After 30 years in comedy Garlin has developed a reputation for improvisational acting. He’s starred in several comedy specials including Young and Handsome. He’s also dipped his toes in films starring in Safety Not Guaranteed and the animated feature ParaNorman.
While Garlin is an Emmy nominee with a niche level of fame, his work has a warmth and appeal that makes him relatable.
Curb Your Enthusiasm
When the first Curb Your Enthusiasm special premiered on HBO in 1999, Larry David (who also co-created Seinfeld) opened it by describing the show as “a show about nothing.” That’s actually a bit of a lie: The series focuses on many things.
The series builds on a carefully crafted plot outline, but leaves room for the actors to improvise and create their own comedy. This is known as retroscripting, and it’s been a key to the show’s success. The result is a hilarious, self-mocking, giggly comedy that’s often more akin to Colombo than to a talk show.
Susie Essman plays Jeff Greene’s shrill, short-tempered wife, who frequently clashes with Larry. She also fervently defends traditional moral standards, such as marital fidelity and fealty to home and hearth. Other recurring and guest stars include Bryan Cranston, Bob Odenkirk, Michael McKean, Nick Offerman, Catherine O’Hara, Chaz Bono, and Tracey Ullman.
This Netflix movie is more of a showcase for Garlin than a true story, although it does have its funny moments. When a babysitter is dismembered and arranged on a suburban lawn, detective Handsome (Jeff Garlin) investigates with a mix of wit and ignorance. Besides Garlin, the film features an all-star lineup of comedians and celebrities, including Amy Sedaris and Natasha Lyonne. It’s not intended to be a documentary, but rather a lighthearted police spoof.
Handsome: A Netflix Mystery Movie
Garlin has a gift for the absurd, combining an agreeable air of relaxed looseness with the kind of off-kilter humor that can be downright silly. His dry delivery and penchant for poking fun at awkward moments have helped him carve out a career in comedy, starring on the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm and directing films like I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With and Dealing with Idiots. But those talents don’t translate well to this low-budget, sluggishly paced crime drama/comedy.
Handsome follows LA homicide detective Gene Handsome, who’s trying to navigate his mildly disturbed suburban existence and solve the murder of his neighbor’s babysitter while also dealing with his own issues. While the 123movies film lacks shootouts or a car chase, it does feature plenty of Columbo-style detective work, with Handsome following hunches and questioning eccentric neighbors.
The movie is occasionally funny, but it’s mostly just a dull, plodding mess. Garlin tries to balance broad genre parody and character-driven comedy, but his efforts aren’t quite in sync. The story isn’t complex enough to build tension, and it doesn’t have the requisite satirical bite to make it genuinely humorous.
Garlin does deliver some zingers, but most of the jokes play out in slow, sleepy rambles that don’t build to their intended punchlines. Even the best actors in the cast can’t save the movie from its dreary, sluggish pace and abysmal writing.
The Goldbergs
Garlin, who plays Larry David’s very voluble sidekick on Curb Your Enthusiasm and the grumpy father on The Goldbergs, co-wrote and directed this made-for-Netflix movie. He also stars as a modern-day LA gumshoe, a role he also played in the original series. The film also stars Natasha Lyonne, Kaley Cuoco, Steven Weber, Amy Sedaris and Leah Remini.
Garlin has a long history in television, appearing on shows such as Everybody Loves Raymond, King of the Hill and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He began his career in stand-up comedy but moved to films after he graduated from Chicago’s Second City Training Center. He first appeared in 1992’s Straight Talk starring Dolly Parton and James Woods, then starred in Hero in 1993. He went on to appear in films such as Robocop 3 and Little Big League.
The Goldbergs, which Garlin created and wrote for, aired on ABC from 2007 to 2023. He wrote and directed his first feature in 2007, I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With, a comedy about a comedian’s unnatural obsession with food.
Garlin grew up in suburban Illinois, and his show reflects that. The Goldbergs takes place in Jenkintown, and it shows the realities of suburbia through a pre-teen’s and, later, teenager’s eyes. Garlin’s character, Murray, has a pronounced twang and lists “eating puddin’ and taking naps” among his favorite hobbies.
Repeat After Me
After growing up in Florida, Garlin moved to Chicago to study comedy at the Second City theater. He appeared in a few small roles in TV before landing a series regular role on Mad About You as Marvin from 1997 to 1999. He also acted in a few movies before getting his big break when he joined forces with Larry David to create Curb Your Enthusiasm in 2000.
Garlin’s co-starring role as Jeff Greene, David’s self-involved manager, and his other work on the show led him to a number of guest appearances and recurring roles in both TV and film. He has voiced characters in a few animated films including ParaNorman, Wall-E, and Toy Story 3. He’s also been featured on the hit ABC sitcom The Goldbergs and is a regular on the HBO series Mr. Robot.
Garlin has a new Netflix mystery movie called Repeat After Me that’s available for streaming now. It stars Brad Paisley, Ellen Pompeo, Taye Diggs, and others in funny situations caught on camera. The soundtrack is full of catchy songs with lyrics that incorporate clever phonetic tricks and homophones. The Weeknd sings the interlude “Repeat After Me,” which is about a love affair that may have gone sour. The protagonist seems conflicted but determined to hold onto the relationship and promises the woman he loves that she will always be his.
