Hollywood exploited Kanye West; his HBO acting debut was axed, says Seinfeld writer who worked with rapper pre-Kardashians

Indian Express

13-07-2025

Kanye West has been trying to claw his way back into the spotlight after his antisemitic rants and social media tirades got him blacklisted across the industry, with major brands dropping him from ambassador roles. The rapper's been constantly neck-deep in lawsuits and controversies, and while his image has taken a hit, comedy writer Larry Charles, who once worked with him, remembers a very different Kanye. ' A sweetheart with no signs of the hate-fueled mess he later became.' The Seinfeld scribe said he, like many fans, was stunned by the transformation, thinking back to 2008, when Kanye was still grounded and knew exactly what he was doing.
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The Curb Your Enthusiasm writer recently spoke to Page Six and recalled meeting Kanye for the first time while he was working on Entourage. Back then, Ye was 'sweet, funny, self-aware,' and chill, this is pre-Kardashians,' Charles noted, referencing the rapper's headline-grabbing relationship and messy divorce with Kim Kardashian. The first thing Kanye told him was, 'I'm the Black Larry David.' Charles remembered him constantly cracking stories about putting his foot in his mouth and having to apologise. A few hours later, the two found themselves planning a half-hour improv comedy based on Kanye's life for HBO. Charles described it as 'his life as a comical horror story.' The cast was ready to roll, with Curb's JB Smoove also on board. 'Everybody got along great,' Charles said. 'And Kanye—he was actually a dream to work with. I even considered him a friend at that point.'
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However, the project was shelved after HBO passed on it, and now Larry Charles can't help but wonder how different Kanye West's life could've looked if it had taken off. Speaking about where the rapper stands today, he said, 'There's all these little things, these little changes in life that sort of have these gigantic consequences,' before adding, 'And so, again, he's somebody who has veered off into this direction, and clearly there are mental health issues.' Over the last few years, Kanye has jumped from one project to another. His Yeezy is battling multiple lawsuits from former employees citing unfair treatment, wrongful dismissal, and even harassment. He's made headlines for pushing hateful ideologies, public meltdowns, praising Hitler, and parading his wife, Bianca Censori, around in bizarre stunts. Despite it all, Larry Charles wants people to remember the Kanye he once knew. 'He's a golden goose, and golden gooses in Hollywood are exploited. Nobody steps up to help them, pull them out of the limelight, and actually get them help. Instead, they just keep squeezing because he still makes money,' he said.