What Is Larry Charles' Net Worth?
Larry Charles is an American writer, producer, and director with a net worth of $100 million. Over the last 30 years, Charles has been a creative force behind iconic comedies on TV and in film. His behind-the-scenes talents are well-recognized by audiences and critics alike. Charles contributed to major TV shows such as "Seinfeld" (1991–1994), "Mad About You" (1995–1997), "Entourage" (2004–2009), and "The Comedians" (2015). He also directed and produced "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (2000–2017).
In the realm of film, Larry Charles has directed "Masked and Anonymous" (2003), "Borat" (2006), "Religulous" (2008), "Brüno" (2009), "The Dictator" (2012), and "Army of One" (2016). He co-wrote "Masked and Anonymous" with Bob Dylan. He also created, starred in, directed, produced, and wrote the documentary series "Larry Charles' Dangerous World of Comedy" (2019). Larry co-developed "The Comedians" with Billy Crystal and directed episodes of TV series like "New Girl" (2012) and "Mixology" (2014).
Early Life
Larry Charles was born on December 1, 1956, in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in a Jewish family in Trump Village and attended John Dewey High School. After high school, Larry enrolled at Rutgers University in New Jersey but dropped out to pursue a career in comedy.
Early Career
Charles started performing stand-up comedy in the '70s, eventually securing a writing position on the ABC live comedy show "Fridays." The show aired from 1980 to 1982 and introduced him to writer/performer Larry David. After "Fridays," Charles wrote for TV specials and series such as "Richard Belzer in Concert" (1986), "Monsters" (1989), and "The Arsenio Hall Show" (1990–1992).
Seinfeld
In 1991, Larry David hired Charles to write for the NBC sitcom "Seinfeld," where he also served as a supervising producer until 1994. Larry wrote 18 episodes, including notable ones like "The Baby Shower," "The Heart Attack," "The Fix-Up," and "The Outing." He even made cameos in several episodes. Charles had a significant impact on the character development of Cosmo Kramer. On the DVD commentary for "The Baby Shower," he mentions that working on Kramer gave him creative freedom, which contributed to the character's evolution.
After Seinfeld
After "Seinfeld," Charles produced and wrote for "Mad About You" from 1995 to 1997, writing 19 episodes. He co-developed and produced the animated series "Dilbert," which aired from 1999 to 2000, and wrote three episodes. He reconnected with Larry David on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" in 2000, directing 19 episodes. Charles also produced "The Tick" (2001–2002), making his feature film directorial debut with "Masked and Anonymous" (2003). The film featured a star-studded cast including Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, and Jessica Lange. From 2004 to 2009, Larry produced the HBO series "Entourage," writing four episodes and appearing in an episode as an Audition Producer.
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In 2006, Charles directed the Sacha Baron Cohen mockumentary "Borat," which was a commercial success, grossing $262.6 million on an $18 million budget. He collaborated with Baron Cohen again on "Brüno" (2009) and "The Dictator" (2012). In 2008, Larry directed the Bill Maher documentary "Religulous." He co-developed, directed, and produced the FX series "The Comedians" (2015), working closely with Billy Crystal and Josh Gad. In 2016, Charles directed the Nicolas Cage comedy "Army of One." In 2019, he starred in the Netflix documentary series "Larry Charles' Dangerous World of Comedy," where he explored humor in unconventional and dangerous places around the world.
Awards and Nominations
Larry Charles has been nominated for 12 Primetime Emmys, winning for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Comedy Series for the "Seinfeld" episode "The Fix Up" (1992) and Outstanding Comedy Series for "Seinfeld" (1993). He also received Emmy nominations for "Mad About You" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Charles won a Golden Nymph for Best International Producer – Comedy for "Entourage" at the 2006 Monte-Carlo TV Festival and a New Visions Award for "Religulous" at the 2008 Sitges – Catalonian International Film Festival. He has received five Directors Guild of America Award nominations for "Curb Your Enthusiasm," and two PGA Award nominations for "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Charles also earned two Writers Guild of America Award nominations, for "Seinfeld" (1994) and "Entourage" (2006), and a British Comedy Award nomination for "Brüno" (2009).
Real Estate
In 1995, Larry Charles bought a 1.2-acre property in Bel-Air for $2 million and sold it for $3.6 million in 2015. The estate includes a 4,128 square foot main house featuring 16-foot ceilings, built-in bookshelves, a library, an office, and a screening room.
