Seinfeld Reference: The Complete Encyclopedia (10 page)

Although it became Seinfeld's dream to be a stand-up comedian, he kept the ambition silent and never became the funniest boy in school.  In private, he memorized comedy routines, recited jokes from "Martin & Rowin's Laugh-In," studied comedic rhythm and timing, and practiced impersonations of Yogi Bear.  Seinfeld rehearsed routines with friends, and also devised a comedy bit where he taped interviews with his pet parakeet.  The appreciation of creating a comedic gem became an insatiable desire after one of Seinfeld's jokes caused a friend to spray milk and cookies in an uncontrollable fit of laughter.  He also entertained peers during a 1971 trip to Israel, and befriended students who later became stand-up comedians.

Comedy - Early Years

After graduating a semester early from Massapequa High School in 1972, Seinfeld enrolled in the Radio and Television program at the State University of New York.  Two years later he transferred to Queens College, where an independent study class in stand-up comedy changed his future.  In 1976 the collegiate honors student graduated with a bachelor's degree in theater and communication arts.  Eighteen years later he was invited to deliver a commencement speech at his alma mater and received an honorary doctorate degree.  Ironically, the doctorate did not originate from his academic prowess as a dean's-list student; rather, it was the product of Seinfeld's successful comedy career that commenced at Manhattan comedy clubs during his sophomore year of college.

Immediately after college, Seinfeld participated in open-mike night at Manhattan's Catch a Rising Star, and froze like a deer in headlights.  After a dumbfounded and uncomfortable pause, the tongue-tied aspiring comedian could only utter the topics he memorized for the act--beach, driving, shopping, dogs, parents--and then walked off stage.  Much to his surprise, the audience applauded the absurdity of his unusual 90-second performance and he was complimented by colleagues.  This unexpected show of support provided enough incentive for Seinfeld to unrelentingly pursue mastery of the profession.

Seinfeld spent the next three months writing new material and incessantly practiced before appearing onstage.  He slowly honed the art of writing and delivering solid jokes while working his way through the ranks with performances in restaurants and small comedy clubs.  Since the pay was atrocious for novice comics--he often worked for free or minimal pay just to be onstage–Seinfeld held various odd jobs to survive.  He selected the worst jobs possible to motivate himself to succeed at comedy, such as a lightbulb telemarketer, street corner umbrella salesman, peddler of illegal costume jewelry (working out of a cart on wheels to facilitate fast getaways from the police), and waiter at a midtown Brew and Burger on 53rd and Third.  However, Seinfeld boldly admits that if he failed at comedy, he probably would have found a job in advertising.

The fledgling comedian spent his spare time with other comedians discussing their chosen profession and exchanging jokes.  He spent considerable time at a coffee shop with Larry David and Larry Miller examining the oddities of life and subtleties of observational humor.  Seinfeld and David became good friends because they were able to spend hours analyzing mundane trivialities that were of no importance to anyone but themselves.  In September 1976 Seinfeld was hired as an emcee for two nightly shows at The Comic Strip.  Despite earning only $70 per week, he immediately quit his noontime waiter position to concentrate on comedy.

As a struggling comedian, Seinfeld lived at home with his parents because he could not afford an apartment.  While developing his trademark comedic style, he progressively gained additional employment, and in the spring of 1977, rented an apartment on 129 West 81st.  Once Seinfeld developed a name for himself, he joined the comedy club circuit and spent considerable time on the road performing at nightclubs across the country.  He met future friend Jay Leno during a performance at the Laugh Stop in Newport Beach, California.

Figure 4 Jerry Seinfeld

Later that year, Seinfeld performed his first television stand-up comedy act for the pilot "Celebrity Cabaret" (the pilot was unsold and never aired).  The show was filmed in Long Island, New York and promoted as “a weekly fast-paced TV series of entertainment, comedy, song and drama, featuring well-known show business personalities.”  Seinfeld’s performance included a comedy routine of a father-son duo commandeering a bumper car (which he subsequently used in the opening monologue of "The Subway" episode nearly 15 years later).  Although the television show was abysmal, it illustrates the timelessness of Seinfeld’s routine and the continuous effort toward perfection on certain comedic topics.

Three years later Seinfeld had 25 minutes of solid material and a strong audience base, but felt his opportunities were limited in the New York City comedy market, so he permanently moved to the west coast.  While living in Los Angeles, Seinfeld once again struggled to survive.  Working for $40 per night at every conceivable comedy club--The Improv, The Comedy Store, the Laugh Factory--he also auditioned for television roles during the day.  After a dismal year, Seinfeld was nearly destitute when a casting director for "Benson" saw his performance and offered the comic $4,000 per week to appear as Frankie, a messenger and aspiring joke writer.  After four lackluster performances, Seinfeld appeared on the studio set for a table-reading, only to discover that he had been axed from the show.

Comedy - Early Success

Although devastated by the unceremonious "Benson" termination, Seinfeld returned to the comedy club circuit.  His first big break came in April 1981 when a "Tonight Show" producer saw the act and signed the comedian to a five-minute appearance on the incomparable late-night talk show.  For the next month Seinfeld practiced, refined, and rehashed the same material to ensure a flawless performance.  On May 7, 1981 he debuted for the first of 33 appearances on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson."  Seinfeld has a combined total of over 50 appearances on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "Late Show with David Letterman."  The national exposure made Seinfeld a hot commodity on the comedy club and college campus circuit, which launched a tireless continental tour involving performances six nights per week.

The road to success began in 1980 when Seinfeld signed with manager George Shapiro, future executive producer of the television series "Seinfeld."  While methodically pursuing a career, Seinfeld gradually worked his way from small nightclubs to headlining 15,000-seat arenas and amphitheaters.  In 1987 he starred in the HBO special, "Jerry Seinfeld's Stand-up Confidential," which paved the way for hosting several other television and cable comedy specials.  The following year he was voted America's Best Male Comedy Club Performer, and signed a deal to host another HBO special.  Seinfeld's top honor was an American Comedy Award as Funniest Male Stand-Up Comic, making the arduous 300-days-per-year performance schedule worthwhile.

"Seinfeld" Sitcom

At the pinnacle of Seinfeld's comedic stardom, NBC executives viewed him as the next Bob Newhart and suggested a comedy special.  Seinfeld had no clue about television concepts, so he consulted with fellow comedic friend Larry David, who had experience writing for "Saturday Night Live" and "Fridays."  They began ruminating various ideas at the Westway Diner, and while perusing the grocery store aisles, David suggested a story line about the daily activities of a stand-up comic and how he gets material for a routine.

Unlike the supporting cast, during the sitcom’s Christmas recess and the summer hiatus, Seinfeld did not audition for movie roles or participate in other acting projects.  Instead, he hit the road for a comedy tour, which in 1993 was commanding six figures per night on a 20-show concert tour.  Seinfeld rarely took vacations, except European trips to tour a Porsche factory or purchase sports cars.  Although his managers foresaw a career comparable to Billy Crystal with feature film exposure, Seinfeld never found this career direction very appealing, partially due to his limited acting talents.

For his self-portrayed role on "Seinfeld," the comedian received considerable industry recognition.  He garnered five Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series; two Golden Globe Awards as Best Actor in a Television Comedy Series (1993, 1994); American Comedy Award as Funniest Male Performer in a Television Series/Lead Role (1992, 1993), and American Television Award for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy (1993).

Publishing

In 1993 Seinfeld made his publishing debut with
SeinLanguage
.  The book, which was nothing more than an elongated version of his comedy routine or stand-up clips from his hit television show, earned him a $1.5 million advance.  The critical reviews commended Seinfeld for clean material but anguished over the lack of actual comedy and repetition of regurgitated material.  Nevertheless, the general public pushed the monologue primer onto the best-seller's list, selling over 1.2 million copies.  The tome became the year's third best-selling non-fiction hardcover title, and stayed on
The New York Times
best seller list for 33 weeks (five weeks at the #1 position).

Wealth and Expenditures

By 1993 Seinfeld was earning seven figures pitching credit cards for American Express.  The bulk of his wealth originated from the "Seinfeld" syndication contract, American Express endorsements, and $1 million per episode salary in the show's final year.  By series end, he earned approximately $66 million and in the final two seasons alone, amassed an estimated $94 million.  In 1997 Seinfeld ranked No. 6 by
Forbes
magazine in their analysis of the richest people in show business.

Although not known as an extravagant spender and often considered a minimalist, Seinfeld limits his indulgence to a few select items of personal, though not practical, importance, such as owning 60 vintage cars (25 Porsches) that are stored in a hangar at the Santa Monica airport.  Ever since childhood, Seinfeld had a proclivity toward vintage automobiles, specifically Porsches, but was hesitant to purchase the first one because it seemed like the car of a swinging orthodontist.

Another major expenditure was a home.  Upon moving to California, Seinfeld rented a cozy, two-bedroom, split-level apartment in West Hollywood.  Thereafter, he purchased and remodeled a 6,500 square foot Hollywood Hills home, which was left basically unfurnished.  Meanwhile, in 1988 he purchased a New York residence at a high-tech, 15th floor condominium at 230 Central Park West, The Bolivar.  A decade later Seinfeld sold the California abode and returned to New York where he purchased a 3,900 square foot, $4.5 million terraced co-op in Beresford, an exclusive Upper West side Manhattan enclave on West 81st Street.  The duplex, which covers the 19th and 20th floors, has three bedrooms, a library, maid's room, and wood-burning fireplace.  The exclusive high-rise abode formerly belonged to violist Isaac Stern, and is home to the likes of Beverly Sills and John McEnroe.

One final obsession, though less expensive than the prior, is footwear.  Since the age of six, sporting Keds shoes, Seinfeld was a sneaker fanatic and insisted that his mother travel across town to purchase unique pairs which other kids did not own.  To this day, Seinfeld hoards Nike sneakers, having at least four dozen pairs of size 10½ shoes.  He is jokingly referred to as the Imelda Marcos of Nike sneakers, and constantly purchases more (though he often donates slightly marred pairs to the Salvation Army).  Besides donating footwear, Seinfeld also collaborated with his nephew to design a celebrity tie for the charitable organization Save the Children.

Personal

Much like his "Seinfeld" character, the real-life Jerry Seinfeld is a cereal-eating, comic book reading, Superman-loving comedian.  As a child, Seinfeld perceived Superman not only as a fictional comic book character, but also as a role model and personal hero.  Seinfeld emulates Superman and metaphorically equates his comedic career to the Man of Steel.  According to Seinfeld, a stand-up routine is akin to being Superman--alone onstage without anyone's assistance to get the job done, and armed with only your natural abilities to effectuate a positive change in people's lives.

Besides personal idiosyncrasies, Seinfeld is meticulously sanitary, painstakingly tidy, and a hypersensitive germaphobe.  Naturally, he is regimented in his routine and the ultimate control freak.  Seinfeld is fastidious about his personal appearance, especially his teeth, does not drink or smoke, eats only health food, and is a strict vegetarian.  His house is barren but in perfect arrangement--everything in alignment, straight and orderly.

Since the mid-1970s Seinfeld has faithfully practiced yoga, Zen Buddhism, and meditation, which is often credited to his tranquil disposition.  He is religious, often studying Judaism tenets, yet also superstitious (nine is his lucky number and everything must be divisible by it).  The former Scientology member took a couple courses in the late-1980s but did not become a devout member.  Unlike most New York comedians, Seinfeld has never visited a psychiatrist professionally; instead, he tries to resolve personal problems using Scientology coping techniques.  According to friends, the meditative system of emotional catharsis seems to work because Seinfeld never exhibits the signs of stress or appears anxiousness.