Emperor of Nothing: The Making of Larry David represents an authorized biography that came together only after sustained effort by author Blake J Harris to secure the subject’s reluctant participation. The project emerged following Harris’s prior success with a book about virtual reality and the Oculus founder, which gained prominence through appearances on conservative media outlets despite Harris’s own political leanings. During one such media engagement, a prominent commentator suggested Harris write his biography, sparking the author to consider which public figure might merit such extensive research.
Harris eventually settled on Larry David, recognizing the formative influence that Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm had exerted on his own sensibilities and humor. With encouragement from Jeff Schaffer, a writer and longtime David collaborator, Harris proposed the project to David in 2020. David’s initial response was decidedly negative, expressing skepticism about his own worthiness as a biographical subject and questioning the venture’s merit. Harris persisted in his efforts, enlisting support from David’s associates and reframing the biography as an ensemble narrative rather than a conventional account.
Eventually David consented, though with notable reluctance, communicating his agreement through a terse five-word email. Harris later employed an unconventional approach during their initial meeting, steering conversation toward the New York Yankees—a shared passion—rather than focusing immediately on David’s professional accomplishments. This strategy proved effective in establishing rapport, though David subsequently acknowledged harboring regret about authorizing the project.
The resulting 576-page volume traces David’s trajectory from his birth in Brooklyn in 1947 through his lengthy struggle in standup comedy and his eventual creation of two acclaimed television series. The biography explores David’s formative years, his tenure at Saturday Night Live, and the lean decades before his breakthrough success. Harris draws connections between David’s personal experiences and the comedy he created, employing narrative techniques that mirror how Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm themselves blended factual elements with fictional storytelling.
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