Why Larry David Left Seinfeld After Season 7
Showrunner and head writer Larry David exited Seinfeld after season 7 on his accord, largely motivated by the pressures of his role in the show’s future. Seinfeld was conceptualized by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld back in 1988, which they initially pitched as a show about how a comedian gets their material. While Jerry took on the face of Seinfeld, Larry David ran it from behind the scenes, serving as head writer and executive producer throughout Seinfeld’s “golden era.” But, David resigned from his showrunner position after Seinfeld season 7, leading to several changes in the show’s structure.
While the show was just as equally Larry David’s, Seinfeld took the last name of Jerry, becoming a series that followed a semi-fictionalized version of the comedian and his friends. Larry David’s name wasn’t in the title, but his persona persisted throughout, particularly in the character George Costanza. David and Jason Alexander admitted that George was primarily based on the mannerisms and experiences of Larry David, so much so that the writer was often asked why he didn’t just portray the character. Although he didn’t act out a fictionalized version of himself like Jerry, Larry David cameoed on Seinfeld both with voice work and on-screen appearances throughout the series, most notably as the voice of George Steinbrenner.
Related: Why Seinfeld Killed Off Susan In Season 7
After seven seasons of being at the top with iconic episodes and critical acclaim, Larry David began to feel pressure behind the scenes. Although he had extremely high faith in the series, David worried that the quality of writing would begin to decline after so many years. By the end of Seinfeld season 7, David feared that they would run out of interesting
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