Most Famous Larrys in the World

Celebrity culture has plenty of Larrys who’ve left big footprints in film, television, comedy, and music. From groundbreaking sitcom creators to genre-shaping directors and virtuoso musicians, these figures have built bodies of work that still show up in everyday conversations, streaming queues, and playlists. Their careers also connect across eras, with classic network TV hits sitting alongside cable comedies and modern franchises.

Below is a friendly, fact-packed tour through some of the most recognizable Larrys in entertainment and pop culture. Each entry highlights essential projects, notable roles, awards, and the career moves that helped make these names so familiar around the world.

Larry David

Larry David co-created the NBC sitcom ‘Seinfeld’ and served as its head writer and executive producer for the first seven seasons, shaping its signature observational storytelling and interwoven plotlines. He later created and stars in HBO’s ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’, a semi-improvised series where he plays a heightened version of himself, frequently featuring celebrity guest appearances and elaborate social misunderstandings.

Beyond these two landmark series, David has written for sketch comedy, performed stand-up early in his career, and made recurring guest appearances on ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ spin-off specials and reunion episodes tied to ‘Seinfeld’. His production work has earned multiple Emmy nominations and wins across writing and producing categories, and his scripts are widely studied for structure and character-driven humor.

Larry King

Larry King anchored CNN’s ‘Larry King Live’, a nightly interview program that ran for 25 years and featured heads of state, entertainment icons, athletes, and newsmakers across a broad spectrum. Known for direct, concise questioning and a high guest booking rate, he hosted thousands of episodes and special town halls, including election-cycle forums and major-event interviews.

Before and after his CNN tenure, King worked extensively in radio, syndicating long-form interviews and call-in segments that helped define the modern broadcast interview format. He later launched digital talk shows and special series that continued his conversation-based approach with actors, musicians, filmmakers, and public figures from around the world.

Larry Hagman

Larry Hagman achieved global recognition playing J.R. Ewing on ‘Dallas’, a prime-time soap opera that drew massive international audiences and generated headline-grabbing cliffhangers. Earlier in his career, he co-starred as Major Anthony Nelson on ‘I Dream of Jeannie’, a hit fantasy sitcom that cemented his comedic timing and TV leading-man status.

Hagman’s work included directing episodes of the series he appeared in, producing television projects, and performing in feature films and stage productions. He remained closely associated with ‘Dallas’ through reunion movies and a 2010s continuation series, extending his presence across decades of television history.

Larry Fine

Larry Fine was one-third of The Three Stooges alongside Moe Howard and, for much of the run, Curly Howard, performing in dozens of Columbia Pictures shorts that later became staples of television syndication. His violin skills and elastic reactions contributed to the troupe’s physical-comedy style, and he appeared in Stooge features such as ‘Disorder in the Court’ and other widely circulated shorts.

Fine’s career with the Stooges spanned the transition from theatrical shorts to television, where the group’s films found new audiences and inspired merchandise, live appearances, and later feature-length projects with different lineups. His on-screen persona remained an essential component of the Stooges’ ensemble rhythm, influencing slapstick performers for generations.

Larry the Cable Guy

Larry the Cable Guy, the stage name of stand-up comedian Daniel Whitney, broke out through national tours, comedy albums, and the ‘Blue Collar TV’ sketch series, part of the larger Blue Collar Comedy brand. He is also widely known for voicing Mater in Pixar’s ‘Cars’ franchise, contributing to theatrical features, shorts, and theme-park media.

His stand-up career includes multiple charting comedy recordings and specials, as well as extensive merchandising and charitable appearances under his stage persona. He has headlined feature films and TV projects built around that character, extending his reach beyond clubs and arenas into family entertainment and mainstream broadcast programming.

Larry Wilmore

Larry Wilmore served as creator and executive producer of ‘The Bernie Mac Show’ and later as a writer-producer on series including ‘The Office’, contributing to character development and comedic framing. He became a familiar on-camera presence as the “Senior Black Correspondent” on ‘The Daily Show’, where he delivered satirical field pieces and studio commentary.

Wilmore went on to host ‘The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore’, a late-night panel program that combined monologues, interviews, and roundtable discussions. Behind the scenes, he co-created ‘Black-ish’ and served as executive producer on ‘Insecure’, developing pilots, show bibles, and writers’ rooms that helped launch further series for premium cable and streaming platforms.

Larry Charles

Larry Charles is a writer-director-producer whose work spans sitcoms and feature films. He wrote and produced episodes of ‘Seinfeld’ and directed episodes of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’, shaping tone, pacing, and the improvisational feel that defines the latter series. In features, he directed Sacha Baron Cohen vehicles including ‘Borat’ and ‘The Dictator’, blending documentary elements with scripted set pieces.

Charles has also directed ‘Religulous’, a feature-length documentary that combined interview segments with travelogue structure. His television credits extend to developing pilots, directing single-camera comedies, and consulting on comedic narrative construction for premium cable and streaming services.

Larry Clark

Larry Clark is a photographer and filmmaker best known for directing the independent drama ‘Kids’, which drew on his documentary photography background to depict urban youth culture. He continued exploring coming-of-age and subcultural themes with films such as ‘Bully’ and other features that foregrounded non-professional or young casts.

Clark’s photography collections preceded his film career and provided visual frameworks for the films’ settings and character dynamics. His projects often involved collaborations with emerging writers and actors, and his work has been exhibited in galleries and museums alongside festival screenings and limited theatrical runs.

Larry Cohen

Larry Cohen wrote and directed genre films including ‘It’s Alive’, ‘The Stuff’, and ‘Q’, earning a reputation for inventive concepts produced on modest budgets. He also created television series and wrote teleplays, contributing scripts that balanced suspense with social subtext.

Beyond directing, Cohen maintained a steady output as a screenwriter on studio projects, delivering story ideas, draft revisions, and uncredited polishes for thrillers and action films. His career is frequently cited in discussions of independent production techniques, location shooting strategies, and practical effects planning in genre cinema.

Larry Mullen Jr.

Larry Mullen Jr. is the drummer and a founding member of U2, contributing to the band’s rhythm arrangements, live production, and studio experimentation across multiple decades. His percussion work underpins landmark tours and recordings, and he has collaborated on side projects with bandmates and outside artists.

Mullen has appeared onscreen as an actor, notably co-starring in the feature film ‘The Man on the Train’. He has also composed and performed for film music projects, and he remains involved in technical aspects of live sound design and tour logistics, including drum kit configuration and monitoring systems.

Larry Graham

Larry Graham is a bassist and singer who played with Sly and the Family Stone before founding Graham Central Station, and he is widely credited with developing the slap-and-pop electric bass technique. His recordings with both groups produced charting singles and influential rhythm-section arrangements.

Graham’s session work and solo releases expanded his impact, and he toured internationally with ensembles that showcased extended bass features. His approach to amplification, string selection, and right-hand technique is referenced in instructional materials and clinics, and he has been honored by multiple music organizations for lifetime contributions.

Larry Carlton

Larry Carlton is a Grammy-winning guitarist known for session work on numerous classic albums and for his role in the jazz-fusion group The Crusaders. His studio credits include high-profile collaborations with major artists and distinctive melodic solos that are frequently cited in musician interviews and transcription books.

Carlton has released solo albums, led touring bands, and contributed to film and television scoring sessions. He also teaches through masterclasses and educational videos, detailing guitar tone setup, phrasing concepts, and improvisation strategies that have influenced players across jazz, pop, and rock styles.

Share your favorite Larrys and the roles, albums, or episodes you love most in the comments!