Jeff Garlin of “Curb” and “The Goldbergs” gives Chicago Humanities “Best Seat In The House”

Photos by Andy Argyrakis

For over 35 years, the Chicago Humanities Fall Festival has pushed the envelope when it comes to cultural, creative and connective presentations of every stripe, drawing together local, national or international artists and audiences at various venues.

The National Museum of Mexican Art and Thalia Hall in Pilsen, plus The University of Chicago in Hyde Park and Northwestern University in Evanston are the local neighborhood locations for this year’s “festival days,” in addition to standalone programming running through Saturday, November 14.

One major marquee name who came to the latter’s Cahn Auditorium was the Windy City’s own comedian/actor/author Jeff Garlin, known all the world over from “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “The Goldbergs,” “Arrested Development,” “Mad About You,” numerous movies and voiceovers.

Though those top-ranking television shows certainly factored into a chat moderated by Mark Bazer of WTTW’s “The Interview Show,” the theme more specifically revolved around his newest book, “Best Seat In The House,” which features one-of-a-kind, completely candid photographs and humorous anecdotes surrounding a life in showbiz.

For a guy who frequently rubs shoulders with the illustrious likes of Larry David, Mel Brooks, Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Silverman, Bruce Springsteen and many other noteworthy names, there was definitely never a dull moment, on top of a razor-sharp wit that’s been honed since the formative days of performing at The Second City and working the box office alongside Stephen Colbert.

In fact, the spirit of improv noticeably permeated the entire comical conversation, especially when the slide projector wasn’t working properly and fans called out their favorite “Curb” scenes he couldn’t really remember, as did witty observations about the area, which was certainly fitting considering the headliner’s latest Netflix special is named “Jeff Garlin: Our Man in Chicago.”

When the event concluded, Garlin moved to the lobby to mingle and sign copies of the coffee table-styled book, allowing anyone interested to take home a personalized souvenir of another milestone Chicago Humanities memory.

For additional information on Jeff Garlin, visit JeffGarlin.com.

Chicago Humanities Fall Festival continues at various venues through Saturday, November 14. For additional details, visit ChicagoHumanities.org.