ari

Goldberg, or, or was it Ari Gold?

985

47:21 ,840 --> 00:47:22,680

Ari Gold, right?

986

47:22 ,680 --> 00:47:23,430

That was the character.

987

47:23 ,430 --> 00:47:25,890

But was that something like,

okay, let's create an agent,

988

47:26 ,040 --> 00:47:29,730

Larry Charles: Marc Wahlberg, uh,

and, and Marc Wahlberg's agent, and

989

47:29 ,730 --> 00:47:31,920

my agent was a guy named Ari Emmanuel.

990

47:32 ,280 --> 00:47:34,170

Uh, he was Larry David's agent.

991

47:34 ,230 --> 00:47:40,230

He was the, uh, Uber agent of

Hollywood, especially at that time.

992

47:40 ,620 --> 00:47:46,110

And he was like this kind of force

of nature sort of personality that

993

47:46 ,110 --> 00:47:48,810

was, he was like ferocious, you know?

994

47:48 ,990 --> 00:47:51,750

And if he was on your

side, that was great.

995

47:51 ,750 --> 00:47:56,550

Later on in my life, he was against me

and it was much less comfortable, you

996

47:56 ,550 --> 00:48:02,940

know, but the, that character, Ari Gold,

was initially based on Ari Emmanuel, and

997

48:02 ,940 --> 00:48:05,130

then the brilliant casting of Jeremy Pi.

998

48:06 ,105 --> 00:48:07,665

To embody that role.

999

48:07 ,694 --> 00:48:13,785

He also was a ferocious, intense actor

and he brought that character to life.

1000

48:13 ,904 --> 00:48:18,254

So it's almost like Kramer, there was

a real Kramer, but casting Michael

1001

48:18 ,254 --> 00:48:23,085

Richards' Kramer, that synthesis

is what made Kramer so amazing.

1002

48:23 ,294 --> 00:48:24,884

And the same thing with Ari Gold.

1003

48:24 ,884 --> 00:48:29,504

That was Ari Emanuel, but Jeremy

Vin playing Ari Gold is what

1004

48:29 ,504 --> 00:48:31,154

brought that character to life.

1005

48:31 ,214 --> 00:48:31,365

Yeah.

1006

48:31 ,365 --> 00:48:31,605

Know the

1007

48:31 ,605 --> 00:48:32,685

Marc Preston: idea to hang

1008

48:32 ,685 --> 00:48:36,464

Larry Charles: out with characters

is a big part of what makes TV shows

1009

48:36 ,464 --> 00:48:38,535

successful, or at least used to be.

1010

48:38 ,805 --> 00:48:41,325

I mean, people want, you wanted

to sit in the coffee shop

1011

48:41 ,325 --> 00:48:42,585

with the Seinfeld characters.

1012

48:42 ,794 --> 00:48:45,674

You wanted to go on Adventures

with the Entourage characters.

1013

48:45 ,825 --> 00:48:47,865

You wanted to sit at the bar of Cheers.

1014

48:48 ,075 --> 00:48:52,424

You know, like that was a kind

of a important element in what

1015

48:52 ,424 --> 00:48:53,714

made those shows successful.

1016

48:53 ,714 --> 00:48:55,245

You could see yourself there.

1017

48:55 ,424 --> 00:48:59,565

You wanted to be there, you know,

and that's, that was a kind of a

1018

48:59 ,565 --> 00:49:01,095

great seduction of those shows.

1019

49:01 ,515 --> 00:49:04,755

Marc Preston: You know, one thing that's

I I I've been curious about with Sasha

1020

49:04 ,755 --> 00:49:09,345

Baron Cohen, who just feels fearless,

like to be, you know, the stories I

1021

49:09 ,345 --> 00:49:14,055

hear about the making of these films,

you know, he was legitimately in danger

1022

49:14 ,055 --> 00:49:15,555

it seems like a few times, you know?

1023

49:15 ,615 --> 00:49:19,155

Uh, how did, how did that collaboration

come together, where y'all were, you

1024

49:19 ,155 --> 00:49:23,475

know, clearly there was a story you're

wanting to tell and kind of like put

1025

49:23 ,475 --> 00:49:26,385

a mirror up to culture, if you will.

1026

49:26 ,475 --> 00:49:29,535

Uh, h how did that all come

together, just, you know, generally

1027

49:29 ,535 --> 00:49:31,965

with you and Sasha Baron Cohen,

and the projects y'all worked on?

1028

49:32 Directing Borat

49:32 ,355 --> 00:49:35,925

Larry Charles: Well, that movie

started, um, with a different director.

1029

49:36 ,315 --> 00:49:40,815

Um, there was a, a, a director named

Todd Phillips, very successful director,

1030

49:41 ,295 --> 00:49:45,165

started making that movie and he

and Sasha did not get along and they

1031

49:45 ,165 --> 00:49:48,645

shot for like two weeks or something,

and then they went to separate ways

1032

49:48 ,855 --> 00:49:50,325

and the movie sort of fell apart.

1033

49:50 ,535 --> 00:49:52,575

And I was working on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

1034

49:52 ,575 --> 00:49:55,875

And if you rewind like about

two years before all this.

1035

49:56 ,175 --> 00:49:56,505

Larry.

1036

49:56 ,505 --> 00:50:00,585

David and I used to go quite often

because we worked for HBO, we would

1037

50:00 ,585 --> 00:50:06,675

go to boxing matches that HBO was, uh,

broadcasting and we went to a boxing

1038

50:06 ,675 --> 00:50:12,195

match downtown at the Staples Center

in Los Angeles and we would go into

1039

50:12 ,195 --> 00:50:14,175

the VIP lounge and kind of hang out.

1040

50:14 ,175 --> 00:50:18,465

It was very luxurious and um, it

was a very privileged time for me.

1041

50:18 ,465 --> 00:50:21,615

It was something I haven't

really experienced much since.

1042

50:21 ,915 --> 00:50:28,425

And at that VIP lounge waiting for

the fights to begin, Ari Emanuel was

1043

50:28 ,425 --> 00:50:32,925

there and he had a client, and that

client was Sasha Barron Cone, who

1044

50:32 ,925 --> 00:50:35,310

I knew from his TV show in England.

1045

50:36 ,525 --> 00:50:40,395

Where he did the LEG

and he did war at Bruno.

1046

50:40 ,995 --> 00:50:44,535

So he and I kind of met,

uh, in, in this lounge.

1047

50:44 ,805 --> 00:50:48,405

And we just talked for a while with

no, as you know, no sort of, uh,

1048

50:48 ,615 --> 00:50:50,895

ambitions, no agenda whatsoever.

1049

50:50 ,895 --> 00:50:55,605

We just kind of hung out and

talked and we really liked each

1050

50:55 ,605 --> 00:50:56,925

other and we really hit it off.

1051

50:56 ,925 --> 00:50:58,425

And then we went our separate ways.

1052

50:58 ,545 --> 00:51:02,655

And like two years later I got

a call, uh, asking if I would

1053

51:02 ,655 --> 00:51:05,415

be interested in directing Bora.

1054

51:05 ,715 --> 00:51:11,325

And I came in and um, uh, you know,

I loved Bora, I loved the TV show.

1055

51:11 ,325 --> 00:51:13,275

I loved his sketches on the TV show.

1056

51:13 ,605 --> 00:51:16,845

And so I immediately, and I saw

some of the footage and I thought

1057

51:16 ,845 --> 00:51:20,835

it was amazing and one of a kind,

and I immediately said yes to that.

1058

51:20 ,835 --> 00:51:22,095

And, uh, we started working.

1059

51:22 ,335 --> 00:51:24,015

We almost, we had no prep time.

1060

51:24 ,015 --> 00:51:27,555

In fact, we almost went, went out

almost immediately and started shooting.

1061

51:27 ,795 --> 00:51:31,485

And it was kind of on the job

training for me to figure out

1062

51:31 ,485 --> 00:51:33,945

how to get a great Borat scene.

1063

51:33 ,945 --> 00:51:35,446

But I had a great instinct for it.

1064

51:36 ,030 --> 00:51:36,930

And it worked out,

1065

51:37 ,170 --> 00:51:39,210

Marc Preston: you know,

he is such a talented guy.

1066

51:39 ,210 --> 00:51:40,740

Like the, was it the spy?

1067

51:40 ,740 --> 00:51:45,030

I think the drama about, uh,

the Israeli, the Israeli spy.

1068

51:45 ,030 --> 00:51:45,270

Right.

1069

51:45 ,960 --> 00:51:46,710

I never, with the Egypt.

1070

51:47 ,340 --> 00:51:47,640

Yeah.

1071

51:47 ,670 --> 00:51:50,640

It was, you know, you see him do

it, I'm like, oh, this guy can do

1072

51:50 ,940 --> 00:51:51,955

seemingly everything, you know?

1073

51:51 ,955 --> 00:51:52,155

Yeah.

1074

51:52 ,155 --> 00:51:55,200

But, you know, you've directed, you've

written, you've produced, was there any,

1075

51:55 ,200 --> 00:51:58,290

is there any preference in any vein?

1076

51:58 ,290 --> 00:52:01,320

Like, okay, I, I, I like being in the

director's seat, or, you know, I like

1077

52:01 ,440 --> 00:52:03,660

just kind of saying it, you know,

writing it, putting it out there.

1078

52:03 ,660 --> 00:52:04,830

I mean, what's your preference?

1079

52:04 ,830 --> 00:52:05,670

Or do you have one?

1080

52:05 The Joys and Challenges of Directing

52:05 ,730 --> 00:52:08,880

Larry Charles: Well, directing was

a kind of a, a pipe dream, you know?

1081

52:08 ,880 --> 00:52:11,100

I, it was, seemed like

very unrealistic to me.

1082

52:11 ,100 --> 00:52:15,900

I was embarrassed, like if in Brooklyn

you couldn't say to people, oh, I wanna be

1083

52:15 ,900 --> 00:52:18,300

an actor, or I want to be a, a director.

1084

52:18 ,585 --> 00:52:22,005

You would get beat up, you know,

you would get chased, you would get

1085

52:22 ,005 --> 00:52:25,575

abused, you know, so I'd never told

anybody I wanted to be a director.

1086

52:25 ,815 --> 00:52:30,825

And even once I started having

writing success, I had this hankering,

1087

52:31 ,005 --> 00:52:36,015

this dream to direct and I didn't

know how I still, even, I was in

1088

52:36 ,015 --> 00:52:37,785

show business, I was successful.

1089

52:37 ,905 --> 00:52:42,795

I still couldn't figure out how to make

this transition from writing to directing.

1090

52:43 ,005 --> 00:52:45,315

And at a certain point that

kind around mad about you, I

1091

52:45 ,315 --> 00:52:47,175

kind of gave up on it really.

1092

52:47 ,175 --> 00:52:49,845

And then Larry David did

Curb Your Enthusiasm.

1093

52:49 ,845 --> 00:52:51,555

He started Curb Your Enthusiasm.

1094

52:51 ,825 --> 00:52:56,295

And he said to me, you know, you should

direct one of these just out of the blue.

1095

52:56 ,445 --> 00:52:59,895

He knew from Seinfeld that I was

very into where the cameras were and

1096

53:00 ,165 --> 00:53:04,275

you know, Mo where the actors were,

you know, uh, blocking and stuff.

1097

53:04 ,335 --> 00:53:07,935

So he knew that I had an

innate kind of instinct for it.

1098

53:07 ,935 --> 00:53:09,375

And he said, you should

direct one of these.

1099

53:09 ,375 --> 00:53:10,365

And I said Yes.

1100

53:10 ,605 --> 00:53:11,955

And boom, I was a director.

1101

53:12 ,510 --> 00:53:13,170

And,

1102

53:13 ,200 --> 00:53:14,940

Marc Preston: uh, yeah, that

show had a different field.

1103

53:14 ,940 --> 00:53:17,640

It was mostly, it wasn't, uh, you

didn't have the camera on sticks.

1104

53:17 ,640 --> 00:53:20,670

It was mostly, it was almost

handheld documentary style

1105

53:20 ,670 --> 00:53:21,540

in kind of a way, you know,

1106

53:22 ,020 --> 00:53:25,410

Larry Charles: it was a great way to

start directing because it was, it was

1107

53:25 ,410 --> 00:53:32,430

all instinct and, um, it wasn't about, uh,

crafts as much as it was like discovering

1108

53:32 ,760 --> 00:53:34,860

and finding it and figuring it out.

1109

53:34 ,890 --> 00:53:37,650

It was a lot like Seinfeld in

the sense that there was no

1110

53:37 ,650 --> 00:53:41,460

Seinfeld, you know, there to, to

create the formula for Seinfeld.

1111

53:41 ,460 --> 00:53:44,760

Took a few seasons until

we cracked the code.

1112

53:45 ,030 --> 00:53:46,170

And the same thing with Curb.

1113

53:46 ,170 --> 00:53:50,640

There was no curb, but it evolved

into what became Curb, you know, and

1114

53:50 ,640 --> 00:53:55,200

I was able to be there in the kind of

nascent stages of both of those things.

1115

53:55 ,410 --> 00:53:56,400

And I became a director.

1116

53:56 ,400 --> 00:53:58,035

So I wound up, I love directing.

1117

53:58 ,649 --> 00:54:04,950

But directing is a, uh, a is a, is hard

work in the sense that you have to get

1118

54:04 ,950 --> 00:54:08,580

up in the morning and you have to show

up whether you feel like it or not.

1119

54:08 ,759 --> 00:54:13,379

And you've got to interact with hundreds

of people and you know, you've got to be

1120

54:13 ,379 --> 00:54:17,819

on, and it's a performance as much for

the director as it is for the actors.

1121

54:17 ,940 --> 00:54:22,170

So there's a lot of that kind of

pressure in directing, but it's very

1122

54:22 ,170 --> 00:54:24,089

satisfying, it's very fulfilling.

1123

54:24 ,270 --> 00:54:26,640

It's you, you're leading

this gang of people.

1124

54:26 ,640 --> 00:54:31,020

It's like being the captain in

an army and it's, it's very, very

1125

54:31 ,020 --> 00:54:32,970

satisfying on all these other levels.

1126

54:33 ,840 --> 00:54:34,470

Besides the

1127

54:34 ,740 --> 00:54:35,880

Marc Preston: Yeah, because

you want them to trust.

1128

54:35 ,880 --> 00:54:38,880

Seems like it's a really a,

it it's really an exercise and

1129

54:38 ,880 --> 00:54:40,950

invo evoking trust from someone.

1130

54:40 ,950 --> 00:54:41,100

Yeah.

1131

54:41 ,190 --> 00:54:42,060

You know, they trust you.

1132

54:42 ,060 --> 00:54:42,840

They'll, right.

1133

54:43 ,049 --> 00:54:44,790

You know, 'cause you're asking

'em to do things they may

1134

54:44 ,790 --> 00:54:46,200

not necessarily agree with.

1135

54:46 ,200 --> 00:54:46,440

You have

1136

54:46 ,440 --> 00:54:50,490

Larry Charles: to create a security,

a security blanket for people to do

1137

54:50 ,490 --> 00:54:53,460

things that they wouldn't normally

do, especially in something like Bora.

1138

54:53 ,670 --> 00:54:59,040

But writing where I can stay home, get

up anytime I want, and start writing

1139

54:59 ,040 --> 00:55:01,470

and be by myself and be in my head.

1140

55:01 ,770 --> 00:55:06,569

That is a more, I, I find that

to be a more relaxing experience.

1141

55:07 ,290 --> 00:55:12,060

I'm not putting my life on the line no

matter what I crazy ideas I might have.

1142

55:12 ,360 --> 00:55:17,069

If I'm writing them, I'm safe and

I'm in a kind of a cocoon and an

1143

55:17 ,069 --> 00:55:18,750

environment that I'm very comfortable in.

1144

55:18 ,750 --> 00:55:20,009

Whereas directing.

1145

55:20 ,295 --> 00:55:23,655

You'll find yourself in very,

very precarious positions.

1146

55:23 ,835 --> 00:55:26,505

And you can't, you can't say,

oh, I don't feel like doing it.

1147

55:26 ,745 --> 00:55:27,645

You have to do it.

1148

55:27 ,645 --> 00:55:28,905

So you have to push through.

1149

55:29 ,085 --> 00:55:34,065

So directing has other, um, you know,

it has other, uh, pressures that writing

1150

55:34 ,065 --> 00:55:36,045

doesn't have, but I love them both really.

1151

55:36 ,045 --> 00:55:36,855

I'm lucky.

1152

55:37 ,065 --> 00:55:41,985

I feel totally lucky that I have both of

these sort of, uh, arrows in my quiver.

1153

55:41 ,985 --> 00:55:42,465

You know,

1154

55:49 ,545 --> 00:55:51,015

Marc Preston: before we get

going, I always do what I call

1155

55:51 ,015 --> 00:55:52,575

my seven questions to wrap up.

1156

55:52 ,905 --> 00:55:52,935

Okay.

1157

55:52 ,935 --> 00:55:53,925

A little extra fun.

1158

55:53 ,955 --> 00:55:56,565

And, uh, the first question

I always ask, 'cause I always

1159

55:56 ,565 --> 00:55:58,245

talk about food at least once.

1160

55:58 The Seven Questions

55:58 ,485 --> 00:56:00,495

What is your favorite comfort food?

1161

56:00 ,495 --> 00:56:02,145

That one thing you've had?

1162

56:02 ,205 --> 00:56:03,225

Good day, bad day.

1163

56:03 ,960 --> 00:56:06,031

It doesn't make a difference,

it just kinda lands for you.

1164

56:06 ,055 --> 00:56:10,860

Larry Charles: Well, you know, I would say

that there is, there are deli, um, items

1165

56:10 ,980 --> 00:56:16,260

that, uh, um, go back to my childhood that

still give me, um, that kind of comfort.

1166

56:16 ,320 --> 00:56:20,730

Uh, whether it's chopped liver or

pickled herring or bagel and locks.

1167

56:21 ,210 --> 00:56:24,450

Those are the kind of things

that I, I've always loved.

1168

56:24 ,810 --> 00:56:30,510

Um, I just had white fish salad the

other day and, um, that kind of, that,

1169

56:30 ,515 --> 00:56:34,590

that, the, the sort of association

with those foods really give me

1170

56:34 ,590 --> 00:56:35,910

a tremendous amount of comfort.

1171

56:36 ,090 --> 00:56:38,190

Marc Preston: I, that, that's

what a wonderful way to put it.

1172

56:38 ,190 --> 00:56:40,860

You're association with a food,

it's not just the food itself.

1173

56:40 ,860 --> 00:56:41,910

Yes, it's, it's, yes.

1174

56:42 ,585 --> 00:56:45,105

I can't ha I can't have a

hard kosher salami without

1175

56:45 ,105 --> 00:56:46,005

thinking of my grandparents.

1176

56:46 ,155 --> 00:56:46,395

Exactly.

1177

56:46 ,395 --> 00:56:47,535

And they would hang the salami.

1178

56:47 ,535 --> 00:56:50,865

And my grandmother, I swear, if you

ate the very end of it, you better run

1179

56:50 ,865 --> 00:56:54,060

because my grandmother will find you,

you know, you know, growing up in New

1180

56:54 ,060 --> 00:56:55,365

York, you had all the great stuff there.

1181

56:55 ,365 --> 00:56:57,510

And I'd spoken with Andrew Zimmer

and you know, the, uh, sure.

1182

56:58 ,155 --> 00:56:59,325

You know, food Network and whatnot.

1183

56:59 ,655 --> 00:57:04,545

And we were lamenting over how like

delis are, uh, kind of going by the

1184

57:04 ,545 --> 00:57:06,165

wayside, which really breaks my heart.

1185

57:06 ,390 --> 00:57:06,630

I know.

1186

57:06 ,825 --> 00:57:07,275

I don't know.

1187

57:07 ,365 --> 00:57:07,875

Totally.

1188

57:07 ,875 --> 00:57:10,995

But like in New York, you had

a, um, oh, the big one closed.

1189

57:11 ,145 --> 00:57:11,595

Larry Charles: Yeah.

1190

57:11 ,600 --> 00:57:11,955

A a

1191

57:11 ,955 --> 00:57:14,085

Marc Preston: bunch of them

closed here too, in Los Angeles.

1192

57:14 ,085 --> 00:57:17,835

So, um, but yeah, C Caners is, uh,

I remember I was there, my grand,

1193

57:17 ,835 --> 00:57:21,705

my grandfather actually met my

grandmother at, uh, the Bullocks

1194

57:21 ,705 --> 00:57:24,225

on Wilshire, which was a back Sure.

1195

57:24 ,225 --> 00:57:25,245

It used to be a department store.

1196

57:25 ,245 --> 00:57:26,055

I, I know it well.

1197

57:26 ,115 --> 00:57:29,925

He was traveling and, uh, he was, he

back when department stores buy directly

1198

57:29 ,925 --> 00:57:33,525

from salespeople, but, and they met out

there and then, so he had this little

1199

57:33 ,525 --> 00:57:34,965

connection LA and I was out there.

1200

57:35 ,025 --> 00:57:35,550

I forgot I was.

1201

57:36 ,550 --> 00:57:39,065

I was out seeing my agent or something,

I forgot what I was doing, and

1202

57:39 ,065 --> 00:57:40,265

he said, you gotta go to Cantor.

1203

57:40 ,265 --> 00:57:41,285

I says, Cantor, what's that?

1204

57:41 ,555 --> 00:57:44,615

I show up, I'm like, oh, this

is, this is, this is my place.

1205

57:44 ,615 --> 00:57:46,475

You can go there it the right time of day.

1206

57:46 ,475 --> 00:57:49,265

You can see somebody who can barely

have a couple nickels to rub together.

1207

57:49 ,265 --> 00:57:51,995

And then you have folks

in TV and film, you know.

1208

57:52 ,085 --> 00:57:54,905

So I took my daughter there for the first

time, uh, the last time we were there.

1209

57:54 ,905 --> 00:57:58,235

And I felt, I felt like, okay, now you're

the fourth generation who's been here,

1210

57:58 ,235 --> 00:57:59,585

you know, so I'm glad they're hanging out.

1211

57:59 ,735 --> 00:58:00,485

They're hanging in there.

1212

58:00 ,490 --> 00:58:00,550

Yeah.

1213

58:00 ,550 --> 00:58:00,751

When I

1214

58:00 ,756 --> 00:58:02,975

Larry Charles: first lived in Los

Angeles, when I first came to LA in

1215

58:02 ,975 --> 00:58:05,225

the late seventies, it was 24 hours.

1216

58:05 ,435 --> 00:58:10,055

And when you did the comedy clubs,

that was the place to go after the

1217

58:10 ,055 --> 00:58:13,475

comedy clubs closed like at two

o'clock in the morning, and the music

1218

58:13 ,475 --> 00:58:15,605

clubs would also close at that time.

1219

58:15 ,815 --> 00:58:20,075

So Ken was like packed at two

o'clock in the morning with famous

1220

58:20 ,075 --> 00:58:22,085

musicians and famous comedians.

1221

58:22 ,325 --> 00:58:23,795

'cause it was the place to hang out.

1222

58:23 ,795 --> 00:58:24,275

It was like.

1223

58:24 ,630 --> 00:58:26,910

It was a dream really to

go there at that time.

1224

58:26 ,910 --> 00:58:27,509

I loved it.

1225

58:27 ,600 --> 00:58:30,420

Marc Preston: Oh, they got that mishmash,

which is, you know, I'm, I gotta go say

1226

58:30 ,420 --> 00:58:33,810

the one thing I've got at a, a recipe

I've come up with over the years of, uh,

1227

58:33 ,810 --> 00:58:35,910

matza Ball soup, which I'm quite proud of.

1228

58:36 ,270 --> 00:58:38,069

But when I'm out there, gotta

do that mishmash with this kind,

1229

58:38 ,069 --> 00:58:38,940

I throw everything in the bowl.

1230

58:38 ,940 --> 00:58:40,620

My I and a salami sandwich.

1231

58:40 ,620 --> 00:58:41,790

I'm very basic.

1232

58:41 ,790 --> 00:58:42,299

Very basic.

1233

58:42 ,660 --> 00:58:43,110

That's great.

1234

58:43 ,380 --> 00:58:46,950

But I, I love how you said the

associations, because again, it's not,

1235

58:47 ,190 --> 00:58:50,549

uh, it's not just the way it tastes,

which is great, but it's, it's memories.

1236

58:50 Dream Dinner Guests

58:50 ,549 --> 00:58:53,700

You feel like, you kind of feel the

history and it why, you know, but,

1237

58:53 ,700 --> 00:58:57,210

well, the next question I got for you,

of my seven is, is if you're gonna sit

1238

58:57 ,210 --> 00:59:01,500

down, uh, you're gonna talk story for

a few hours over coffee, let's say at

1239

59:01 ,500 --> 00:59:05,640

Caners, who would the three people be

that you would like to sit down with?

1240

59:06 ,120 --> 00:59:09,779

And it's not just your conversation, but

you get to observe their conversation.

1241

59:09 ,779 --> 00:59:12,450

Who would tho living or not, who

would those three people be you

1242

59:12 ,450 --> 00:59:13,470

would enjoy sitting down with?

1243

59:13 ,740 --> 00:59:15,900

Larry Charles: Well, one would

be the, the name that popped into

1244

59:15 ,900 --> 00:59:17,970

my mind first was Billy Wilder.

1245

59:18 ,450 --> 00:59:23,009

Um, Billy Wilder to me was

the consummate craftsman.

1246

59:23 ,549 --> 00:59:29,880

His stories, his movies, his

screenplays are jewels of craft.

1247

59:29 ,910 --> 00:59:31,860

They're kind of perfect in a way.

1248

59:32 ,339 --> 00:59:34,650

Um, so he would be one person.

1249

59:34 ,980 --> 00:59:39,900

Um, you know, um, I mean, can, can

I say somebody like Shakespeare?

1250

59:39 ,900 --> 00:59:42,540

You know, I'm just curious what yeah.

1251

59:42 ,540 --> 00:59:47,069

What his take would be on, on

writing today, you know, to be

1252

59:47 ,069 --> 00:59:51,420

able to sit with him and find out,

you know, what his craft was, what

1253

59:51 ,420 --> 00:59:54,420

his, his writing habits were even.

1254

59:54 ,810 --> 01:00:00,150

And, um, that, that to me would be an

incredible person to, to include in

1255

1:00:00 ,150 --> 01:00:02,160

that, in that sort of group, you know?

1256

1:00:02 ,700 --> 01:00:07,620

Um, and the third person might be

somebody like Lenny Bruce actually,

1257

1:00:07 ,620 --> 01:00:12,420

because when I was young and I

would like read, I actually read

1258

1:00:12 ,420 --> 01:00:14,549

Lenny Bruce before I even heard him,

1259

1:00:14 ,819 --> 01:00:17,250

Marc Preston: and I was Really,

yeah, because there was a book.

1260

1:00:17 ,370 --> 01:00:19,980

What, what does he, what did

he have like little articles?

1261

1:00:19 ,980 --> 01:00:21,815

He do he have books or He had like, uh,

1262

1:00:21 ,960 --> 01:00:24,990

Larry Charles: he had a book called

The Essential Lenny Bruce, and he had

1263

1:00:24 ,990 --> 01:00:30,180

a book called, uh, how to, um, how

to Top Dirty and Influence People.

1264

1:00:30 ,450 --> 01:00:36,270

He had those two books and um, so

I learned his routines from the

1265

1:00:36 ,270 --> 01:00:40,560

books before I heard the records,

and I was always struck by.

1266

1:00:40 ,950 --> 01:00:42,990

The craft of those things too.

1267

1:00:42 ,990 --> 01:00:47,339

I, I thought, wow, these are like

stream of consciousness sort of

1268

1:00:47 ,339 --> 01:00:54,089

stories that, um, you know, are unique

in the way that they're like jazz,

1269

1:00:54 ,480 --> 01:00:56,670

but with comedy, you know, so he

1270

1:00:56 ,795 --> 01:00:57,480

Marc Preston: Right, right.

1271

1:00:57 ,509 --> 01:01:00,480

He might be, oh, that's what a

wonderful connection, jazz and comedy.

1272

1:01:00 ,480 --> 01:01:05,009

It's, it's freeform with a little bit of a

plan in there, you know, it's, it's, yeah.

1273

1:01:05 ,009 --> 01:01:05,910

That, that would a great con.

1274

1:01:05 ,940 --> 01:01:06,240

Yeah.

1275

1:01:06 ,240 --> 01:01:06,990

I see that.

1276

1:01:07 Religulous and Satirizing Religion

1:01:07 ,410 --> 01:01:11,160

Um, you know, well, as kind of a side

note we mentioned, I forgot to ask

1277

1:01:11 ,160 --> 01:01:15,210

you, uh, how did the religious thing

come together with you and Bill Maher?

1278

1:01:15 ,210 --> 01:01:19,319

Was that something that, did y'all already

have an established relationship where,

1279

1:01:19 ,350 --> 01:01:20,850

you know, this was being discussed?

1280

1:01:21 ,210 --> 01:01:23,759

Uh, or did he kinda like, okay,

we need a director for this thing?

1281

1:01:23 ,880 --> 01:01:27,509

Larry Charles: No, actually it was,

it was interesting because I, we had

1282

1:01:27 ,509 --> 01:01:29,009

totally, we, we didn't know each other.

1283

1:01:29 ,009 --> 01:01:30,630

We had a lot of mutual friends.

1284

1:01:30 ,930 --> 01:01:32,250

But we did not know each other.

1285

1:01:32 ,250 --> 01:01:36,629

And after Bora was done, Fox

wanted us to do a sequel to Borat.

1286

1:01:37 ,350 --> 01:01:40,109

And we sat, we didn't, we

really didn't wanna do it.

1287

1:01:40 ,109 --> 01:01:45,569

And Sasha was absolutely against doing a

sequel, but we had one meeting where the

1288

1:01:45 ,569 --> 01:01:50,339

writers and myself and Sasha talked about

could there be a sequel to this movie?

1289

1:01:50 ,580 --> 01:01:57,089

And at that meeting I suggested that Bora

tries to find a new religion for Kazak.

1290

1:01:58 ,319 --> 01:02:00,149

And the idea was rejected.

1291

1:02:00 ,149 --> 01:02:04,680

But I went off myself and I thought,

wow, there's something about religion.

1292

1:02:04 ,680 --> 01:02:09,810

And I knew because of my knowledge

of movies, I knew all the religious

1293

1:02:09 ,810 --> 01:02:14,339

movies, you know, all the Charlton

Heston stuff, all the King of Kings and

1294

1:02:14 ,339 --> 01:02:18,600

you know, just all the cheesy religious

movies that had been made in Hollywood.

1295

1:02:18 ,750 --> 01:02:23,250

And I was like, wow, I could do some

kind of religious satire and use.

1296

1:02:23 ,640 --> 01:02:27,299

These movies, these pop

culture references, and this

1297

1:02:27 ,299 --> 01:02:28,770

would be like a fun movie.

1298

1:02:28 ,920 --> 01:02:34,049

And I told my agent and he said, we just

were told that Bill Maher wants to do

1299

1:02:34 ,049 --> 01:02:36,029

a movie that's a satire of religion.

1300

1:02:36 ,480 --> 01:02:40,410

So they got us together and we

sat down and Bill had written a

1301

1:02:40 ,410 --> 01:02:42,509

number of essays about religion.

1302

1:02:42 ,600 --> 01:02:46,440

And I had all these ideas about

satirizing religion through

1303

1:02:46 ,440 --> 01:02:48,420

using pop culture references.

1304

1:02:48 ,795 --> 01:02:51,674

And we put that together

and that became the movie.

1305

1:02:52 ,065 --> 01:02:55,485

Marc Preston: I think at the time people

attacked it as being, some people attacked

1306

1:02:55 ,485 --> 01:02:56,895

it as being an attack on religion.

1307

1:02:56 ,895 --> 01:03:00,315

It really, it was just, I think

no religion was left untouched.

1308

1:03:00 ,315 --> 01:03:00,404

Right.

1309

1:03:00 ,404 --> 01:03:01,665

You know, for the most part, you know?

1310

1:03:02 ,055 --> 01:03:02,115

Yeah.

1311

1:03:02 ,115 --> 01:03:04,755

And I always, which I, one of the

things, even being a Jew, I'm like,

1312

1:03:04 ,755 --> 01:03:08,505

you know that thing of, uh, the, what

they call the Shabbas goi, you know,

1313

1:03:08 ,505 --> 01:03:12,705

the, you know, it's like, okay, but

you're the one who decided to have them

1314

1:03:12 ,705 --> 01:03:14,445

do this so you're equally accountable.

1315

1:03:14 ,445 --> 01:03:17,355

You know, like, oh God, where

is, I think you're in Israel.

1316

1:03:17 ,355 --> 01:03:20,355

And he went somewhere and they were

like being elevators or telephones.

1317

1:03:20 ,355 --> 01:03:23,415

And it's like this whole, right, all

these contraption people come up with

1318

1:03:23 ,775 --> 01:03:25,424

Larry Charles: around the chais rules.

1319

1:03:25 ,830 --> 01:03:27,330

That was like, yeah, yeah.

1320

1:03:27 ,330 --> 01:03:27,839

Fascinating.

1321

1:03:27 ,839 --> 01:03:31,799

That It's like, well, why are these,

why do these rules exist if your job,

1322

1:03:31 ,799 --> 01:03:35,040

if you just spend your entire life

trying to figure out ways around it?

1323

1:03:35 ,220 --> 01:03:36,870

And they would say,

well, this is what God.

1324

1:03:36 ,870 --> 01:03:39,810

God wants us to figure

out a way around it.

1325

1:03:39 ,810 --> 01:03:40,020

You know?

1326

1:03:40 ,020 --> 01:03:40,915

So there was all this kind of.

1327

1:03:41 ,335 --> 01:03:46,465

Always this soft sophist logic

to all these different religions.

1328

1:03:46 ,465 --> 01:03:51,445

They all had their own, uh, hypocrisies

and they had their own rationalizations.

1329

1:03:51 ,445 --> 01:03:52,585

You know, it's fascinating.

1330

1:03:52 ,855 --> 01:03:53,095

Marc Preston: Yeah.

1331

1:03:53 ,125 --> 01:03:58,045

That's one of the things that I think

it's, it's so relevant today because

1332

1:03:58 ,045 --> 01:04:02,215

you, you, the way that you know,

and, and again, no, no organized

1333

1:04:02 ,215 --> 01:04:06,085

religion is, is safe from criticism,

but you look at what's going on

1334

1:04:06 ,085 --> 01:04:08,140

today in America, uh, the way that.

1335

1:04:08 ,550 --> 01:04:11,040

And you got a lot of good

friends who are Christian.

1336

1:04:11 ,040 --> 01:04:14,640

Some were very devout Christians,

and, but they don't ascribe to the

1337

1:04:14 ,640 --> 01:04:17,760

stuff you hear about on, you know,

these folks who are like, they were

1338

1:04:17 ,760 --> 01:04:20,190

voting on something in Congress the

other day and everybody's praying.

1339

1:04:20 ,190 --> 01:04:23,790

I'm like, I don't know much about

the, the New Testament, but I know

1340

1:04:23 ,790 --> 01:04:24,900

you're not supposed to do that.

1341

1:04:24 ,900 --> 01:04:27,150

Like, doing it out in the open is not

like, you know, it's supposed to be

1342

1:04:27 ,150 --> 01:04:30,900

a private, now it's being used as a

justification, kind of a gift, like a

1343

1:04:30 ,900 --> 01:04:35,490

wrapping around a more nefarious, you

know, intent, which is, I don't know.

1344

1:04:35 ,490 --> 01:04:38,310

So it's even in, in a way it's,

it, let's just say it holds up now.

1345

1:04:38 ,310 --> 01:04:42,360

I think that, uh, anybody hasn't seen

religious, it's just, I, I wa I can't,

1346

1:04:42 ,540 --> 01:04:43,440

I don't know where it's streaming.

1347

1:04:43 ,440 --> 01:04:44,460

I want my son to see it.

1348

1:04:44 ,460 --> 01:04:45,570

'cause I know he would love watching.

1349

1:04:45 ,570 --> 01:04:46,105

It's, it sounds,

1350

1:04:46 ,105 --> 01:04:48,390

Larry Charles: it sounds somewhere

like Amazon or something like that.

1351

1:04:48 ,390 --> 01:04:48,900

You can find it.

1352

1:04:49 ,140 --> 01:04:49,620

Marc Preston: Isn't that funny?

1353

1:04:49 ,620 --> 01:04:51,390

We live in an area, it's on somewhere.

1354

1:04:52 ,410 --> 01:04:55,260

Like, it's like I, and, and like

this thing, everything I wanna watch

1355

1:04:55 ,260 --> 01:04:56,820

a lot of times is behind a paywall.

1356

1:04:56 ,820 --> 01:04:57,840

So I guess I have good taste.

1357

1:04:57 ,840 --> 01:04:58,145

Right, right, right.

1358

1:04:58 ,290 --> 01:05:01,920

Um, but uh, but the next question

I got for you is if when you were

1359

1:05:01 ,920 --> 01:05:05,010

a young guy, uh, you have a good

memory, so we gotta know who was

1360

1:05:05 ,010 --> 01:05:06,690

your very first celebrity crush?

1361

1:05:08 Celebrity Crushes and Desert Island Picks

1:05:08 ,085 --> 01:05:10,455

Uh, you mean like a woman

that I fell in love with?

1362

1:05:10 ,725 --> 01:05:11,115

Yeah.

1363

1:05:11 ,115 --> 01:05:11,295

Yeah.

1364

1:05:11 ,295 --> 01:05:13,484

Somebody saw like, oh my God, who is this?

1365

1:05:13 ,694 --> 01:05:15,585

This is, well, that's a

really, you know, captivating.

1366

1:05:15 ,674 --> 01:05:18,944

Larry Charles: Um, it might have

been somebody like Mary Tyler Moore,

1367

1:05:18 ,944 --> 01:05:21,464

actually, um, more than a movie star.

1368

1:05:21 ,464 --> 01:05:26,145

I mean, I, I I, you know, I remember

some like it hot and being completely

1369

1:05:26 ,145 --> 01:05:31,845

blown away by Marilyn Monroe in that,

um, that's not the most original answer,

1370

1:05:31 ,845 --> 01:05:33,615

but I think a lot of people were.

1371

1:05:34 ,035 --> 01:05:38,685

Um, but Marilyn Monroe was,

was absolutely, um, singular

1372

1:05:39 ,134 --> 01:05:39,915

in her beauty, right?

1373

1:05:40 ,154 --> 01:05:42,825

I mean, I, I loved all those women.

1374

1:05:42 ,825 --> 01:05:47,085

I loved Rita Hayworth and Jane

Russell, and I love the TV women too.

1375

1:05:47 ,384 --> 01:05:51,345

I mean, uh, you know, Mary Tyler

Moore, even Donna Reed, you know,

1376

1:05:51 ,345 --> 01:05:55,395

it's like, I, I didn't, um, I don't

think I discriminated very much.

1377

1:05:55 ,395 --> 01:05:56,625

I, I really was like.

1378

1:05:57 ,465 --> 01:06:00,705

Interested in all of 'em and, you

know, just, just kind of like turned,

1379

1:06:00 ,855 --> 01:06:02,595

Marc Preston: well, Mary

Tyler Moore had the chutzpah.

1380

1:06:02 ,625 --> 01:06:05,295

She was kind of a dynamo

in the industry as well.

1381

1:06:05 ,295 --> 01:06:05,505

That answer

1382

1:06:06 ,890 --> 01:06:09,885

Larry Charles: had that enthusia and,

you know, she just had a certain,

1383

1:06:10 ,365 --> 01:06:14,445

uh, kind of, uh, way about her

demeanor that was very appealing.

1384

1:06:14 ,745 --> 01:06:15,525

Marc Preston: Well, very good, very good.

1385

1:06:15 ,525 --> 01:06:18,285

Now the next question I got for you,

if you're gonna be forced to live on

1386

1:06:18 ,285 --> 01:06:21,855

an exotic island for a whole year,

alright, it's somewhere you want to be.

1387

1:06:21 ,855 --> 01:06:22,995

It's, it's somewhere very nice.

1388

1:06:23 ,145 --> 01:06:23,175

Okay?

1389

1:06:23 ,445 --> 01:06:24,555

But you don't have streaming.

1390

1:06:24 ,555 --> 01:06:26,895

So you, if you, since you don't

have streaming, you're gonna wanna

1391

1:06:26 ,895 --> 01:06:30,195

listen to music and you're allowed to

bring one CD or let's say a box set,

1392

1:06:30 ,195 --> 01:06:33,225

you can do that too, uh, that you

can listen to over and over again.

1393

1:06:33 ,285 --> 01:06:34,575

And the same thing with a movie.

1394

1:06:34 ,575 --> 01:06:37,335

So you can bring a DVD,

what would that CD be?

1395

1:06:37 ,335 --> 01:06:40,095

Or a box set, and what would that

movie be you'd bring to the island?

1396

1:06:40 ,095 --> 01:06:41,805

Something you could watch

over and over again.

1397

1:06:41 ,805 --> 01:06:43,215

You're just not gonna tire off.

1398

1:06:43 ,275 --> 01:06:45,915

Larry Charles: Well, you know, I was

just thinking this morning, um, I didn't

1399

1:06:45 ,915 --> 01:06:49,815

know you were gonna ask this, but I was

thinking this morning how much I loved,

1400

1:06:50 ,235 --> 01:06:52,305

um, pink Floyd's, wish you were here.

1401

1:06:52 ,785 --> 01:06:56,625

Um, and, uh, particularly

shine on you crazy diamonds.

1402

1:06:57 ,285 --> 01:07:02,384

Um, and I, and that's a, an album that's

now, I don't know, 40 years old or

1403

1:07:02 ,384 --> 01:07:07,485

something, but I, I constantly go back

to it and, um, there's something that

1404

1:07:07 ,485 --> 01:07:09,615

really resonates in that album for me.

1405

1:07:10 ,005 --> 01:07:15,015

And I think if I was, if I had to,

I might choose that album or I would

1406

1:07:15 ,015 --> 01:07:17,235

choose like a Pink Floyd box set.

1407

1:07:17 ,654 --> 01:07:24,825

Um, because their music spans so much

interesting styles and genres and, uh,

1408

1:07:24 ,825 --> 01:07:31,245

periods, um, I always find there's more

to be gotten out of their, their music.

1409

1:07:31 ,575 --> 01:07:36,015

So again, off the top of my head, I

might say Pink Floyd as far as a movie

1410

1:07:36 ,015 --> 01:07:40,095

goes, one movie that is a, a tough one.

1411

1:07:40 ,095 --> 01:07:44,865

But I might choose something like,

um, and this is a weird, might seem

1412

1:07:44 ,865 --> 01:07:49,695

like a weird choice for me, but it's

not is a Weekend by Jean Luca Dart.

1413

1:07:50 ,115 --> 01:07:52,335

Um, it's a French movie.

1414

1:07:52 ,335 --> 01:07:54,075

It's very dense.

1415

1:07:54 ,345 --> 01:07:59,295

It's a kind of movie that you

can't really watch one time and

1416

1:07:59 ,295 --> 01:08:01,635

get everything out of it, you know?

1417

1:08:01 ,635 --> 01:08:04,245

And I think a movie that you're

gonna be stuck on a desert island

1418

1:08:04 ,245 --> 01:08:08,655

with is a movie that has to keep

on revealing itself, um, yeah.

1419

1:08:08 ,655 --> 01:08:09,225

Layers,

1420

1:08:09 ,375 --> 01:08:11,445

Marc Preston: you know, like where

you're kind of seeing different, yeah.

1421

1:08:11 ,445 --> 01:08:11,446

Larry Charles: Yeah.

1422

1:08:11 ,451 --> 01:08:14,985

And so the Weekend was always, has

always been a movie that it's like,

1423

1:08:14 ,985 --> 01:08:20,295

wow, I never, you, I'm, I, every time

I watch it, I see it from a different

1424

1:08:20 ,295 --> 01:08:25,395

angle and I see new things and it's

almost like a painting in a way that

1425

1:08:25 ,395 --> 01:08:27,705

keeps revealing different details to you.

1426

1:08:27 ,765 --> 01:08:28,215

So.

1427

1:08:28 ,545 --> 01:08:28,815

Right.

1428

1:08:28 ,815 --> 01:08:31,520

It might be my two choices, but tomorrow

I might have different, how great is

1429

1:08:31 ,840 --> 01:08:33,194

Marc Preston: I, I, you know,

I've never seen that before.

1430

1:08:33 ,255 --> 01:08:35,115

That's, I, that's one thing

I love about doing this.

1431

1:08:35 ,115 --> 01:08:37,484

I get to discover things

I hadn't heard of before.

1432

1:08:37 ,575 --> 01:08:37,635

Yeah.

1433

1:08:37 ,635 --> 01:08:38,415

Or seen, you know.

1434

1:08:38 ,415 --> 01:08:38,685

Yeah.

1435

1:08:39 ,435 --> 01:08:41,355

If you were to define, uh, next question.

1436

1:08:41 ,355 --> 01:08:43,279

If you were to define from the time

you get up to the time you go to sleep.

1437

1:08:44 ,295 --> 01:08:48,105

All the component or a handful of

component parts of a perfect day for

1438

1:08:48 ,105 --> 01:08:51,675

you, what would that, what would some

of those component parts be like?

1439

1:08:51 ,675 --> 01:08:54,645

Uh, if you had these things

happen in a day is like, this is

1440

1:08:54 ,645 --> 01:08:56,025

a perfect day, what would that be?

1441

1:08:56 ,775 --> 01:08:59,085

Larry Charles: Well, I, I was

just hanging out with my wife and

1442

1:08:59 ,085 --> 01:09:01,305

I really, really adore my wife.

1443

1:09:01 ,755 --> 01:09:07,425

And so any, any perfect day would

involve me hanging out with my wife.

1444

1:09:07 ,815 --> 01:09:08,955

I really like that.

1445

1:09:08 ,955 --> 01:09:12,525

I'd probably feel the

most myself with my wife.

1446

1:09:12 ,675 --> 01:09:17,085

And, um, and so that, that

would be one, you know, absolute

1447

1:09:17 ,085 --> 01:09:18,495

essential component of it.

1448

1:09:18 ,825 --> 01:09:23,655

Um, writing something that, you know,

kind of, uh, stumbling into something

1449

1:09:23 ,655 --> 01:09:26,055

that I was excited about creatively.

1450

1:09:26 ,400 --> 01:09:30,540

In my writing, that would also

be a very important component.

1451

1:09:30 ,660 --> 01:09:34,080

I would say directing, but

you can't really do anything

1452

1:09:34 ,080 --> 01:09:36,000

else if you're directing.

1453

1:09:36 ,330 --> 01:09:36,510

Yeah.

1454

1:09:37 ,260 --> 01:09:39,000

Larry Charles: So, um, I love directing.

1455

1:09:39 ,000 --> 01:09:42,270

If I was to have a day of

directing, that really went well.

1456

1:09:42 ,450 --> 01:09:46,770

That also the end of a day of good

directing where things really worked out,

1457

1:09:46 ,980 --> 01:09:49,320

that's an exhilarating day also, you know?

1458

1:09:49 ,325 --> 01:09:49,545

Mm-hmm.

1459

1:09:49 ,625 --> 01:09:50,760

So those kind of things.

1460

1:09:50 ,760 --> 01:09:54,660

Watching a great movie, you know,

or, and reading a great book,

1461

1:09:54 ,660 --> 01:09:56,310

both of those things are things.

1462

1:09:56 ,925 --> 01:10:01,605

That I, that I pretty much do every

day and, uh, when I have the time.

1463

1:10:01 ,844 --> 01:10:04,365

And those give me great satisfaction also.

1464

1:10:04 ,545 --> 01:10:06,915

So it would be some sort of

combination of those things.

1465

1:10:07 ,184 --> 01:10:08,295

Marc Preston: Now, next question.

1466

1:10:08 ,295 --> 01:10:11,415

If, if you weren't doing this for a

living and somebody said, you know, Larry,

1467

1:10:11 ,415 --> 01:10:14,804

you're not gonna be able to do anything,

you know, writing, directing, anything

1468

1:10:14 ,804 --> 01:10:19,094

like this, you've gotta find another

vocation or something else you could have

1469

1:10:19 ,094 --> 01:10:21,405

done that would bring you joy as well.

1470

1:10:21 ,405 --> 01:10:22,695

What, what, what do you

think that would be?

1471

1:10:23 ,235 --> 01:10:25,455

Larry Charles: Well, I always

regretted not learning how to

1472

1:10:25 ,934 --> 01:10:27,825

play an instrument or read music.

1473

1:10:27 ,884 --> 01:10:32,175

Um, but, so let's take that out of

the equation since I can't do that.

1474

1:10:32 ,175 --> 01:10:35,625

But I think I would choose

drawing actually, like cartooning.

1475

1:10:35 ,985 --> 01:10:40,065

Um, cartooning is something that

I've, I've always been attracted to.

1476

1:10:40 ,275 --> 01:10:42,644

I was very good at it at one time.

1477

1:10:42 ,915 --> 01:10:46,485

I've kind of fallen outta practice

'cause I don't really do it anymore.

1478

1:10:46 ,755 --> 01:10:50,535

But I think if I was, if all those

other avenues were closed off to me,

1479

1:10:50 ,804 --> 01:10:54,315

I think I would go back And again,

drawing like writing is something

1480

1:10:54 ,315 --> 01:10:56,235

I could do sitting here at my desk.

1481

1:10:56 ,625 --> 01:11:01,304

So I, and I love that idea, you know,

that I can be as creative as I want.

1482

1:11:01 ,514 --> 01:11:06,764

I could be in any world that I want

inside my head and put it down on paper.

1483

1:11:06 ,945 --> 01:11:09,945

I think cartooning would be the,

uh, the creative outlet for me.

1484

1:11:10 ,155 --> 01:11:12,195

Marc Preston: The thing about the

instrument, I, I'm the same way, you

1485

1:11:12 ,195 --> 01:11:14,535

know, but of course you have like,

you've had the opportunity, like you

1486

1:11:14 ,565 --> 01:11:15,884

spent time with Bob Dylan, you know?

1487

1:11:15 ,974 --> 01:11:16,094

Yeah.

1488

1:11:16 ,455 --> 01:11:17,955

I would be inspired at the same time.

1489

1:11:17 ,955 --> 01:11:19,245

They'd be like, yeah, I can't do that.

1490

1:11:19 ,394 --> 01:11:20,985

You know, there's no way.

1491

1:11:20 ,985 --> 01:11:22,964

So you, you could, that's your thing.

1492

1:11:22 ,964 --> 01:11:24,644

I know I'm not gonna get to that level.

1493

1:11:24 ,690 --> 01:11:25,275

Right, right.

1494

1:11:25 ,514 --> 01:11:27,195

Larry Charles: I had been learning

how to play the harmonica.

1495

1:11:27 ,195 --> 01:11:28,695

I was even taking lessons.

1496

1:11:28 ,964 --> 01:11:33,585

And then this up, working with Bob

Dylan and I actually gave up the

1497

1:11:33 ,585 --> 01:11:35,415

harmonica 'cause I felt like an idiot.

1498

1:11:36 ,210 --> 01:11:39,690

You know, playing harmonica

at le like with Bob Dylan

1499

1:11:39 ,690 --> 01:11:41,100

around, it's like ridiculous.

1500

1:11:41 ,100 --> 01:11:43,710

It's like he's the greatest

harmonica player of all time.

1501

1:11:43 ,920 --> 01:11:45,780

Marc Preston: So I act, you see

a guy like that and he's got

1502

1:11:45 ,780 --> 01:11:46,950

the guitar and the harmonica.

1503

1:11:46 ,950 --> 01:11:47,790

I'm like, what's going on?

1504

1:11:47 ,790 --> 01:11:49,050

How does this, how is this possible?

1505

1:11:49 ,050 --> 01:11:51,360

I just wa it was the, uh,

the, uh, a complete unknown

1506

1:11:51 ,360 --> 01:11:52,020

watch that I'm like, yeah.

1507

1:11:52 ,050 --> 01:11:53,340

Which I think is just so wonderful.

1508

1:11:53 ,430 --> 01:11:53,520

Yeah.

1509

1:11:53 ,850 --> 01:11:59,670

I think to be a musician, you have

to almost be so deep into it to

1510

1:11:59 ,760 --> 01:12:00,810

really, you know, I don't know.

1511

1:12:01 ,260 --> 01:12:04,530

I don't know if I'd have necessarily

the, uh, patient, I, I, I'm too

1512

1:12:04 ,530 --> 01:12:06,630

impatient, I think, to be a musician.

1513

1:12:07 ,110 --> 01:12:07,560

Me too.

1514

1:12:07 ,860 --> 01:12:08,400

Um, that's

1515

1:12:08 ,400 --> 01:12:08,880

Larry Charles: my problem.

1516

1:12:09 ,150 --> 01:12:10,470

Marc Preston: Now, the last

question I got for you.

1517

1:12:10 Advice to My Younger Self

1:12:10 ,470 --> 01:12:13,290

If you were to jump into that

DeLorean, and you can go back to

1518

1:12:13 ,290 --> 01:12:16,320

when you were 16 years old, you

have a piece of advice for yourself.

1519

1:12:16 ,320 --> 01:12:19,470

You got a few minutes to offer a piece

of advice, either to make that moment

1520

1:12:19 ,470 --> 01:12:22,620

a little bit better or maybe put

yourself on a little different track.

1521

1:12:22 ,620 --> 01:12:26,160

What would that piece of advice

be, uh, to 16-year-old you?

1522

1:12:26 ,970 --> 01:12:30,090

Larry Charles: Well, I, I

would say trust your instincts.

1523

1:12:30 ,240 --> 01:12:34,230

Don't, um, you know, have

doubts, have uncertainty.

1524

1:12:34 ,575 --> 01:12:38,985

But, but become comfortable with those

doubts and uncertainty because if

1525

1:12:38 ,985 --> 01:12:43,515

you can navigate your doubts and your

uncertainty and trust your instinct,

1526

1:12:43 ,845 --> 01:12:46,065

you'll get to a place that is fulfilling.

1527

1:12:46 ,665 --> 01:12:49,395

Um, you know, Joseph Campbell

used talking about following your

1528

1:12:49 ,395 --> 01:12:53,475

bliss, you know, and I don't think

there's any substitute for that.

1529

1:12:53 ,805 --> 01:12:58,155

I think that you have, but when you're

a teenager, you're, you're all over the

1530

1:12:58 ,155 --> 01:13:00,405

place for a million different reasons.

1531

1:13:00 ,765 --> 01:13:06,825

And what I would suggest to the

16-year-old me was relax, you know, get

1532

1:13:06 ,825 --> 01:13:09,375

into yourself, think about your mind.

1533

1:13:09 ,765 --> 01:13:15,255

You know, don't be scared of the

future, you know, be trusting

1534

1:13:15 ,255 --> 01:13:18,345

of your own instincts and

you'll get where you have to go.

1535

1:13:18 ,525 --> 01:13:22,815

It may not be where you think you wanna go

even, but you'll get where you have to go.

1536

1:13:22 ,815 --> 01:13:23,055

Mm-hmm.

1537

1:13:23 ,210 --> 01:13:25,485

Marc Preston: Which kinda reminds

me of that phrase, man plans.

1538

1:13:25 ,485 --> 01:13:26,685

God laughs, you know?

1539

1:13:26 ,985 --> 01:13:30,375

But, um, but that kinda brings it back

to your father, you know, because,

1540

1:13:30 ,615 --> 01:13:34,245

you know, he didn't necessarily

go that direction and that.

1541

1:13:34 ,615 --> 01:13:36,625

There was some regret there

from what you told me.

1542

1:13:37 ,585 --> 01:13:41,515

Um, but I, but I think you, you went

a pretty good direction, you know,

1543

1:13:41 ,515 --> 01:13:44,755

I think, I think you, you know,

and I, and I'm, I can't wait to, to

1544

1:13:44 ,755 --> 01:13:46,645

get really further into your book.

1545

1:13:46 ,750 --> 01:13:48,145

I, I really have enjoyed it.

1546

1:13:48 ,145 --> 01:13:51,475

I like your writing style is,

is just, it's an easy read.

1547

1:13:51 ,475 --> 01:13:52,195

I will say that.

1548

1:13:52 ,195 --> 01:13:55,135

And I, I'm so looking forward

to it, and it's a jewel box

1549

1:13:55 ,135 --> 01:13:56,575

of a lot of wonderful stories.

1550

1:13:56 ,575 --> 01:13:59,995

And I, I think that's, uh,

it's, it's a, it's its own gift.

1551

1:13:59 ,995 --> 01:14:05,155

And I think it's a, especially having

watched all of these shows, and I think

1552

1:14:05 ,155 --> 01:14:08,430

there was a, not a, I don't wanna call

it a golden era, but there was, and,

1553

1:14:08 ,695 --> 01:14:13,705

and let's say the nineties TV was, a

lot of things were becoming possible.

1554

1:14:13 ,705 --> 01:14:15,985

And you were right there and you're

doing a lot of amazing stuff.

1555

1:14:15 ,985 --> 01:14:19,550

And I, and I'm, I'm so fortunate to

do, and I really do appreciate the,

1556

1:14:19 ,585 --> 01:14:23,935

the opportunity to just sit down

and, uh, uh, uh, and give it, just,

1557

1:14:24 ,085 --> 01:14:27,775

you know, shoot the shit you, and

I'm looking forward to the other.

1558

1:14:28 ,010 --> 01:14:31,760

Part of the 1000 pages, you know,

for the next one, uh, I wish you

1559

1:14:31 ,760 --> 01:14:33,830

nothing but the best and hopefully

you'll have an opportunity to,

1560

1:14:33 ,830 --> 01:14:34,670

uh, catch up down the line.

1561

1:14:34 ,670 --> 01:14:35,510

Same to you my friend.

1562

1:14:35 ,510 --> 01:14:36,320

Larry Charles: Great to meet you.

1563

1:14:36 ,320 --> 01:14:37,370

Thank you for your time.

1564

1:14:39 ,320 --> 01:14:39,590

Marc Preston: Alright.

1565

1:14:39 ,590 --> 01:14:40,040

There you go.

1566

1:14:40 ,040 --> 01:14:40,490

Larry.

1567

1:14:40 ,490 --> 01:14:44,750

Charles, what a cool, pulling back of

the curtain to kind of find out a little

1568

1:14:44 ,750 --> 01:14:46,550

bit more about how things were made.

1569

1:14:46 ,550 --> 01:14:49,160

You know, some of the most

iconic television shows.

1570

1:14:49 ,190 --> 01:14:53,840

Uh, you know, uh, again, he's just

been involved in everything it seems

1571

1:14:53 ,840 --> 01:14:58,100

like, and, uh, all different corners

of all things comedy, which, you

1572

1:14:58 ,100 --> 01:14:59,450

know, me, if you listen to the show.

1573

1:14:59 ,450 --> 01:15:00,860

I, I love comedies.

1574

1:15:00 ,890 --> 01:15:02,210

I want more comedies.

1575

1:15:02 ,300 --> 01:15:04,130

Uh, the Goofier the Better.

1576

1:15:04 ,970 --> 01:15:08,900

And don't forget the new book, uh,

from Larry Charles, the memoir, uh,

1577

1:15:08 ,900 --> 01:15:10,970

which is, uh, I, I like the title.

1578

1:15:10 ,970 --> 01:15:11,750

It's a lot of fun.

1579

1:15:11 ,750 --> 01:15:16,490

Comedy Samurai, 40 years,

that was Ranger by the way.

1580

1:15:17 ,280 --> 01:15:18,600

You know, I'm not even gonna retake this.

1581

1:15:18 ,600 --> 01:15:19,650

I'm just gonna go do it again.

1582

1:15:21 ,900 --> 01:15:27,360

Uh, comedy, comedy Samurai, 40

Years of Blood Guts and Laughter.

1583

1:15:27 ,810 --> 01:15:29,580

And, uh, it's, uh, it's a great book.

1584

1:15:29 ,580 --> 01:15:30,570

I've gotten into it.

1585

1:15:30 ,570 --> 01:15:31,830

It is, uh, very cool.

1586

1:15:31 ,860 --> 01:15:33,360

Uh, a lot of great stories.

1587

1:15:33 ,360 --> 01:15:34,530

And, uh, he's a great storyteller.

1588

1:15:34 ,530 --> 01:15:36,330

Like the way, uh, he writes.

1589

1:15:36 ,330 --> 01:15:38,550

Also very easy read, as I mentioned.

1590

1:15:38 ,640 --> 01:15:43,080

Do me a favor, if you would just, uh,

pop on over to story and craft pod.com,

1591

1:15:43 ,080 --> 01:15:44,610

everything you wanna know about the show.

1592

1:15:44 ,610 --> 01:15:46,590

Doggone it, it is right there.

1593

1:15:46 ,920 --> 01:15:48,870

Uh, you know, you wanna send me a note?

1594

1:15:48 ,870 --> 01:15:49,410

You can do that.

1595

1:15:49 ,410 --> 01:15:51,420

Also, you wanna find

out about a past guest?

1596

1:15:51 ,420 --> 01:15:52,680

Well, that's there too.

1597

1:15:52 ,740 --> 01:15:56,040

Also, uh, do me a favor, if

you would, on your podcast app.

1598

1:15:56 ,040 --> 01:15:57,840

Make sure to follow Story and craft.

1599

1:15:57 ,930 --> 01:15:59,250

New episode rolls out.

1600

1:15:59 ,250 --> 01:15:59,520

Boom.

1601

1:15:59 ,520 --> 01:16:00,990

You got yourself a notification.

1602

1:16:01 ,260 --> 01:16:03,600

Also, leave a review, leave some stars.

1603

1:16:03 ,600 --> 01:16:05,460

Help people find story and craft.

1604

1:16:05 ,460 --> 01:16:06,780

It is much appreciated.

1605

1:16:06 ,930 --> 01:16:10,230

And, uh, as, uh, you know, I

mentioned we're living in kind

1606

1:16:10 ,230 --> 01:16:11,850

of a wild world right now, man.

1607

1:16:11 ,850 --> 01:16:12,901

It's, especially if you are.

1608

1:16:13 ,394 --> 01:16:16,365

One of our US listeners,

it's crazy Times Atel.

1609

1:16:16 ,394 --> 01:16:19,004

So if you're like me podcast, kick it on.

1610

1:16:19 ,004 --> 01:16:20,565

I get to kind of check out for a moment.

1611

1:16:20 ,565 --> 01:16:24,105

So if you've jumped on to listen to

the show, just to kind of check out

1612

1:16:24 ,105 --> 01:16:25,455

and have a little time to yourself.

1613

1:16:25 ,634 --> 01:16:28,605

Thank you very much

for, uh, for doing that.

1614

1:16:28 ,724 --> 01:16:29,504

It's a compliment.

1615

1:16:29 ,684 --> 01:16:32,924

Again, thank you so much for making

whatever I've got going on here,

1616

1:16:32 ,924 --> 01:16:37,335

part of whatever you've got going

on, it is greatly appreciated.

1617

1:16:37 ,424 --> 01:16:40,455

So, uh, go have a great rest of

your day, great rest of your week.

1618

1:16:40 ,455 --> 01:16:41,110

We will see you.

1619

1:16:41 ,495 --> 01:16:45,305

Shortly on the next

episode of Story and Craft.

1620

1:16:45 ,605 --> 01:16:48,365

Announcer: That's it for this

episode of Story and Craft.

1621

1:16:48 ,394 --> 01:16:50,825

Join Marc next week for more conversation.

1622

1:16:51 ,035 --> 01:16:55,265

Right here on Story and Craft

Story and Craft is a presentation

1623

1:16:55 ,295 --> 01:16:56,705

of Marc Preston Production's.

1624

1:16:56 ,765 --> 01:17:03,184

LLC Executive Producer is Marc Preston,

associate producer is Zachary Holden.

1625

1:17:03 ,665 --> 01:17:07,144

Please rate and review story

and craft on Apple Podcasts.

1626

1:17:07 ,175 --> 01:17:11,375

Don't forget to subscribe to the

show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,

1627

1:17:11 ,495 --> 01:17:12,965

or your favorite podcast app.

1628

1:17:13 ,325 --> 01:17:16,265

You can subscribe to show

updates and stay in the know.

1629

1:17:16 ,415 --> 01:17:20,555

Just head to story and craft pod.com

and sign up for the newsletter.

1630

1:17:21 ,125 --> 01:17:21,635

I'm Emma Dylan.

1631

1:17:22 ,295 --> 01:17:25,835

See you next time and remember,

keep telling your story.