Those who underestimate Cazzie David would be remiss to do so.
The LA-based writer and actress has made a name for herself in the last year – not because of who her father is (it’s Larry David if you didn’t already know), but because her original web series, Eighty Sixed, perfectly captured the millennial experience in every, single, episode.
David co-wrote and starred in the series alongside pal Elisa Kalani, who she met years earlier at university.
While both girls were working as production assistants on HBO’s latest season of Curb when they wrote Eighty Sixed – there was no help or financial handout from anyone influential when the time came time to produce, direct, and distribute the series.
Both David and Kalani wrote and produced the low-budget show themselves, often forgoing music for many of the episodes, as it was too expensive to purchase on their low budget.
Eighty Sixed was critically praised in its own right for its ongoing insight into life as a neurotic millennial in the digital and social media age, and now this hard work has paid off, translating into an all-new series that has just been picked up by Amazon Studios.
Exclusive: Cazzie David to Star and Write Amazon Comedy Series https://t.co/IeXo35XqHt pic.twitter.com/Sgl4TnATdJ
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 12, 2018
I am so here for this ???? If you don't already watch EIGHTY SIXED you gotta https://t.co/0g4V47A9gu https://t.co/iIy4X0rxhe
— kit kittredge (@prollynever) March 12, 2018
Half Empty will follow the life of a girl in her last year of university who has a proclivity for catastrophic thinking, that more often than not, leads to a number of crazy scenarios.
Again, Cazzie will write, star in, and produce the show. Sarah Heyward of Girls fame will also join both writers as the showrunner. Papa David will be nowhere to be seen.
Sure, it sounds a little like Seinfeld meets Curb Your Enthusiasm, but nepotism only gets you so far. Haters are quick to judge because it’s made all the easier by Cazzie’s humour being so close to David’s… wry and dry.
During the release of Eighty Sixed, viewers most likely tuned in because of the Larry David connection, but what kept them coming back was the lol-worthy content created by both women. No doubt Half Empty will find itself in a similar position.
While Cazzie has received several comparisons to her famous father due to their similar view on life, germs, and people in general – it’s important to remember that these similarities don’t automatically lead to job opportunities.
There’s no denying that growing up with the creator of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm would certainly allow for a smooth introduction into the world of film and television, but having a famous father doesn’t equate for talent.
It doesn’t help you conjure creative insights and ideas. And it doesn’t keep you at the top of the job board. If anything, you have more to prove.
If Cazzie had ventured into the world of television and been hopelessly untalented, it would have been a bloodbath – one she’d most likely never hear the end of.
Eighty Sixed and now Half Empty have given Cazzie her own identity. Instead of tearing her down, let’s encourage and support the women of this world who want to create funny, insightful, and entertaining content that distracts us from the everyday. Even if it’s just for an hour.