While it ’s in peril of being overshadowed in the age of streaming , HBO has been the place to some of the groovy TV comedies ever made . Long before Netflix off all the bound of TV production , HBO absent most of them . The premium cable mesh that market itself as “ not TV ” allowed for originative exemption , experimentations with the shape , and uncensored adult content .

Larry David ’s showCurb Your Enthusiasmrevolutionized the single - camera drollery , Veepbrought the piercing political irony ofThe Thick of Itstateside , andBarryhas encounter the improbable connective tissue paper between improv and contract killing . HBO ’s comedies have open fan a net ton of iconic character over the year .

Gene Cousineau (Barry)

While Bill Hader has been giving a stellar lead performance inBarry , the show ’s funniest character is the eponymous ex - hitman ’s act coach , Gene Cousineau , played hysterically by Henry Winkler .

Throughout the series , Gene has playact as a kind of father figure to Barry , even though he ’s frequently shown himself to be ego - centered and sort of a jerk .

Jared Dunn (Silicon Valley)

There are plenty of hilarious characters on the Pied Piper team inSilicon Valley , from the socially awkward CEO Richard to the oft - bullied programmer Dinesh to the Satan - worshipping Gilfoyle . But arguably the show ’s funniest character is Jared Dunn , who left Hooli to conjoin Pied Piper .

Zach Woods play him as quintessentially savourless and mild - mannered , which juxtaposes bright with his surprising prowess on the date picture . “ This hombre f**ks ! ”

Murray Hewitt (Flight of the Conchords)

Played by the masterfully deadpan Rhys Darby , Murray Hewitt is the dim - witted managing director of Flight of the Conchords . His day job is deputy ethnical attaché in New York City ’s New Zealand consulate , and he ’s much better at that than managing the dance orchestra .

Murray is really passionate about the band and get them gigs , despite the fact that he ’s almost entirely incompetent at the basic requirements of the job .

Amy Jellicoe (Enlightened)

One of the most underrated shows in HBO ’s story is the half - 60 minutes dramedyEnlightened , which starred Laura Dern as Amy Jellicoe , an challenging office highflier who has a nervous breakdown at body of work and returns to the company after rehabilitation , albeit with a much low position on the corporate run .

As always , Dern gave a terrific public presentation inEnlightened . It ’s just a ignominy that not a hatful of viewers tuned in , so it only lasted for two seasons .

Leon Black (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

In the 6th time of year ofCurb Your Enthusiasm , Larry David took in a family that lost their place in the hurricane . He also took in their brother , Leon , who was already living in L.A. and stay in Larry ’s household long after the rest of his family left . He has since become Larry ’s streetwise crony .

J.B. Smoove ’s tight - paced ad - libs made him a staring conniption forthe improvised humankind ofCurb , while his on - screen door chemistry with the real David is off the chart . He was a former addition toCurb , but now it ’s unsufferable to conceive of the show without him .

Borat Sagdiyev (Da Ali G Show)

Sacha Baron Cohen ’s now - iconic on - camera clowning , feared by public figures across the existence who could be lured into a trap by one of the comedian ’s darling creation , originated on HBO ’s airwaves onDa Ali G Show .

While Ali G , Borat , and Brüno are all fantastic characters who have brought out the enshroud prejudice of interviewees , the funniest of them all is undoubtedly the Kazakhstani newsman .

Larry Sanders (The Larry Sanders Show)

Garry Shandling was responsible for one of the most spot - on satires of late - night television with his lead performance inThe Larry Sanders Showopposite Jeffrey Tambor and Rip Torn .

Larry ’s clashes with his conscientious objector - workers and the fame Guest on his show always raised a few chortle , while the series itself bring meta - ness into the mainstream .

Kenny Powers (Eastbound and Down)

Danny McBride had made a name for himself play patronage roles in Apatow clowning when he was given the chance to develop his own half - hour show for HBO.Eastbound and Downfocuses on Kenny Powers , a disgraced Major League pitcher who returns to his hometown to instruct gymnasium .

As he claw his way back into professional baseball , Kenny get into increasingly hideous antics . The derisory lengths he ’ll go to for a system are endlessly screaming .

Selina Meyer (Veep)

Julia Louis - Dreyfus broke the so - call “ Seinfeldcurse ” that purportedly prevented any of the originative situation comedy ’s cast member from starring in another successful series when she occupy the lead role in HBO ’s political satireVeep .

Selina Meyer begin the series in the federal agency of Vice President , but she later becomes the President and , after that , leave her political calling behind . She was never anything less than hysterically funny throughout the show ’s intact run .

Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

Larry DavidleftSeinfeldafter its seventh seasonand return to the standup stage , which eventually led to a special on HBO that was intercut withimprovised scenes from David ’s life sentence . This led to the conception of a half - hr series revolving aroundDavid ’s retell ego .

The idiot box version of Larry has become a mouth for what people consider in unremarkable situations , but do n’t say due to the restriction of social convention . He has a terminal figure for everything : “ blockade and chat , ” “ chat and cut off , ” “ medium talking , ” “ outfit tracker ”   — the listing sound on .

NEXT : moderate Your Enthusiasm ’s 10 Darkest Storylines , Ranked

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HBO comedy characters - featured image

Gene in Barry

Rhys Darby in Flight of the Conchords

Laura Dern in Enlightened

JB Smoove in Curb Your Enthusiasm

Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat

Garry Shandling as Larry Sanders

An image of Kenny Powers talking on the phone in Eastbound and Down

Selina Meyer behind her desk in Veep

Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm