[This story contains spoilers from season 12, episode nine of Curb Your Enthusiasm, “Ken/Kendra.”]
Life imitated artwork once more with the most recent Curb Your Enthusiasm. Or, in case you ask present boss Jeff Schaffer, “life imitated foolish artwork.”
The foolish artwork he’s referring to is when Curb‘s Larry David (performed by the actual Larry David) gave Bruce Springsteen COVID, forcing him to cancel his music tour. Springsteen had made a short cameo earlier within the season in “The Garden Jockey” episode, the place the Boss praised Larry for changing into a liberal hero after he (unknowingly) stood up in opposition to a Georgia 2021 voting regulation that makes it unlawful to offer meals or water to voters in line on the polls.
“That’s Larry David’s center title: Larry ‘Involvement’ David,” stated Springsteen on CNN when making his first Curb cameo.
Now, within the ninth episode of season 12 — the penultimate episode earlier than the Emmy-winning HBO comedy’s sequence finale this weekend — Springsteen returns. Within the present, the Boss is so impressed with Larry’s political stance that he needs to fulfill the Seinfeld creator in actual life.
However after they sit down at a desk collectively within the dwelling of the Greenes (Susie Essman and Jeff Garlin), a number of issues go afoot. First, Springsteen’s supervisor Ken (performed by trans comic Ian Harvie) identifies himself as being previously Kendra Morris and recollects how they used to have intercourse (and at all times on the ground). This prompts one of many episode’s finest strains when Springsteen is aghast at Larry being a “ground fucker,” and Schaffer says that line was all of the Boss.
“Bruce telling Larry, ‘I by no means took you for a ground fucker’ is considered one of my favourite moments ever — like, in life,” recollects Schaffer when talking to The Hollywood Reporter concerning the episode. “We knew we have been going to be speaking about ground fucking, however that was all Bruce. That was Bruce chiming in, which was superb. We have been like, ‘What! He’s so humorous.’”
Schaffer provides, “If the music factor doesn’t work out, he undoubtedly has a future in comedy.”
As a make-good, Larry David brings the masseuse he offended (performed by Tania Gunadi) to Bruce Springsteen’s home so she will snap a photograph of the Boss, who’s sick with COVID.
John Johnson/HBO
The uncomfortable trade finally ends up chopping Larry’s meet-and-greet with the Boss quick however not earlier than a mix-up over their water glasses. The following day, Larry comes down with COVID, and he quickly hears on the TV that Springsteen can be sick with COVID, is blaming Larry David for giving it to him and has to cancel a number of exhibits on his present tour. Immediately anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb ship the information that Springsteen’s well being is at risk, and now the world could be very mad at Larry David.
This, after all, is not going to bode properly for Larry’s fame for his upcoming trial, the place he faces as much as one 12 months in jail and a advantageous of $10,000 for obstructing the election course of within the state of Georgia. He additionally was threatened on this episode with being “Me Too-ed” after he offended his masseuse.
The COVID Curb plotline was written in 2022, and so they filmed the scene with Springsteen in sooner or later in December 2022, on the improv comedy’s remaining day of taking pictures that 12 months. “It was a very long time to maintain that one secret,” says Schaffer.
Then, flash-forward to February 2023, when Schaffer and David are enhancing the season, and Springsteen in actual life finally ends up suspending three of his exhibits in a single week “as a result of sickness.” Then, in April 2023, Springsteen and spouse Patti Scialfa come down with COVID. And in August 2023, the Boss finally ends up suspending extra exhibits after having “taken ailing.” In September, it was then revealed he had been recognized with peptic ulcer illness, and he ended up canceling all remaining 2023 dates so he might get well.
“Bruce obtained sick and needed to cancel his tour, and I simply turned to Larry and stated, ‘You have got an incredible skill to manifest adverse issues. You’re the supreme adverse manifester,’” Schaffer recollects. “I bear in mind going, ‘Oh my God, it’s precisely what we did.’ Within the present, we are saying he had problems so his well being was actually in danger. It performed out identical to we stated — which I really feel horrible about! The excellent news is he obtained higher, and he was hilarious. Comfortable ending.”
Springsteen with David, Ian Harvie and Jeff Garlin in Curb Your Enthusiasm.
John Johnson/HBO
Schaffer says after they initially reached out to Springsteen’s supervisor, they by no means thought the visitor position would materialize. However shortly after the pitch, the Boss stated sure; he was a fan of the present. After they wrapped, they despatched Springsteen his scenes, as a result of the Curb staff was so pleased with the ultimate outcome.
“He liked them, which was nice. He was placing quite a lot of religion in us,” says Schaffer. “He’d seen the present, however lots of people haven’t labored the best way we do, the place it’s not all scripted. Numerous issues get stated. And we saved telling him, ‘We’ll use the very best stuff,’ so he might attempt the whole lot. And he performed round. He knew the fundamental beats, however he was in there including and slugging round. We confirmed him the scenes as a result of we have been so pleased with how they turned out.”
The plot round how Larry likes to have intercourse finally ends up circling round when his ex-wife Cheryl (performed by Cheryl Hines) calls him out for mendacity to her about why he needed to have intercourse on the ground. (“It’s sizzling, like within the motion pictures,” she says he advised her.)
“Larry being a ground fucker as a result of he needs to keep away from miserable post-coital dialog was a narrative from considered one of our consulting producers that we thought was actually humorous. Ian Harvie had been on our radar for some time, and we knew he was the best individual for this half. He was excellent,” says Schaffer. “Then as we have been writing, it grew to become clear that the explanation the restaurant they ate at ended up getting a C ranking needed to be as a result of a waiter was fucking on the ground. It’s excellent that after listening to how vile a human being is for not eager to have any emotional attachment to anybody you’ve simply had intercourse with, Larry’s response just isn’t that he’ll change his methods however that he’d love to fulfill this man. ‘We have now one thing in widespread.’ So, I don’t assume Larry has discovered his lesson.”
Schaffer nonetheless marvels that they obtained Springsteen to do such a giant position and coyly teases that the Boss would possibly make some type of return in subsequent week’s finale.
“Everybody was so excited that Bruce had that transient cameo in episode two, and Larry and I have been sitting there considering, ‘In the event you guys solely knew that he’s doing all these scenes in present 9.’ We have been in a position to shoot quite a lot of stuff with Bruce within the sooner or later we had him.”
He provides, “Issues come again to hang-out Larry each week. His life is a comedy haunted mansion, the whole lot boomerangs.”
Under, with just one episode remaining earlier than Curb indicators off for good (perhaps, hopefully not), Schaffer takes THR by way of some extra highlights from the penultimate episode in season 12, “Ken/Kendra.”
- One other tidbit on Springsteen: the Don Henley comparability was written by the Curb writers, however the Boss knew the Eagles frontman would “be cool with it.” Schaffer says, “We wrote that as a rock icon sort of mad lib.”
- JB Smoove’s Leon “didn’t wish to get COVID as a result of he didn’t know what it was going to do to his dick,” says Schaffer of the hilarity that ensues when Larry’s housemate desperately tries to keep away from getting sick. “We regularly prefer to shock Larry. I didn’t inform him that JB was going to come back by way of the home in a fuel masks with an arm full of bathroom paper,” says Schaffer, revealing that they typically attempt to catch their star and creator off guard to get his most sincere response. “Larry interacts with the world, and the world’s in opposition to him. So I create the world in opposition to him, for max shock. His reactions are so good.”
- A terrific instance of a kind of reactions comes within the epic staircase war-of-words between Larry and his oft-nemesis, Susie Greene (Essman): “That Larry-Susie battle within the stairwell is one for the ages. Them arguing that one another is a virus, capped off by Susie saying, ‘Larry, you cold-hearted, COVID-carrying cocksucker,’ is considered one of my favourite Larry-Susie arguments of all time.” Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav was really on set that day of filming. “He obtained a large earful of uncooked Curb,” says Schaffer, including that the virus insults have been all hurled in a single take. However, “you’re seeing on Larry’s facet each body earlier than he laughs. Larry’s response to Susie calling him that was taken from a distinct response as a result of he was laughing so arduous. Larry is at all times going to blink first with Susie. Susie screaming at him is his kryptonite.”
- A restaurant being downgraded from an A to a C ranking mid-meal is a plot plucked from actual life, when Schaffer, David, former writers Alec Berg and David Mandel, and different Curb writers have been out for lunch in Palisades Village when filming season six. “We watched them change the letter proper in entrance of us and nobody might consider it. They only modified the letter in entrance of Larry David and the Curb writers, what do they assume goes to occur? Discuss low-hanging, most likely unwashed fruit. We at all times needed to do it. I do know it appears unimaginable, but it surely actually is true.”
- The title of the guide written by Younger Larry director Les McCrabb (performed by Matt Berry), “To Hold a Lantern On It,” originates from Schaffer’s pre-Seinfeld job at Witt/Thomas Productions the place he labored on “a present starring an unknown comedian named Jeff Garlin after which on Herman’s Head.” Schaffer says the present was crammed with idioms that find yourself exhibiting up within the fictional Curb script, like, “America doesn’t wish to see that” and “hold a lantern on it.” Actually “hacky sitcom stuff,” he says. “We’d try this jokingly when writing, and so once we wanted a title for this guide written by this type of journeyman director, I used to be like, it must be ‘Hold a Lantern on It.’ I wrote a strong two pages and labored out some emotions of what it’s like understanding at a schmaltzy place (laughing). The precise stuff that Seinfeld and Curb is the antidote for.”
- The fictional “Vonderdonk” cheese from final week’s episode is now really being offered at The Cheese Retailer of Beverly Hills (accessible throughout retailer hours). “I’m certain the cheese is superb, simply don’t go away it in your automobile,” quips Schaffer.
- In different real-life information, Felicity Huffman booked her first TV gig following her position within the school admissions scandal and after Lori Loughlin parodied herself with a Curb cameo earlier this season. “I can’t think about that anybody is seeking to us for hour-long developments, however I’m very blissful that Lori obtained to be the primary to come back again triumphantly,” says Schaffer.
- With one week left earlier than the finale, Schaffer responds to Garlin lately sharing how emotional he obtained when the chief producer-director known as minimize on the ultimate scene. “I bear in mind doing a number of additional takes to ensure we obtained it as a result of it was vital,” says Schaffer of subsequent week’s ending. “As soon as we did, we have been performed. And, who needs it to be performed? Then I noticed, somebody has to say one thing! So I checked out Larry, as a result of village was proper subsequent to the set, and stated, ‘Are you good?’ He stated ‘Yeah, I’m good.’ So I stated, ‘That’s a wrap on the best sitcom ever.’ Everybody applauded and hugged. Then I rotated and Jeff was yeah, simply sitting quietly off to the facet crying. Very candy.”
- How will Curb tie all of it collectively within the sequence finale? “It’s undoubtedly longer than our typical episodes. We have now loads to say,” says Schaffer, at all times tight-lipped about any spoilers. “I can’t consider that we’ve arrived at this second. However I believe it’s been a very full of life season and the finale is a really humorous becoming finish to all of it.”
Curb Your Enthusiasm releases its sequence finale Sunday at 10 p.m. on HBO and Max. Learn THR’s chats with Schaffer from the season right here.