Airdate: Clear History

Showcase will screen Larry David’s film Clear History next month (that’s him on the right in case you were wondering). And Jon Hamm on the left!

The cast also includes Michael Keaton and plenty of references to the band Chicago.

This will screen Monday September 2 when Dexter and The Newsroom are on hiatus in the US, but Breaking Bad remains.

Clear History stars David (Curb Your Enthusiasm) as Nathan Flomm, a marketing executive at a start-up electric car company, who, after a petty argument with his boss, gives up his 10% of the shares. The company then goes on to make billions of dollars, leaving Flomm publicly humiliated, his life destroyed. Ten years later, he has changed his name to Rolly DaVore and moved to Martha’s Vineyard. All is well until something from his past threatens to disrupt his new life.

Larry David recalls, “I heard about a guy who owned 10% of Apple and sold his shares before the company took off. I thought that was funny, or, as my mother used to say, I happened to think that was funny.”

With the film almost entirely improvised, many of the actors, whose repertoires boast numerous comedic roles, found themselves in uncharted territory. Since most of the ensemble was accustomed to more fully scripted projects, the actors were thrilled by the unique opportunity to create more free-form performances. With the collaboration of comedic creative veterans Alec Berg, David Mandel, Jeff Schaffer, Bradley Thomas and Greg Mottola, the cast was excited to work directly with Larry David and explore the spontaneity of each scene, while staying true to the film’s original outline.

Jon Hamm, who plays Will Haney, Flomm’s boss and the founder of Electron Motors, observes “There was a blueprint and a framework, and it was fun to be able to fill in the blanks. Part of that fun is that anybody can riff a little or go off on a tangent, which can become a whole different thing.”

Kate Hudson plays Rhonda, Will Haney’s glamorous wife. She notes “I loved the idea of coming to work. It became a truly collaborative effort and was really fun.”

Having worked in comedy early in his career, Michael Keaton enjoyed getting back to his roots as Joe Stumpo, the erratic and eccentric operator of the quarry. “Working with Larry, Bill and Danny, there was always the chance of going off the road a little bit,” says Keaton.

Danny McBride, who plays Frank, Rolly’s best friend, observes, “Anything can happen from take to take. It’s not like you’ve read the script a million times and you already know what the scene’s gonna be. It’s like you’re watching the story and the movie comes alive right in front of you.”

Eva Mendes portrays Jennifer, who takes an offhand suggestion from Rolly (aka Nathan) a bit too seriously. “I’ve always wanted to work with Peter Sellers, Gene Wilder and Larry David,” she says. “Since Mr Sellers is no longer with us and Mr Wilder would not return my calls or texts, Mr David was the logical choice. He really is the best; he taught me so much. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work with him on this project and I love working this way. I never want to go back to scripted material.”

Directed by Greg Mottola, Clear History is written by Larry David, Alec Berg, David Mandel, and Jeff Schaffer. Executive producers are Greg Mottola, Bradley Thomas, Alec Berg, David Mandel, and Jeff Schaffer. Monica Levinson produces. Laura Streicher is associate producer.

Monday, September 2 at 8.30pm on Showcase.