Larry David of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Seinfeld” fame put his Prius where his mouth is — giving away the hybrid car in a contest aimed at increasing awareness of global warming.
David and his wife, Laurie, an environmental activist, surprised a class Wednesday at the University of California, Los Angeles, to award the car to medical student Erick Tarula.
Tarula, 24, of Azusa, registered for the yearlong Virtual March to Stop Global Warming, an online petition organized by Stop Global Warming. The group was co-founded by Laurie David to spur politicians to act on the issue.
Tarula “jumped up, he was all excited” when Larry David announced his name, Laurie David said Wednesday. The student told the class he drives a “gas-guzzling” truck and was eager to switch to the Prius, she said.
Larry David’s Toyota Prius was used in his HBO comedy series, “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” David co-created the NBC comedy “Seinfeld.”
The actor-writer remained true to his cantankerous “Curb Your Enthusiasm” character in reacting to the giveaway, an idea his wife said she came up with spontaneously and without consulting him.
“I’m still waiting for the moment when I’m supposed to feel good about this,” Laurie David quoted her husband as saying.
MTV’s college cable TV network, mtvU, a partner in the virtual march, filmed the couple’s visit to UCLA’s “Effective Methods of Social Change” class for the series “Stand In.” The episode will air May 9 on both mtvU and the broadband channel mtvU Uber.
More than 300,000 people and counting have signed up for the virtual march, said Laurie David.