back to stand-up. So I think that gave them this confi dence to do what they wanted to do and be ready to walk if the networks said no and it seemed like it worked, because a couple of times they were close. “The Chinese Restaurant” is a great example. The networks were like, no, we really don’t think we should do this and then they said okay, well, I guess we’ll stop doing the show, and they’re like, no, stay. So I think that was one of their strengths and what allowed them to do these things we hadn’t seen before. How was their work ethic and did they get along? The way that I describe it and I don’t think this is my original lineup, I‘m pretty sure I’m stealing it from somewhere is that they’re kind of like a Lennon and McCartney. They were a nice balance for each other and they inspired each other. But I don’t think there were many confl icts. If you watch them interact, even now, you can see they have this perfect rapport and that they really respect each other. Larry David is portrayed in an amazing way in this book. Why do you think he never wanted to go beyond the pilot or the fi rst season? Was he insecure about his work? It seems like that. But he’s so interesting because he has this insecurity but also this incredible confi dence so he’s a really complicated guy. My guess is he liked them talking him into it a little bit. He was a little worried and kind of needed them to say he could do this. That way he could have his cake and eat it too. If it failed, he could say, “See I told you we shouldn’t have done anymore.” And he was not super young when he started doing this. He had a long standup career and a lot of success. Everyone called him a comic’s comic. Do you think he kind of always wanted to be a lead, which is why he started “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” which is another brilliant show? It’s hard to know for sure what he wants. I think he fi gured he could do it at this point whereas it didn’t seem as if it was something he could do when they were fi rst making “Seinfeld.” People were like why didn’t he play George? At that point, writing was enough for him. This time, it gives him more control over the product and it does seem like for both of these guys, a big part of their creative lives is having as much creative control as possible. How long did it take you to write this book and what were some of your favorite interviews or moments during the process? I think it was about a year and a half. It’s always a lot of fun rewatching all the episodes, but I would say what I really liked QNS.COM 32 SPRING 2017
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