Sklar Brothers on Working with Larry David and Curb Your Entusiasm

Jason did Curb. I did an episode of Curb. How was that? It was great. The audition was amazing. So Jeff Garland's a friend of ours, and we've known him forever. And he, I guess, thought we would be right, or one of us would be right for the role. And so he called our agents, or they reached out to our agents, and they were like, get me a Sklar. And I was like, we're like, he's ordering us from like Amazon. Get me a Sklar. And so our agent asked me, I don't know why, they just went to me, maybe Jay before R in the alphabet, who knows. So I go in for the audition, and I don't know if you auditioned for the show, but they give you a slip of paper. And they're like, this is where the scene starts. This is kind of what happens in the scene. This is the final line of the scene. How you get there is up to you. So it's an argument scene. It's a big argument scene. You want to have an argument scene if you're going on that show as a guest star. You want it badly. So by the way, this is season three when Larry is in the auditions. Larry was there. Oh, yeah. He's auditioning. You're not reading with a casting person. You're reading with Larry. So I'm sitting in the audience. I was sitting in the waiting room. Sorry. And I'm listening to other people like Andy Dick is in there. Like, oh, no. And he's being so funny. But he's like, I'm like, does he know even this is an audition? He's in there. He walked in. He just walked in. He's very funny. Funny. Really funny. But what I'm hearing is a bunch of people go in and do it is they are going immediately to the argument because they're like, you have the audition. You want to kind of throw some sparks around and make an impression. But I was taking this acting class, which was such at Pacific Resident Theater, this theater out in Venice. Do you remember that theater? It was like way out there. Yes. It was a great, great acting. And my acting teacher at the time was like teaching this great, great concept. It just worked out. This is where it worked out for me. He's like, you never play the problem. Play the solution. What does that mean? You don't act drunk. You try to hold it together and you can't. And then that's how you're drunk. You don't act sad. You just try to not break down and then you can't help it and you break down. That's a much more interesting thing to play. So that's circling through my mind as I'm sitting in this thing and seeing all these famous people that I know and fans of in comedy. I'm like, just don't play the solution. Don't play the problem. I'm like, if I worked in a store, would I just start yelling at a guy the first second? You work at a store. The customer's always right. What if my goal as I go in there for this audition is to not get in an argument with Larry? What if I really try hard to not get into an argument? That's such a better thing to play, right? So I go in the audition and we start doing it. And we argue over the folding of this sweater. He picks up a sweater and he's like, yeah, maybe I'll get this. And I'm like, oh, it looks great. They do. Looks great on you. I'm like, it looks great on you. And in the audition, he's like, I haven't put it on yet. And I'm like, but it will. And he's like, I don't know. And he holds it up and he's like, not really my style. And he puts it down, starts folding. And I'm like, hey, I'll fold that for you. And you just go ahead and look at some other stuff. There's great stuff here. All of it will look great on you. I just kept saying that. He's like, I got it. And I'm like, yeah, but I'll do it. And he's like, instead of being like, hey, don't do that. I fold it. I was trying to be super passive aggressive and nice. I'm like, it's kind of hard. And we do it a specific way. And he's like, it's not that hard. It's just you flip. And I'm like, yeah, but we're kind of doing something. And then we start tussling with it. And I'm like, yeah, well, now you're stretching it. And it was a v-neck. And now you turn it into a scoop neck. And thank you. And I rip it away. And I'm like, then I fold it. He's like, oh, that was really hard. So it was so funny. Because it was like I was watching an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because he's being so annoying. So I start going off. And that's the point at which I let it go. But it started here. And then it went up to here, right? And we start going at it. And then he starts laughing. And I'm like, oh, this is funny to you, right? Oh, so you're a big, rich guy coming down here to my job. And laugh at the poor guy working. And I start going off. And he's like, no, no, we're done. And I'm like, I don't think we're done. You'll walk into my store and insult me. And then now you're going to lose the part. And then Jeff comes out. Well, so Jeff started to sense that. And he comes out from behind. He's like, no, no, no. Larry David is saying this audition is over. Get out. You said you wanted Jeff? I was like, hey, all right. That's awesome. What a great story. Who the hell is this guy? But Jeff was very nice. I could tell. He gave me a little sign or whatever where it looked pretty good. And so then I got to come to the scene. And it was so fun. I was so nervous because I was used to doing stuff with Randy. So I'm showing up on this set of a show that I love, that I think is just one of my favorite shows. I don't want to **** it up. I want to do a good job. And I'm sitting in the makeup chair. And Larry's right next to me. And it's quiet. No one's talking at all. And I'm like, I got to break the ice, man. I'm just sitting here. Normally, I'd be jovial with him and in the scene. And so out of nowhere, I just go, I hate the Lakers. He's like, oh, hate them the worst. And so then we start joking about that. Did you know he wouldn't like the Lakers? I think I saw from another episode that he kind of said that. The one where he's with the guy Mark from Studs, whatever. And their legs are like this. And they trip shack. Oh, yeah. They trip shack. Yeah. So I think it was from that episode. But it was from Rush. And I think he got some of that stuff out that he doesn't really like the Lakers. And so I just threw that out there because I didn't. I'm a Clippers fan. Always have been. And I did hate the Lakers at the time. And so I had a lot to say. We joked about that. It's like, all right, let's go to the scene. And so we get in the actual store. And the other part about acting is you go in and you have a script. And you're like, if the writer's there, you're like, I want to get the lines right. I want to be ripe. And then I want to be truthful to the acting. Well, with Curb, you don't have to worry about the lines. So you really have to listen. And you really have to sort of get the scene moving in the way that it's supposed to go. And then you have to just be real and react and trust that it's funny. And so we did a couple of takes. We did it nine times. I remember it was so fun. Whoa. That's it. Only nine, though. Because by the time Garland came to check on us and we were done. But I remember a second take, we did this thing. And I started getting this thing. And I'm like, oh, did you go to the folding seminar that I went to a week ago? And I'm like, yeah. Oh, I didn't see you there. That's so funny that you're acting like that because I was at a folding seminar. And he's like, that's Robert Whitey, who was the director, came over. It was like, that's all really funny. That's so great. But like, now you're being funny. He's like, it doesn't feel as real. So like, lose that. And you don't need to say that. And it just feels like you're going for a joke there. And I was like, oh, that's a good point. I mean, I was just trying to think what this person would say. And I really wasn't going for the joke. But I could see how it feels like that. He's like, we want it to feel real. And I was like, yes, yes, yes. So we would do it. So difficult. It's so difficult. So difficult to be funny and real. He's like, just trust it. He's like, trust that it's super funny. He's like, the scenario is super funny. Because Larry has to come in and get the Scorsese jacket for the reshoot. Yeah. That's the scene. And I have the jacket. And he's looking for the sweater after the fact. And then I get into a fight with him. And I won't sell him the jacket. That's the whole scene. I'm like, and don't send any of your friends in here because I'm not going to sell them the jacket. You're not getting the reshoot jacket. The whole reason why he was supposed to come in there. It's a great scene. And because he made it great. But he was pushing, pushing. And it was so fun. And there was a couple times where Larry was laughing. You don't have to consciously make a funny choice. Trust the scenario. And then just keep doing it. And then go hard into your intention. Go hard into whatever your goal is in this scene. And the harder you go into the goal, the funnier you will be. And it's got nothing to do with you saying a funny, clever thought. Do you remember Blyden's story? Oh, well, with Curb. Didn't he show up and he's like, I don't want to do this. We were like, I had like two sketch partners. They were great. And like, but we were like, we were struggling for anything to happen, you know? So one day, it's probably around the same time. You got your audition. Probably the same season. Mike gets the call. He's like, I have an audition. I think it was before I got it. Maybe it was season four. And then Mike gets the call. He's going in for Curb Your Enthusiasm. And like, you're just like, oh my God. Like, good things are going to happen for all of us. Like, this is insane. And Mike is just like, Mike's really funny. But he's a very odd bird. Odd bird. Odd bird. And really funny. And not somebody who's like driven by fame. Anything. Or anything. Or money. But he's super funny. And that's why he got the audition. Because he is funny. So funny. So he goes in and we come back. We're like, what happened? What happened? Did you get it? He's like, no, no, no. I didn't get it. I'm like, what happened? He's like, well. He's like, I went in there. And they're like, okay, you need to yell at Larry in the audition. And Mike's like, he tries. He's like, starts to maybe try to yell. And he's just like, I'm sorry. I can't. I can't yell at you. I just can't. Can't do it. And the woman who brought him in, the casting director's like, what are you doing? Yeah, what's going on? I brought you in for this. How about trying? Super awkward, super awkward. And then to kill the awkwardness, Larry David just goes, I got it. I get it. You don't want to yell at me. I wouldn't want to yell at you either. It's like, it's ridiculous. Why do we do it like this? And he's like, and Mike's like, I'm so sorry. He's like, I just can't. I can't yell at you. And then as Mike was walking down the hallway, he said, Larry David stuck his head out and was like, consider this a good audition.