Larry David is making his Broadway debut next year as a character “very similar to Larry David,” which marks new territory for him.
“It might even be Larry David with a different name,” the actor and Emmy-winning “Seinfeld” co-creator told the New York Times in an interview published Thursday.
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David’s first play, “Fish in the Dark,” will open on March 5 at a Shubert theater, which will be announced later.
The “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star, who again is no stranger to playing a fictionalized version of himself, began writing the comedy about a death in the family last summer after he was inspired by the death of a friend’s father. When he gave it to Tony-winning producer Scott Rudin, he wasn’t expecting to star in it, but credits Rudin for persuading him to return to theatre for the first time “since the eighth grade.”
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“I thought it would be pretty cool to write a play someday. I didn’t think it’d be pretty cool to be in it. It’s not like I would go to the theater and look up on stage and say, ‘I could be in that.’ I didn’t thinking of myself playing the character, but of course I write characters very close to me,” David said. “I didn’t really want to do it, but, I mean, do you know Scott? He’s a very persuasive fellow, and I give him a lot of credit for that.”
“Fish in the Dark” will be directed by Tony-winner Anna D. Shapiro, and feature about 15 characters — none of which will be played by Jerry Seinfeld, contrary to reports buzzing around the web at the start of the year. According to David, his “Seinfeld” co-creator was “never” involved in any capacity.