Curb Your Enthusiasm: 10 times celebs stole the spotlight on the sitcom

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” was mostly famous for Larry David’s hilariously neurotic personality, but beyond that, the show had become iconic for its unforgettable celebrity guest appearances, many of whom played exaggerated versions of themselves and would often steal the show. The show invited stars to play heightened versions of themselves; these stars would often end up exposing their vanity, ego, or absurdity in brilliantly awkward ways. These guests weren’t just cameos; they’d often become central to the humor and tension of the episodes, challenging Larry’s worldview and adding layers to the absurdity. The sheer brilliance lay in how spontaneously the interactions unfolded and, in the process, created moments that felt unscripted and painfully real. Here is a list of 10 times celebs stole the spotlight on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

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David Schwimmer in Season 4, Episode 5 of Curb Your Enthusiasm

David Schwimmer appeared as a guest on the 5th episode, titled “The 5 Wood,” from Season 4. In this episode, we find out that Larry’s working relationship with Schwimmer is seemingly strained. In this episode, Schwimmer plays himself as the co-star of “The Producers,” the Broadway play Larry’s supposed to star in. A series of misunderstandings and Larry’s typical social obliviousness leads to the pair’s working relationship getting progressively worse. The friction is classic ‘Curb,’ or so to speak, wherein small social faux pas snowball into bigger and unimaginably hilarious conflicts. Schwimmer, in this episode, plays a more serious and slightly more exasperated version of himself, contrasting well with Larry’s erratic behavior.

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Martin Scorsese in Season 3, Episode 6 of Curb Your Enthusiasm

Martin Scorsese’s role in “Curb Your Enthusiasm” was that of a recurring guest, particularly in the episode “The Special Section,” from Season 3. He played himself, a film director. The episode was about Larry David learning about the death of his mother and being buried in a special section of the cemetery. Larry used this event to dismiss unwanted invites and planned to move his mother’s body. The fact that Larry doesn’t pay any sort of respect to the world’s greatest filmmaker is outright hilarious. Larry had the audacity to question Scorsese’s shooting style and compared it unfavorably to the way he used to shoot “Seinfeld.” The best part about this whole episode was that Scorsese played along with a great sense of humor.

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Michael J. Fox in Season 8, Episode 10 of Curb Your Enthusiasm

In Season 8, Episode 10 of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” titled “Larry vs. J. Fox,” Michael J. Fox delivered a standout performance by playing a humorously heightened version of himself. The episode centered around Larry David’s suspicion that Fox was using his Parkinson’s disease as a cover for passive-aggressive behavior. Incidents like Fox allegedly shaking a soda can before giving it to Larry, resulting in an explosion, and making loud noises in the apartment above Larry’s. Fox attributed these actions to his condition, leaving Larry and the audience to question his true intentions. Fox’s self-deprecating humor and willingness to satirize his own illness add depth to the episode, making it both provocative and memorable. Michael J. Fox’s guest appearance is widely regarded as one of the best in the series, and it showcased his comedic timing and ability to engage in sharp yet self-aware humor.

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The Seinfeld cast in Season 7, Episode 9 of Curb Your Enthusiasm

The Seinfeld cast, including Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Michael Richards, made appearances in the show “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” They appeared in this episode and were playing themselves as they discussed a potential Seinfeld reunion project with Larry. In addition to that, there were previous cameos by the Seinfeld cast members in earlier seasons of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” In this season, Larry finds out a way to do a Seinfeld reunion and a way to bring the cast back together without actually tarnishing the legacy of a classic. Instead of doing a reunion show in the real world, David did a Seinfeld reunion on the show “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” He managed to reassemble Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, and Michael Richards to play themselves in the troubled production of the reunion special. Every single member of the Seinfeld cast was in their finest form on the show “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

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Ben Stiller in Season 4, Episode 2 of Curb Your Enthusiasm

During the early episodes of the show, Ben Stiller was Larry’s co-star in the first cast of the Broadway play “The Producers.” Ben ends up in an innumerable and somehow unfortunate set of arguments with Larry, to an extent where Larry decides to drop out. This made it easier for David Schwimmer to take Stiller’s place in the play “The Producers.” Stiller actually got the tone of the show, and it was so spot-on that he could’ve actually ended up becoming a permanent cast member. Stiller nailed the awkwardness, and he perfectly understood the approach with which the character should’ve been played out in every situation. Ben Stiller stole the spotlight by fully committing to an arrogant, high-maintenance caricature of himself, adding chaotic energy that perfectly matched the show’s tone and gave the episode its edge.

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Shaquille O’Neal in Season 2, Episode 8 of Curb Your Enthusiasm

In Season 2, Episode 8 of the show “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Shaquille O’Neal delivered a standout cameo, humorously overshadowing Larry David’s usual antics. The episode centered around Larry accidentally tripping Shaq while being in the middle of a Lakers game, which led to a series of comedic events. The incident occurred when Larry, seated courtside, extended his legs inadvertently in order to have Shaq fall as he was about to check into the game. This incident ended up making Larry a pariah in LA, but somehow, he started experiencing a streak of good luck, and he even decided to visit Shaq at the hospital in an attempt at redemption. Shaq and Larry ended up bonding over an episode of the show “Seinfeld.” Shaq’s performance became particularly noteworthy because of the way he choreographed his own fall.

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Jon Hamm in Season 10, Episode 8 of Curb Your Enthusiasm

In Season 10, on Episode 8, titled “Elizabeth, Margaret, and Larry,” Jon Hamm started shadowing Larry in order to prepare for a character that was loosely based on Larry. As the study for the role continued, Jon started dressing up as Larry, even talking like him, and eventually Jon ended up becoming the Statler to Larry’s Waldorf. He ends up backing Larry in every petty disagreement. The episode gets celebrated as one of the standout moments in the history of the show. The humor escalates when Hamm’s transformation becomes more pronounced, culminating in a dinner party where both he and Larry engage in socially inappropriate behavior, much to the dismay of other guests. The way Hamm emulates Larry doesn’t just add a comedic effect but also highlights Hamm’s versatility as an actor. Critics and fans alike praised Hamm’s acting skills, noting his impeccable comic timing and ability to hold his own alongside Larry David.

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Lin-Manuel Miranda in Season 9, Episode 9 of Curb Your Enthusiasm

Lin-Manuel Miranda appeared in “Curb Your Enthusiasm” during Season 9, Episode 9, titled “Fatwa.” Larry’s desire to base this episode on Salman Rushdie’s “Fatwa” ends up getting him his own ‘fatwa.’ He eventually makes a deal with the Ayatollah and sorts out a deal about co-writing this episode with Lin. Miranda actually understood the project when he got brought in to commandeer Larry’s show in a season-long storyline. He played himself and portrayed an arrogant, controlling, and prone-to-breaking-into-Hamilton-style-raps version of himself. It’s absolutely fun to witness such a brilliant and revered figure tearing himself apart in the name of comedy.

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Ricky Gervais in Season 8, Episode 6 of Curb Your Enthusiasm

Ricky Gervais starred as an exaggerated version of himself. The episode originally aired on August 14, 2011. The episode began with Larry on a flight seated next to Donna, played by Samantha Mathis. In an attempt to impress her, Larry ended up tripping over his long shoelaces and tackling a disruptive passenger, leading everyone to believe that he’s a hero. This accidental act of bravery earns him admiration from fellow passengers and Donna alike. Later, Larry, along with his friend Jeff, spotted Ricky as a client, so Larry offered to buy him a bottle of wine. Ricky chose the most expensive one, showcasing his opportunistic nature. The episode was rightfully titled “The Hero.” Gervais played himself as an insufferable diva who gave out his own DVDs as gifts, bragged about his expensive scarves, and considered the opportunity to pay hundreds of dollars to see him act on stage to be a divine privilege.

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Mel Brooks in Season 4, Episode 1 of Curb Your Enthusiasm

Mel Brooks made several notable appearances in Season 4 of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” playing a fictionalized version of himself. His involvement was central to the season’s overarching storyline, which revolved around Larry, cast in a Broadway production of “The Producers.” Episode 1 of this season was titled “Mel’s Offer” and aired on January 4, 2004. Mel Brooks saw Larry performing and was impressed by his singing. He ended up offering Larry the role of Max Bialystock in the Broadway musical “The Producers.” While in the episode it seemed as though Mel was doing Larry a huge favor, there happened to be a hidden agenda that only gets revealed in the season finale. Episode 1 presents Mel as a supportive friend, but in retrospect, he’s actually the mastermind, manipulating everything from the start, and this resulted in Larry becoming a real-life version of the bad-producer plot from “The Producers.”