Seinfeld Reference: The Complete Encyclopedia (9 page)

From that day on George's father became a boisterous curmudgeon hell-bent on matching vociferousness with his marital counterpart.  Rather than being a wallflower, the duo quickly developed into two of the most popular recurring regular actors.  In an unprecedented move, "Seinfeld" re-shot "The Handicap Spot" episode to have Stiller replace John Randolph.  The creators were interested in preserving quality, and avoiding viewer concern regarding the switching of actors in mid-series.  (However, when Phil Bruns was replaced with Barney Martin, the creators did not re-shoot "The Stakeout" episode.)

Figure 2 The Costanzas: Estelle (Estelle Harris) and Frank (Jerry Stiller) in their living room.

In 1954 Stiller married actress Anne Meara.  They have two children--successful actor/director Ben and actress Amy--and live in Manhattan.  With the culmination of “Seinfeld,” Stiller appeared in
Zoolander
(2001),
Hairspray
(2007) and
The Heartbreak Kid
(2007).  He is best remembered for his role as Arthur Spooner in “King of Queens” (1998-2007).  Jerry Stiller and Estelle Harris even used their “Seinfeld” personas to engage in a shouting match for AT&T long distance service.

Estelle Harris

Standing 5'3" with bright red hair, Estelle Harris (b. 1936) earned her fame playing the screeching mother of George Costanza.  Harris was raised outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and in Brooklyn, New York.  She gravitated toward comedic roles in the high school theater, and after her children began school, Harris became involved in amateur productions, dinner theater and some television commercials.

In 1984 her son, Glen, a freelance Hollywood publicist, persuaded Harris to visit Los Angeles and audition for feature film and television roles.  Harris earned small roles in
Once Upon a Time in America
and "Night Court," and a recurring regular role in Shelley Long's failed sitcom "Good Advice" (she was eventually replaced because of a broken leg).  In 1992 she stumbled across the shocking "Seinfeld" audition script entitled "The Contest" (the masturbation episode), and the rest was history.  Since the series finale, Harris has regular television guest appearance roles, and had voice roles in the
Toy Story 2
(1999) and
Toy Story 3
(2010).

At a dance in 1952, Harris met window-treatment salesman Sy, and they married six months later.  They have three children, Eric (b. 1957), a social worker; Glen (b. 1961), a music promoter and unofficial manager of his mother's career; and Taryn (b. 1964), a disabled-retired police officer.  Harris and her husband split time living in California and Florida.

Figure 3 The Seinfelds: Morty (Barney Martin) and Helen (Liz Sheridan).

Elizabeth Sheridan

The only recurring regular to last the entire duration of the sitcom, from pilot to series finale, was Jerry Seinfeld's fictional mother.  Liz Sheridan (b. 1929) is married to jazz trumpeter Dale Wales, and they have one daughter.  Sheridan has a lengthy résumé of guest appearances and recurring roles on television series, such as "ALF" and "Empty Nest."  The success and recognition of her recurring regular role on "Seinfeld" has made the actress somewhat typecast as Jerry Seinfeld's mother.  Consequently, unlike the other recurring regulars, Sheridan's employment opportunities have declined in variety.  She is currently authoring a book about her wonderful, wild and joyous 1952 affair with, and brief engagement to, James Dean.

Barney Martin

Irish Catholic Barney Martin (b. 1928) was added to the "Seinfeld" script early in the second season, replacing Phil Bruns.  Prior to pursuing an acting career, he was a police officer.  In the 1960s he relinquished the badge for an acting career and appeared in numerous films and the Broadway production
The Producers
, as Hermann Göring.  Following the demise of "Seinfeld," Martin will continue to pursue his comedic interest with appearances in future sitcoms.  Since both his children are grown, there is no familial commitments that will inhibit his traipsing between homes in Hollywood and Rhinebeck, New York.  However, like Liz Sheridan, Martin has been typecast based on his "Seinfeld" role, and hopes to discard the image in future sitcoms.

Heidi Swedberg

She has the distinction of maintaining the longest lasting romantic relationship with George Costanza--nearly four years--as Susan Ross.  Heidi Swedberg was born in 1966 in Honolulu, Hawaii, and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the youngest of four sisters.  Her father, Jim (b. 1935), is a laser physicist for defense contractors, and her mother, Kay (b. 1935), is a high school English teacher.  Swedberg was involved in community theater and studied acting for three years while attending the University of New Mexico.  She quit school for an acting career, and while working at a regional theater in Louisville, Kentucky, an open casting call landed her a supporting role as a pregnant teenager in Bruce Willis' Vietnam War drama
In Country
(1989).  After moving to Los Angeles, Swedberg landed guest appearances on "Matlock," "Grace Under Fire" and "Murder, She Wrote."  Her most notable movies are
Kindergarten Cop
(1990),
Hot Shots!
(1991) and
Galaxy Quest
(1999).  In 1994 she married Philip Holahan (b. 1953), a cinematographer, after a four-year courtship that commenced with a blind date.  They have two children.

Supporting Cast

In addition to the excellent cast of recurring regulars, "Seinfeld" had numerous outstanding performances from guest actors.  From the Soup Nazi to Babu Bhatt, the uniqueness of each portrayal made the episodes memorable and unforgettable.  The following is a brief highlight of a few special characters that reappeared in several episodes with background information as it relates to their role.

Len Lesser.
  When it comes to acquiring the role of Uncle Leo, Jerry Seinfeld's fictional uncle, Len Lesser credits his success to Larry David.  Lesser had never appeared in a sitcom, and was concerned about making a fool of himself but he followed David's suggestion on making the part more expansive and animated.  Instead of embarrassing himself, Lesser's exuberant behavior perfectly captured the eccentricities of many relatives with whom audiences can relate.

Steve Hytner.
  Actor Steve Hytner auditioned for four other "Seinfeld" roles before nailing the part of Kenny Bania, the irritating hack comedian.  Despite having scenes in over ten episodes, he only appeared in six because the other parts were edited out before the show aired.  The "Seinfeld" exposure helped Hytner become a regular on the NBC sitcom "Working," starring Fred Savage.

Lee Bear.
  Probably the least known but most recognizable character on "Seinfeld" is actor Lee Bear.  He played George Steinbrenner, but only the back of his head.  His face was never visible to the camera, and his voice was never heard.  In fact, the voice of the legendary Yankee general manager was actually spoken by series co-creator Larry David.  Steinbrenner did authorize permission to use his name, and was often asked to appear on the show.  He did, in fact, tape one episode, but the segment never aired.  (As an interesting side note, Steinbrenner was classmates with Julia Louis-Dreyfus' father at the Culver Military Academy.)

Ruthie Cohen.
  Although Ruthie Cohen was initially cast as a Monk's patron, Larry David thought she moved like a cashier.  When they switched her to stand behind the counter, Cohen appeared in nearly every "Seinfeld" episode as the Monk's cashier.

Character Names

Most of the character names have some connection to the "Seinfeld" production team, either as fictional characters of days gone by, or real-life contacts.  The examples are too numerous to list, but here are a few illustrations.  The character Sid Fields in "The Old Man" is the name of the fictional landlord in "The Abbott and Costello Show."  Alec Berg is a "Seinfeld" writer whose name appears in "The Face Painter."  Steven Koren, also a "Seinfeld" writer, was named in "The Van Buren Boys."  Christine Nyhart is the "Seinfeld" script supervisor, and mentioned as a town house owner in "The Puerto Rican Day."  Pete Papanickolas, mentioned as being a neighbor, worked on the series as a key grip.  Joe Davola, the psychotic writer, is actually a production executive for MTV (formerly with Fox) who insisted on the creators using his name.  Fictional NBC president Russell Dalrymple is the assistant to Larry David's wife at Fox.  The Drake is actually a friend of the creators.  Writer Steve Lookner used his name as a character in “The Wait Out” episode.  The memorable taunting high school gym teacher, Mr. Heyman, was also the name of one of the writers (spelled Hayman).

* * * * *

JERRY SEINFELD

(Jerry Seinfeld)

Jerry Seinfeld will be forever immortalized in television history as the co-creator of one of the most successful sitcoms of the 1990s, but his road to success was like the tortoise competing against the hare--a steady, methodical approach.  Ironically, it was his unflappable, non-vulgar stand-up routine that caught the attention of NBC executives.  The mundane childhood of this diehard New York Mets fan offers little insight into the magnitude of his future success.  In fact, the early years of comedy made future mega-stardom a seemingly unattainable goal, but he persevered to become a top comedic performer and television industry heavyweight.

Childhood

Following World War II, Kalman (Kal) Seinfeld, owner of a commercial sign painting business, met and married Betty, a homemaker.  At the time of their Judaic union, the strong and independent couple was in their mid-30s and living in Brooklyn, New York.  On April 29, 1954 Betty gave birth to the first of two children, Jerome Allen.  A decade later, the family moved to Massapequa, a middle-class enclave of Long Island, and lived in the suburban subdivision of New Harvard Green.  The Seinfelds' daughter, Carolyn, future business manager to her older brother, married Larry Liebling, and they have one son, Joshua (b. 1984).  Kal died of cancer in 1985, and Betty currently resides in Delray Beach, Florida.

In a childhood that is best described as uneventful, Jerry Seinfeld was not Mr. Popularity, nor unpopular; he was between cliques--an ordinary, average guy.  In fact, Seinfeld was quiet and shy, an introvert who spent more time listening and observing than telling jokes.  He never gravitated toward crowds, preferring one-on-one interaction with male friends, and often withdrew from most social activities.

Overall, Seinfeld had a normal childhood--Cub Scouts, pet beagle, bar mitzvah, and riding his metallic blue Schwinn Sting-Ray bicycle--for an emotionally distant family.  His mother was raised in an orphanage and his father left home at a young age.  Neither parent was part of a close-knit family environment, so they respected their children's independence and autonomy, often at the expense of sharing their love and affection.

Comedic Influences

The greatest comedic influence was Seinfeld's father, who used to take his son along on business calls.  The younger Seinfeld learned the persuasive power of comedy, and witnessed his dad make numerous sales by appealing to the customer's sense of humor.  Outside the family, the youthful Seinfeld read comic books and became a television addict.  At age eight he watched episodes of
The Ed Sullivan Show
, which sparked the desire to perform for audiences.  The most significant comedic inspirations were Robert Klein for his intelligent, observational humor, and Bill Cosby for his mastery of storytelling.  Other comedic inspirations were Red Skelton, Jonathan Winters, Smothers Brothers, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Abbott and Costello, and Laurel and Hardy (whom Seinfeld describes as icons of comedic perfection).  Naturally, his favorite television programs were cartoons ("The Bullwinkle Show," "Spider-Man," "Batman," and "Jonny Quest").