Carol Leifer: Oscars, ‘SNL,’ ‘Seinfeld,’ ‘Curb,’ ‘Hacks’ and More

Carol Leifer has been a working stand-up comedian and writer for nearly 50 years. And she shows no signs of slowing down. After winning her first-ever Emmy Award in 2024 for her work on ‘Hacks,’ Leifer, 68, is currently toiling away in the writers’ room for her 11th Academy Awards ceremony, this one airing live with host Conan O’Brien on March 2. And she is about to release a new book that attempts to teach people ‘How to Write a Funny Speech’ for the big events in their own lives. In this episode, Leifer looks back at her extensive comedy career, including her one season as a writer on ‘Saturday Night Live’s’ “weird year,” her role as a “real-life Elaine” behind-the-scenes at ‘Seinfeld,’ why she tried to talk Larry David into keeping ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ alive, what she makes of ‘Curb’ star Cheryl Hines embracing the MAGA movement alongside her husband Robert F. Kennedy Jr., channeling her experience with aging into Jean Smart’s Deborah Vance on ‘Hacks,’ and a lot more.

Pre-order Carol Leifer’s new book ‘How to Write a Funny Speech’

Follow Carol Leifer  on Instagram @carolleifer 

Follow Matt Wilstein on Bluesky @mattwilstein 

Follow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod and Threads @lastlaughpod

Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.