Silicon Valley’s Zach Woods improvised most of Jared’s backstory 

At the beginning of Silicon Valley, Jared, played by Zach Woods, wasn’t too dissimilar from Richard. Both were timid and reserved, although Jared often played the optimistic yin to Richard’s pessimistic yang. But over time, Jared’s eccentricities were slowly revealed, like his sexual prowess, simmering rage, and talent for improvisation. According to Silicon Valley co-creator Mike Judge, a lot of that backstory came from Woods himself. We spoke with Woods and Judge about Jared’s character development on the red carpet for season five’s premiere.