On Sunday night, 60 Minutes aired its Larry David interview we told you about last week, and it did not disappoint. Larry David was Larry David, the exceedingly lovable, brutally honest curmudgeon who made no bones about the fact that he’d probably prefer doing a million other things than being asked questions about his life by Charlie Rose. Along the way, Rose and David visited the Brooklyn apartment he grew up in and the stage where he first acted (in a school play). I found this exchange, from the early part of the interview, particularly delightful.
Charlie Rose: Who is Larry David?
Larry David: You are too much, Mr. Rose.
Charlie Rose: Why?
Larry David: Who the hell knows? I don’t know.
Charlie Rose: But you do know.
Larry David: Like what, whatever you’re seeing, that’s who I am!
Charlie Rose: Really?
Larry David: Yeah.
Charlie Rose: Well, it’s not true. You told me you created a character. It’s not you. It’s who you might want to be but are not. Who are you?
Larry David: I’m a jerk, that’s who I am. I’m like –
Charlie Rose: You’re not! That’s an act!
Larry David: I’m like everybody else.
Charlie Rose: No, that’s an act.
Larry David: No, it isn’t.
Charlie Rose: It really isn’t?
Larry David: No.
Charlie Rose: How are you a jerk?
Larry David: Oh, look. Let’s stop talking about me. I, that’s why I didn’t want to do this interview in the first place. I had to be talked into 60 Minutes. You think I wanted to do this? I didn’t want to do it! ‘Cause I knew you’d be asking questions like this!
My favorite nugget revealed in the interview: that David’s mom wanted him to grow up to be a mailman, which may be what inspired the Newman character on Seinfeld. As an added bonus, here are some outtakes from the interview CBS put online…