Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Funkhouser Family Tree Explained

From Vince Vaughn’s Freddy Funkhouser to Chaz Bono’s Joey Funkhouser to “The Big Funk” himself, Bob Einstein’s Marty Funkhouser, Larry David’s HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm has introduced more Funkhousers than Davids. Marty Funkhouser was initially introduced as a deadpan “straight man” foil for Larry, thoroughly unimpressed with his wacky antics, and Einstein played that part to perfection. In the years that followed, the Funkhouser family was expanded to include all kinds of supporting characters, from other deadpan foils to characters with an even bigger personality than Larry’s.

Marty’s father Leo and his mother Ida were both killed off-screen – and, in both cases, Larry created a bunch of problems for Marty’s grieving process – but he has plenty of other relatives on the show. He has a sister, a cousin, a half-brother, and a son. There are plenty of Funkhousers in the cast of Curb Your Enthusiasm, from Larry’s dentist Dr. Saul Funkhouser to on-and-off mental patient Bam Bam Funkhouser, but it’s not immediately obvious how they’re all related to Marty.

Freddy Funkhouser Is Marty’s Half-Brother

Introduced in season 10, episode 5, “Insufficient Praise”

Freddy Funkhouser, played by Vince Vaughn, is Marty’s half-brother who first appeared in season 10, episode 5, “Insufficient Praise.” Whether he’s Marty’s half-brother on his father’s side or his mother’s side has never been clarified on the show, but they share half of the same DNA. Freddy is the most prominently featured Funkhouser in the series after Marty. He owns a mattress company whose success has earned him the nickname “The Mattress Champ,” and he also opened a hotel and consulted with Larry on the contents of the minibar in season 11.

Freddy was introduced into the Curb Your Enthusiasm cast after Bob Einstein passed away and the show needed another Funkhouser to join Larry’s social circle. In his three seasons on the show, Freddy has been featured in a bunch of hilarious storylines. In Curb Your Enthusiasm season 12, episode 5, “Fish Stuck,” he was dismayed to learn that his girlfriend who “works for Disney” is a professional cosplayer at the Disney Store, not an executive at the studio.

Joey Funkhouser Is Marty’s Son

Introduced in season 5, episode 2, “The Bowtie”

Marty’s only child, Joey, was first introduced as Jodi in season 5, episode 2, “The Bowtie,” played by The Big Bang Theory’s Mayim Bialik, who continued to play the role through season 6. Bialik appeared in season 6, episode 3, “The Ida Funkhouser Roadside Memorial,” during the funeral service for Marty’s mother (Joey’s grandmother) and season 6, episode 7, “The TiVo Guy,” in which Marty and Joey stop by Larry’s table at a restaurant to tell him they’re siding with Cheryl in the breakup. Joey identifies as bisexual, having dated both men and women throughout the series’ run.

In season 9, episode 4, “Running with the Bulls,” Marty mentioned that Jodi was transitioning to male and had adopted the name Joey. In season 10, episode 10, “The Spite Store,” the role was recast with Chaz Bono. Larry gave Joey a job at his spite store, Latte Larry’s, where he inadvertently started a fire with a self-heating mug and burned down the building.

Nan Funkhouser Is Marty’s Wife (Later Ex-Wife)

Introduced in season 4, episode 4, “The Weatherman”

When Marty is first introduced in Curb Your Enthusiasm season 4, he’s married to Nan Funkhouser, played by Ann Ryerson. Nan is Joey’s mother. She made her Curb Your Enthusiasm debut in season 4, episode 4, “The Weatherman.” Nan appeared alongside Marty at his father’s funeral in season 4, episode 5, “The 5 Wood,” and at Sammi’s bat mitzvah in season 6, episode 10, “The Bat Mitzvah.” In season 6, episode 1, “Meet the Blacks,” Nan instigated a round of The Newlywed Game that created problems for Larry and Cheryl’s marriage with a question about infidelity.

Nan appeared alongside Marty in almost all of his Curb appearances until they got a divorce around the same time as Larry and Cheryl in season 8, episode 1, “The Divorce.” After Larry suggested that Nan should join Marty on an upcoming business trip to London – which he was looking forward to enjoying alone – Marty realized he was unhappy in his marriage and decided to end it. That was the last time Nan appeared in the show as it then focused on Marty adjusting to the single life.

Bam Bam Is Marty’s Sister

Introduced in season 7, episode 1, “Funkhouser’s Crazy Sister”

Catherine O’Hara only ever appeared in one episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm – season 7, episode 1, “Funkhouser’s Crazy Sister” – but she was the centerpiece of that episode. She played Marty’s eponymous sister, Bam Bam Funkhouser, who has recently been released from a psychiatric hospital at the beginning of the episode. Larry learns the hard way that one can’t make an empty gesture to a Funkhouser, because they’ll take them up on it. After offering a generic platitude, Larry is roped into paying Bam Bam a visit and spending an afternoon with her.

During the visit, while Larry is in the kitchen, Jeff makes a similar empty gesture and ends up having sex with Bam Bam. This creates an awkward situation when Marty gets himself invited to Jeff and Susie’s dinner party and brings Bam Bam along. She blurts out that she had sex with Jeff in the middle of dinner, which understandably provokes Susie’s ire.

Dr. Saul Funkhouser Is Marty’s Cousin

Introduced in season 4, episode 4, “The Weatherman”

Dr. Saul Funkhouser, played by Frasier’s Saul Rubinek, is Marty’s cousin. Saul was introduced in Curb Your Enthusiasm season 4, episode 4, “The Weatherman,” and reappeared at Marty’s dad’s funeral in season 4, episode 5, “The 5 Wood,” where he gave a touching eulogy that hilariously set up a classic Larry faux pas. Saul is also Larry’s dentist. He upset Larry at an appointment when he rolled up his sleeve and ruined the cuff’s clinging ability, which made for a classic Curb disagreement over a nothing issue.

Kenny Funkhouser Is Marty’s Nephew

Introduced in season 9, episode 2, “The Pickle Gambit”

In Curb Your Enthusiasm season 9, episode 2, “The Pickle Gambit,” Marty introduces Larry to “the jewel of the Funkhouser family tree,” his nephew Kenny Funkhouser, played by Niall Cunningham. Where Marty is “The Big Funk,” Kenny is “The Little Funk.” Kenny is a talented pitcher with a bright future ahead, but he doesn’t last more than a few minutes in Larry’s house before the elbow of his pitching arm is broken in a jar-opening incident. Much like Marty’s parents, Kenny dies off-screen after getting trampled while running with the bulls in Pamplona.