Background
Lawrence Gene David was born in the neighborhood of Sheepshead Bay, in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Rose and Morty David who was a men's clothing manufacturer.His family is Jewish. He was raised in Brooklyn
Lawrence Gene David was born in the neighborhood of Sheepshead Bay, in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Rose and Morty David who was a men's clothing manufacturer.His family is Jewish. He was raised in Brooklyn
While a stand-up comedian, David also worked as a store clerk, limousine driver, and television repairman to pay his bills. He lived in Manhattan Plaza, a federally subsidized housing complex in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, across the hall from Kenny Kramer, the inspiration for the Cosmo Kramer character in Seinfeld. David then became a writer for and cast member of ABC's Fridays from 1980 to 1982, and a writer for NBC's Saturday Night Live (SNL) from 1984 to 1985.During his time at SNL, he was able to get only one sketch on the show, which aired at 12:50 AM, the last time slot on the show.
David quit his writing job at SNL midseason, only to show up to work a few days later acting as though nothing had happened. That event inspired a second-season episode of Seinfeld entitled "The Revenge".David met his future Seinfeld stars during that early stage of his career: he worked with Michael Richards (Kramer) on Fridays and with Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine) on SNL. He can be heard heckling Michael McKean when McKean hosted SNL in 1984, and he can be seen in the sketch "The Run, Throw, and Catch Like a Girl Olympics" when Howard Cosell hosted the season finale in 1985.
David has also been involved in other films and television series. David wrote and directed the 1998 film Sour Grapes, about two cousins who feud over a casino jackpot. It was neither a commercial nor a critical success. He has appeared in minor parts in two Woody Allen films – Radio Days and New York Stories – more recently taking the leading role in Allen's New York-based comedy film Whatever Works.Because his daughters are Hannah Montana fans, David, along with his daughters, guest-starred, as themselves, in the episode "My Best Friend's Boyfriend," in which they were waiting for a table at a fancy restaurant. David had a cameo appearance on the HBO series Entourage as a client of Ari Gold, and also appeared as a panelist on the NBC series The Marriage Ref. During the 2008 U.S Presidential Election, David supported and actively campaigned for Barack Obama. In December 2010, David penned an op-ed piece for The New York Times, a sardonic critique of the extension of Bush-era tax cuts headlined "Thanks for the Tax Cut!" David played Sister Mary-Mengele in the 2012 reboot of The Three Stooges.David co-wrote and starred in the 2013 HBO television film Clear History.
David stars in the Broadway play Fish In The Dark, which he also wrote, alongside Rita Wilson, Jayne Houdyshell and Rosie Perez. The play centers around the death of a family patriarch and opened March 5, 2015. As of February 1, 2015, its advance sale of $13.5 million had broken records for a Broadway show.
David wrote 62 of the episodes of Seinfeld, including 1992's "The Contest", for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award and which TV Guide ranked the episode No. 1 on its list of "TV's Top 100 Episodes of All Time".
The show is critically acclaimed and has been nominated for 30 Primetime Emmy Awards, with one win, as well as one Golden Globe win. In the first six seasons, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jason Alexander appeared in several episodes, and Jerry Seinfeld made a cameo. In season 7, the cast of Seinfeld, including Michael Richards, returned in a story arc involving David's attempt to organize a Seinfeld reunion special.
During the 2008 U.S Presidential Election, David supported and actively campaigned for Barack Obama. In December 2010, David penned an op-ed piece for The New York Times, a sardonic critique of the extension of Bush-era tax cuts headlined "Thanks for the Tax Cut!
David and his wife became contributing bloggers at The Huffington Post in May 2005. On June 5, 2007, the couple announced their intention to separate amicably.Laurie David filed for divorce on July 13, 2007, citing irreconcilable differences and seeking joint custody of the couple's two daughters. As of 2013, David's estimated net worth was $900 million. However, the estimate according to a former Reuters reporter does not take into account the divorce. David also disputes the figure, saying he has nowhere near that amount. The results of a DNA test shown live on Lopez Tonight in 2009 revealed that 37% of David's ethnic lineage might be Native American, though some criticism was shared about the method of testing the show used.
