This is a list of The Larry Sanders Show characters. References below to a crew position are references to the occupation of these fictional characters on the show-within-a-show, which also is named The Larry Sanders Show.
Lawrence "Larry" Sanders (born December 19, 1950 in Mound, Minnesota, and a graduate of the University of Minnesota), played by Garry Shandling, is the host of The Larry Sanders Show, a late-night talk show that has been on the air since 1987, airing at 11:30 PM, five days a week, on an unnamed network. He is 42 years old (as of the 1993 episode "The Breakdown (Part One)"), then 43 years old (as of the 1993 episode "Larry's Birthday"). His father is named Jerry and his brother is named Stan. His wives were Francine and Jeannie, from both of whom he is now divorced; he was briefly engaged to Roseanne Barr.
In the episode "The Garden Weasel", Larry shows his wife Jeannie a commercial that he did for Pan Am in 1979, in which he played a flight attendant. Also in the episode, Jeannie mentions that Larry once auditioned for the game show Make Me Laugh. In real life Shandling appeared on the show as a celebrity guest.
In the episode "Larry's Partner", it is mentioned that Larry began his career as a standup comedian and as part of a double act with his friend Stan Paxton. Larry and Stan recorded a comedy album together and had a bit called "The Man on the Street Meets the Man on the Moon". Larry broke up his act with Stan 15 years ago because Stan had a serious drinking problem and only joined the business to "get laid".
In the episode "The Promise", it is mentioned that Larry's first television appearance was on The Merv Griffin Show and that he later appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Also in the episode, Larry mentions that he discovered comedian David Spade while he was performing at the Comedy Store and gave him his first television appearance on his show. Spade went on to appear on the show at least six more times. Larry feels betrayed by Spade when he learns that Spade had appeared on The Tonight Show recently, but he forgives him when he recalls that he did the same thing by appearing on The Tonight Show after The Merv Griffin Show.