In a teaser for their new HBO show, Barack Obama wonders whether Larry David has any other friends.
Obama appears in the promotional video for Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness, a limited comedy series executive-produced by David, Jeff Schaffer, and the Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions, out June 26.
The former president doesn’t get to talk much about the series itself in the teaser, however, since he is interrupted by David. “I’m just a producer on this show, so I don’t have to deal with him day to day,” Obama says, teeing up the new series, “but still, it’s a lot.”
That’s when David comes, shouting, “44!” to his attention.
“Can I put you down as my emergency contact?” David asks him, out of nowhere. “Why would you do that?” Obama replies, in lieu of answering.
“Well, because if they see your name, they’ll be more inclined to help,” David tells him, matter-of-factly. Obama is not convinced by the explanation.
“Yeah, but that means they’re bothering me,” he tells David, who Obama says he’s seen “call 911 when you had something in your eye.”
The Curb Your Enthusiasm star insisted that that was a real emergency. “ I had it for an hour. It was driving me crazy. What was I supposed to do?”
An exasperated Obama asks in reply, “Don’t you know other people who like you?” When David admits, “no,” Obama gives up, exasperated, replying “The answer is no, Larry.”
David says he’ll just “ask Michelle,” as Obama tells him, plain-faced, “Good luck with that.”
“You see what I’m dealing with here? Impossible,” Obama tells the camera.
The limited series will be David’s first return to HBO since Curb ended its 13th season in 2024. He joked in a statement announcing the project, “Once Curb ended, I celebrated with a three-day foam party. After a violent allergic reaction to the suds, I yearned to return to my simple life as a beekeeper, harvesting organic honey from the wildflowers in my meadow. Alas, one day my bees mysteriously vanished. And so, it is with a heavy heart that I return to television, hoping to ease the loss of my beloved hive.”
The show’s logline jokes that the “President and Mrs. Obama wanted to honor America’s 250th anniversary and celebrate the unique history of our nation on this special occasion… But then Larry David called.”
David wrote the series with Schaffer, his Curb showrunner and producer, and will star in its six half-hour episodes.
The first look at the series appeared in HBO’s December 2026 slate teaser, which features a clip of Jerry Seinfeld on-screen with David, dressed in period garb. Like Curb, the series will rely heavily on improvisation, a sneak peek at SXSW in March revealed, as it revisits various historical moments in American history.
David joked at the festival that he had to put his foot down when Obama offered him notes on one of his sketches. He said he told the president, “I’m president here.”
Each episode of Life, Liberty will feature around four sketches with a rotating cast. Curb regulars Jeff Garlin, J.B. Smoove, and Susie Essman will make appearances, as will other familiar faces, including Bill Hader, Kathryn Hahn, Jon Hamm, and Sean Hayes.
