How Larry David Completely Blew His Audition For A Beloved '80s Sitcom

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

In the late '70s, Larry David tried out for a guest role on the hit sitcom "Mork & Mindy," but the audition could not have gone worse. Garry Marshall, creator of the "Happy Days" spin-off and Robin Williams-led series, recalled in his memoir, "My Happy Days in Hollywood," how his sister Ronny Hallin (a producer for the show) met with David for his audition. "[She] tried to recruit another funny comedian named Larry David early on," Marshall wrote, "but when Larry came in for the audition, he penciled up the scene he was supposed to act in. Ronny asked him what he was doing, and he said 'punching up the script.'"

"He thought he was auditioning as a writer," Marshall explained. David did not land the role, nor did the show offer him a writing job. The role he auditioned for, a con man named Ellsworth, went to comedian David Letterman instead. It was a rare acting gig for Letterman, who would later describe his performance as "so embarrassing," and joke that it had "nearly ruined" the show.

"He didn't think he was an actor at all," Garry Marshall wrote about Larry David. "Years later, when he developed his series 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' he would think differently." Although David has never publicly addressed his failed "Mork & Mindy" audition, he has spoken about seeing himself as more of a writer and comedian than a true actor. "I was inspired to become a comedian because I was a bad actor," David told the New York Post in 2015.

This attitude was part of why David didn't want to act on "Seinfeld." David and Jerry Seinfeld were the show's co-creators, but only Seinfeld starred as a main character. "At the time, he wasn't really interested in acting," Seinfeld recalled in an interview with Pioneers of Television. It was only with "Curb Your Enthusiasm" that Larry embraced a lead acting role in a mainstream show, albeit one where he largely played himself and the scenes were heavily improvised. "A lot of times you do have to act," David told the Daily News about his new show in 2000. "I hate to say it, but it does require some acting."