Miniseries · HBO
Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: An Almost History of America
He can tell a lie.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Larry David
Various Characters
7 eps
Samuel L. Jackson
Voiceover (voice)
4 eps
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
1 eps
Richard Kind
Thomas Watson
1 eps
Chris Parnell
Benjamin Franklin
1 eps
Alan Tudyk
Thomas Jefferson
1 eps
Henry Winkler
John Hancock
1 eps
Jurnee Smollett
Rosa Parks
1 eps
Kaley Cuoco
Gloria - Widow
1 eps
Colton Dunn
Dominic - Soup Server
1 eps
Rich Fulcher
Tilden's Aide
1 eps
Allan Havey
Crowd Member 3
1 eps
Jimmy Kimmel
Crowd Member 1
1 eps
Rob Reiner
George Washington
1 eps
Jerry Seinfeld
William Clark
1 eps
Larry Wilmore
Barney
1 eps
Rita Wilson
Mavis Lewis
1 eps
James Fahselt
Chat & Cutter
1 eps
Matthew Jones
Tilden's Campaign Manager
1 eps
Jason Schiff
Crowd Member 2
1 eps
Lisa Schurga
Crowd Member 4
1 eps
Joseph Integlia
Statesman
1 eps
Jordan Black
Samuel Cooper
1 eps
Alan Blumenfeld
Senator Symington
1 eps
Lou DiMaggio
Colonial Man
1 eps
Sean Hayes
Wilbur Wright
1 eps
Rob Huebel
Senator Mundt
1 eps
Michael McKean
Michael Finney
1 eps
JB Smoove
Jonesey
1 eps
Andrew Clubok
Senator Potter
1 eps
Brad Morris
Joseph Warren
1 eps
Dean Sharpe
Amoire
1 eps
Ray Tezanos
British Officer
1 eps
Tru Valentino
Ottoman
1 eps
Bill Hader
Abraham Lincoln
1 eps
Kathryn Hahn
Mary Todd Lincoln
1 eps
Don Johnson
Doc Holliday
1 eps
Marc Menchaca
Joseph Clanton
1 eps
Timothy Olyphant
Wyatt Earp
1 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: An Almost History of America actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: An Almost History of America reads strongest on Humour, Serialized and Bingeability.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
The story
What it's about
An improvised, comedic approach to major events in American history in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E02
Farewell
Meriwether Lewis shares news of his upcoming travels with his long-suffering wife. Larry presses George Washington for answers.
- Directed by Jeff Schaffer
- Written by Jeff Schaffer, Larry David
S01E03
McCarthy
Larry crashes a party in Boston Harbor. Jonesy makes a stop on the Underground Railroad. The Wright Brothers prepare for their first flight. Senator Joe McCarthy calls out his fellow congressmen for their problematic conduct.
- Directed by Jeff Schaffer
- Written by Jeff Schaffer, Larry David
S01E04
Deepthroat
Bob Woodward receives some questionable intel. Henry Ford is forced to take a local mensch out for a test drive. Bachelor president James Buchanan tries his luck with the ladies. Vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk makes his mother a little too proud.
- Directed by Jeff Schaffer
- Written by Jeff Schaffer, Larry David
S01E01
Livingston
Robert Livingston takes a first pass at the Declaration of Independence. Rosa Parks settles in for an uncomfortable bus ride.
- Directed by Jeff Schaffer
- Written by Jeff Schaffer, Larry David
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S01E05
Lincoln
- Directed by Jeff Schaffer
- Written by Jeff Schaffer, Larry David
S01E04
Deepthroat
- Directed by Jeff Schaffer
- Written by Jeff Schaffer, Larry David
S01E03
McCarthy
- Directed by Jeff Schaffer
- Written by Jeff Schaffer, Larry David
S01E02
Farewell
- Directed by Jeff Schaffer
- Written by Jeff Schaffer, Larry David
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Barack ObamaExecutive Producer
- Jeff SchafferExecutive Producer
- Michelle ObamaExecutive Producer
- Ethan LewisExecutive Producer
- Larry DavidExecutive Producer
- Vinnie MalhotraExecutive Producer
Writing
- Jeff SchafferWriter
- Larry DavidWriter
Direction
- Jeff SchafferDirector
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- HBO Max Amazon ChannelStreaming
- HBO MaxStreaming
If you liked this
Similar Series
Series that share this one's texture, not just its genre tags.
DAVE
2020
Sharp comic writing · Shared creator
The WONDERfools
2026
Sharp comic writing
Rooster Fighter
2026
Sharp comic writing
Time Flies
2026
Sharp comic writing
Kiss or Die
2025
Sharp comic writing
The Chit Show
2025
Sharp comic writing
Boyfriend on Demand
2026
Sharp comic writing
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
2026
Sharp comic writing
Cat for Cash
2026
Sharp comic writing
Se tiene que morir mucha gente
2026
Sharp comic writing
My Magic Prophecy
2025
Sharp comic writing
Where to go from here
Watch Next
Our editors' suggestion for the show you should start tonight — and why.
Teach You a Lesson
2026
Need something lighter afterwards? Start here.
The Rookie
2018
Watch this next if you like protagonists you can't quite defend.
Ted Lasso
2020
Need something lighter afterwards? Start here.
Sex Education
2019
A palate cleanser with real writing behind the jokes.
Saturday Night Live
1975
Need something lighter afterwards? Start here.
Rick and Morty
2013
If the world-building is what held you, this is the next map to walk.
Never stop watching
Related Collections
No related collections yet
This title isn't in a published Nutevio collection yet. It will appear here automatically as soon as it is.
Join the conversation