Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld | |
---|---|
Birth name | Jerome Allen Seinfeld |
Born | New York City, U.S. | April 29, 1954
Medium | |
Alma mater | State University of New York at Oswego Queens College, City University of New York (BA) |
Years active | 1976–present |
Genres | |
Subject(s) | |
Spouse | |
Children | 3 |
Signature | |
Website | jerryseinfeld.com |
Jerome Allen Seinfeld (/ˈsaɪnfɛld/ SYNE-feld; born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. As a stand-up comedian, Seinfeld specializes in observational comedy. Seinfeld has received numerous accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as nominations for four Grammy Awards. In 2004, Comedy Central named him the 12th-greatest stand-up comedian of all time.[1] In 2017, Rolling Stone named him the 7th-greatest stand-up comedian of all time.[2]
Seinfeld gained stardom playing a semi-fictionalized version of himself in the NBC sitcom Seinfeld (1989–1998), which he co-created and wrote with Larry David. Seinfeld earned a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1995. The show is one of the most acclaimed and popular sitcoms of all time.[3][4][5] He has since created and produced the reality series The Marriage Ref (2010–2011), and created and hosted the web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (2012–2019), the latter of which earned him three Webby Awards. He also co-produced, co-wrote, and starred in the DreamWorks animated film Bee Movie (2007) and the Netflix comedy Unfrosted (2024).
He has released four standup specials his first being Stand-Up Confidential (1987) followed by I'm Telling You for the Last Time (1998), Jerry Before Seinfeld (2017) and 23 Hours to Kill (2020). Seinfeld has also written three books starting with SeinLanguage (1993), followed by the children's book Halloween (2002), and the comedic compilation book Is This Anything? (2020). He is an avid fan of coffee and automobiles. He practices transcendental meditation. He is married to author and philanthropist Jessica Seinfeld, with whom he has three children.
Early life and education
[edit]Seinfeld was born on April 29, 1954,[6] to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York City.[7] His father, Kalmen Seinfeld,[8] a sign painter, was from Hungary and collected jokes that he heard while serving in World War II.[7] His mother, Betty (née Hosni)[9][10] and her parents, Selim and Salha Hosni,[11] were Mizrahi Jews from Aleppo, Syria. Their nationality was stated as Turkish when they immigrated in 1917, as Syria was under the Ottoman Empire.[12][13] Seinfeld has an older sister, Carolyn.[14] Salha's mother Garez Dayan, Seinfeld's great-grandmother, was a member of the Dayan rabbinic family, who claim ancestry back to the Medieval Exilarchs, and from the Exilarchs back to the Biblical King David.[15] Seinfeld's second cousin is alternative metal musician and actor Evan Seinfeld.[16] Seinfeld grew up in Massapequa, New York, and attended Massapequa High School on Long Island.[17][18] At 16, he spent time volunteering in Kibbutz Sa'ar in Israel.[19] He attended the State University of New York at Oswego, and transferred after his second year to Queens College, City University of New York, from which he graduated in 1976 with a degree in communications and theater.[20][21]
Career
[edit]1976–1987: Rise to prominence
[edit]Seinfeld developed an interest in stand-up comedy after brief stints in college productions. He appeared on open-mic nights at Budd Friedman's Improv Club while attending Queens College.[22] After graduation in 1976, he tried out at an open-mic night at New York City's Catch a Rising Star, which led to an appearance in a Rodney Dangerfield HBO special.[23] In 1980, he had a small recurring role on the sitcom Benson, playing Frankie, a mail-delivery boy who had comedy routines that no one wanted to hear. Seinfeld was abruptly fired from the show due to creative differences.[23] Seinfeld said that he was not told he had been fired until he arrived for a read-through session and found that there was no script for him.[24] In January 1981, he performed stand-up on An Evening at the Improv.[25] In May, Seinfeld made an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, impressing Carson and the audience, leading to frequent appearances on that show and others, including Late Night with David Letterman.[23] On September 5, 1987, his first one-hour special Stand-Up Confidential aired live on HBO.[26]
1988–1998: Seinfeld and stardom
[edit]Seinfeld created The Seinfeld Chronicles with Larry David in 1988 for NBC. It was renamed Seinfeld to avoid confusion with the short-lived teen sitcom The Marshall Chronicles. By its third season, Seinfeld had become the most watched sitcom on American television. The final episode aired in 1998, and the show has been a popular syndicated re-run ever since. NBC offered Seinfeld $110 million—a record $5 million an episode for a 22-episode tenth season—but he declined.[27] Along with Seinfeld, the show starred Saturday Night Live alumna Julia Louis-Dreyfus and established actors Michael Richards and Jason Alexander. Alexander played George, a caricature of Larry David. Seinfeld is the only actor to appear in every episode.[28]
1998–2010: Established career
[edit]After he ended his sitcom, Seinfeld moved back to New York City and returned to stand-up comedy instead of staying in Los Angeles and furthering his acting career. In 1998, he went on tour and recorded a comedy special, titled I'm Telling You for the Last Time. The process of developing and performing new material at clubs around the world was chronicled in a 2002 documentary, Comedian, which also featured fellow comic Orny Adams and was directed by Christian Charles. Seinfeld has written several books, mostly archives of past routines. In the late 1990s, Apple Computer came up with the advertising slogan "Think different" and produced a 60-second commercial to promote the slogan. This commercial showed people who were able to "think differently," such as Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and many others. It was later cut short to 30 seconds and altered such that Seinfeld was included at the end, although he had not been in the original cut. This shorter version of the commercial aired only once, during the series finale of Seinfeld.[29]
In 2004, Seinfeld appeared in two commercial webisodes promoting American Express, titled The Adventures of Seinfeld & Superman.[30] In these, Seinfeld appeared with a cartoon rendering of Superman, to whom reference was made in numerous episodes of Seinfeld as Seinfeld's hero, voiced by Patrick Warburton (character David Puddy on Seinfeld). The webisodes were directed by Barry Levinson and aired briefly on television. Seinfeld and "Superman" were also interviewed by Matt Lauer in a specially recorded interview for the Today show. On November 18, 2004, Seinfeld appeared at the National Museum of American History to donate the "puffy shirt" he wore in the Seinfeld episode of the same name. He also gave a speech when presenting the "puffy shirt," saying humorously that "This is the most embarrassing moment of my life."[citation needed] On May 13, 2006, Seinfeld had a cameo appearance on Saturday Night Live as host Julia Louis-Dreyfus' assassin. Louis-Dreyfus in her opening monologue mentioned the "Seinfeld curse." While talking about how ridiculous the "curse" was, a stage light suddenly fell next to her. The camera moved to a catwalk above the stage where Seinfeld was standing, holding a large pair of bolt cutters. He angrily muttered, "Damn it!" upset that it did not hit her. Louis-Dreyfus continued to say that she is indeed not cursed.
On February 25, 2007, Seinfeld appeared at the 79th Academy Awards as the presenter for "Best Documentary." Before announcing the nominations, he did a monologue about the unspoken agreement between movie theater owners and movie patrons.[31] On October 4, 2007, Seinfeld made a guest appearance as himself in the 30 Rock episode "SeinfeldVision."[32] On February 24, 2008, at the 80th Academy Awards, Seinfeld appeared as the voice of his Bee Movie animated character Barry, presenting Best Animated Short Film. Before announcing the nominees, he showed a montage of film clips featuring bees, saying that they were some of his early work (as Barry).
On June 2, 2008, amidst his spring 2008 tour, Seinfeld performed in his hometown of New York City for a one-night-only show at the Hammerstein Ballroom to benefit Stand Up for a Cure, a charity aiding lung cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. In August 2008, the Associated Press reported that Jerry Seinfeld would be the pitchman for Windows Vista, as part of a $300-million advertising campaign by Microsoft. The ads, which were intended to create interest for Windows in support of the subsequent "I'm a PC" advertisements, began airing in mid-September 2008. They were cut from television after three installments; Microsoft opted to continue with the "I'm a PC" advertisements[33] and run the Seinfeld ads on the Microsoft website as a series of longer advertisements.[34] In March 2009, it was announced that Seinfeld and the entire cast of Seinfeld would be appearing for a reunion in Larry David's HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm. The fictional reunion took place in the seventh season's finale and starred most of the original cast, including Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, Michael Richards, in a multiple-episode arc.[35] Seinfeld appeared on an episode of the Starz original series Head Case. As was the case in many of his previous guest appearances on sitcoms, he played himself.
In Australia, Seinfeld appeared on a series of advertisements for the Greater Building Society, a building society based in New South Wales and southeastern Queensland.[36] His appearance in these ads was highly publicized and considered a coup for the society, being the third time Seinfeld had appeared in a television commercial.[37] The advertisements were filmed in Cedarhurst, Long Island, with the street designed to emulate Beaumont Street in Hamilton, where the Greater's head offices are located.[38] Seinfeld also wrote the scripts for the 15 advertisements that were filmed. The ads largely aired in the Northern New South Wales television market, where the society has most of its branches. Seinfeld was the first guest on Jay Leno's talk show The Jay Leno Show, which premiered on September 14, 2009. Seinfeld was featured on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update sketch to do the "Really!?!" segment with Seth Meyers. He executive produced and regularly appeared as a panelist in The Marriage Ref. On August 30, 2010, Seinfeld made a surprise guest appearance on The Howard Stern Show, ending the feud the two had in the early 1990s.[citation needed]
Seinfeld toured the U.S. in 2011 and made his first stand-up appearance in the United Kingdom in 11 years. In July 2011, he was a surprise guest on The Daily Show, helping Jon Stewart to suppress his urge to tell "cheap" "Michele Bachmann's husband acts gay" jokes.[39] Seinfeld also launched a personal archives website at JerrySeinfeld.com and appeared in the HBO special Talking Funny with fellow comedians Chris Rock, Louis C.K., and Ricky Gervais in the same year.[citation needed]
2011–present: Talk show and expansion
[edit]In 2012, Seinfeld started a web series titled Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, in which he would pick up a fellow comedian in a different car each episode and take them out for coffee and conversation. The show originally aired on the Crackle streaming service and then was bought by Netflix. The initial series consisted of ten episodes lasting from 7 to 25 minutes each. The show has continued to get high-profile guests such as Alec Baldwin, Mel Brooks, Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Larry David, Ellen DeGeneres, Tina Fey, David Letterman, Jerry Lewis, Steve Martin, John Mulaney, Eddie Murphy, Carl Reiner, Don Rickles, Chris Rock, Howard Stern, and Jon Stewart.[40] The show has also hosted Seinfeld alums Larry David, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, and Michael Richards. Season seven featured its most high-profile guest, then-President Barack Obama.[41] In a farewell tribute video for the Obamas before the President left office, Seinfeld stated, "That knocking on the Oval Office window. That probably was the peak of my entire existence."[42]
In 2014, Seinfeld told David Letterman he invited Woody Allen to be on the show but hadn't heard back.[43] That same year he also revealed Joan Rivers was supposed to be a guest on the show before she died due to a botched medical procedure.[44] Seinfeld signed a deal with Netflix in January 2017 that included placing Seinfeld and Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee on their streaming service as well as two new Seinfeld stand-up specials and the development of scripted and non-scripted comedy programming.[45][46] As part of the deal, all episodes of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee were made available on the streaming service, in addition to a new 24-episode season.[47] The series was nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards and won three Webby Awards.[48]
It's very important to know what you don't like. A big part of innovation is saying, "You know what I'm really sick of?" For me, that was talk shows where music plays, somebody walks out to a desk, shakes hands with the host, and sits down. "How are you?" "You look great." I'm also sick of people who are really there to sell their show or product. "What am I really sick of?" is where innovation begins.
–Seinfeld, talking about his process of innovation.[49]
In June 2013, Seinfeld appeared on rapper Wale's album The Gifted, on the song "Outro About Nothing."[50] Seinfeld received coverage for his speech at the 2014 Clio Awards ceremony, where he received an honorary award, as media reporters said that he "mocked" and "ripped apart" the advertising industry; his statement that "I love advertising because I love lying" received particular attention.[51][52] In 2014, Seinfeld hosted the special Don Rickles: One Night Only at the Apollo Theatre. The event celebrated Don Rickles and his career, but also served as a roast among friends. Those who participated in the event included Jon Stewart, David Letterman, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Nathan Lane, Regis Philbin, Robert De Niro, and Martin Scorsese.[53] On February 15, 2015, Seinfeld made a guest appearance on the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special, where he hosted the "Questions from the Audience" segment, which included cameos from Michael Douglas, John Goodman, James Franco, Larry David, Ellen Cleghorne, Dakota Johnson, Tim Meadows, Bob Odenkirk, and Sarah Palin (who Seinfeld initially mistook for Tina Fey).[54] On May 20, 2015, Seinfeld made a guest appearance on David Letterman's final Late Show episode. Seinfeld joined guests including Alec Baldwin, Barbara Walters, Steve Martin, Jim Carrey, Chris Rock, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Peyton Manning, Tina Fey, and Bill Murray who all participated in The Top Ten List segment, "Things I've Always Wanted to Say to Dave."[55]
In January 2017, Seinfeld went on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and joined Dave Chappelle and Jimmy Fallon in honoring outgoing First Lady Michelle Obama, and played a game of Catchphrase, which Obama and Fallon won to Seinfeld's dismay.[56] On September 19, 2017, Netflix released the stand-up comedy special Jerry Before Seinfeld. It follows Seinfeld as he returns for a stand-up routine at the New York City comedy club, Comic Strip Live, which started his career.[57] It is intercut with documentary clips and his stand-up special. It was later released as an LP, CD and download album, and was nominated for a 2018 Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album.[58] In 2020, it was announced that Netflix would be releasing Seinfeld's first original stand-up special in 22 years, 23 Hours to Kill. The special premiered on May 5.[59] In October 2020, Seinfeld joined Steve Martin in a discussion about comedy at The New Yorker Festival. They discussed subjects ranging from the creative process, Netflix, and The Oscars, to their comedy backgrounds, and the future of comedy during the COVID-19 pandemic.[60]
In 2024 he directed, co-wrote, and produced in the Netflix comedy film Unfrosted, a satirical spoof about the creation of Pop-Tarts. Seinfeld also starred in the film alongside Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, and Hugh Grant. The film earned mixed reviews with The Hollywood Reporter writing the film received a "sharply divided reaction from critics".[61] The New York Times labeled it a "Critic's Pick" with Anne Nicholson describing it as a "full-fledged, fully ridiculous feature comedy targeted to the audience’s sweet-and-salty dopamine receptors".[62] David Ehrlich of IndieWire wrote that the "comedy never heats up" and "it’s a movie about so many different things at once that it comes to feel like a movie about nothing".[63] Seinfeld appeared as a guest on John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA where he joked that it was "the weirdest talk show I've ever been on in my life".[64] He also embarked on a new tour starting with his first show in Singapore in June 2024[65] followed by a number of stops in Australia and North America.[66] Seinfeld returned to Curb Your Enthusiasm in its final season reuniting with Larry David where they poked fun at the controversial ending of Seinfeld. Ben Travers of IndieWire wrote, "If the Curb finale is meant to rewrite the Seinfeld ending in any way, it’s during that first scene between Jerry and Larry. They’re playing out the kind of scene they used to write for Jerry and George, and getting that silly, joyful spark between two TV legends — even for a moment — is pure bliss".[67]
Books
[edit]Seinfeld wrote the book SeinLanguage, released in 1993. Written as his television show was first rising in popularity, it is primarily an adaptation of his stand-up material. The title comes from an article in Entertainment Weekly listing the numerous catchphrases for which the show was responsible.[68] In 2002, he wrote the children's book Halloween. The book was illustrated by James Bennett.[69] Seinfeld wrote the forewords to Ted L. Nancy's Letters from a Nut series of books and Ed Broth's Stories from a Moron.[70] Seinfeld also wrote the foreword to the Peanut Butter & Co. Cookbook. In October 2020, Seinfeld released his new book Is This Anything?. The book chronicles Seinfeld's 45 years working in comedy and contains many of his best bits that span from various decades.[71]
Influences
[edit]Seinfeld has stated, "On the Mount Rushmore of stand-up comedy, there are four faces, in my opinion: Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Bill Cosby, and Don Rickles."[72] Seinfeld has also cited as his influences Jean Shepherd,[73] Mad Magazine,[74] Jonathan Winters, Jerry Lewis, Robert Klein, and Abbott and Costello.[75][76] He stated, "Monty Python was a gigantic influence on me. They were just about silly, funny things that meant nothing, and that’s the stuff I love. There’s a wonderful childlike freedom in those kinds of things."[77]
In the Netflix comedy special, Jerry Before Seinfeld, he displayed his personal comedy albums collection from when he was a teenager.[78] These albums included:
- Lenny Bruce – Thank You Masked Man (1972)
- George Carlin – Class Clown (1972)
- Steve Martin – Let's Get Small (1977)
- Bob Newhart – The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart (1960)
- Mike Nichols and Elaine May – Improvisations to Music (1958)
- Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner – 2000 and One Years with Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks (1961)
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Seinfeld stated his five favorite films are The Heartbreak Kid (1972), The Graduate (1967), The In-Laws (1979), A Night at the Opera (1935), and Glengarry Glen Ross (1992).[79]
Those influenced by Seinfeld include John Mulaney,[80] Ellen DeGeneres,[81] Jim Gaffigan,[82] Judd Apatow,[83] Issa Rae,[84] Nate Bargatze,[85] and Mark Normand.[86] On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Steve Martin described Seinfeld as one of his "retro heroes" saying "[He's] a guy who came up behind me and is better than I am. I think he's fantastic, I love to listen to him, he almost puts me at peace. I love to listen to him talk".[87]
Personal life
[edit]Seinfeld is a fan of the New York Mets, and periodically calls Steve Somers' show on WFAN-AM, a sports talk radio station, as "Jerry from Queens."[88] Seinfeld called four innings of a Mets game on SportsNet New York on June 23, 2010, reuniting with analyst Keith Hernandez, who appeared in the Seinfeld two-part episode entitled "The Boyfriend."[89] According to Seinfeld, he thinks about baseball "all day" and has said "when I think of retirement, all I would think of is going to a baseball game every day."[90]
Seinfeld is left-handed and the first joke he ever wrote was about the topic.[91] In a 2014 interview with NBC News, he made statements suggesting that he believed he was on the autism spectrum.[92] However, following criticism for his alleged self-diagnosis, he later clarified that he is not autistic and had been commenting on a play about the condition that he "related to [...] on some level."[93][94]
Relationships and marriage
[edit]Years before Seinfeld was created, Seinfeld dated Carol Leifer.[95][96] She was a fellow comedian, and one of the inspirations for the Seinfeld character Elaine Benes.[97][98] On national television with sex therapist and talk show host Dr. Ruth Westheimer, he mentioned that he was engaged in 1984 but called it off.[99]
In May 1993, days after his 39th birthday, Seinfeld met 17-year-old Shoshanna Lonstein in Central Park.[100] After a brief conversation, Lonstein gave Seinfeld her phone number.[101] Lonstein was still a senior in high school and would turn 18 at the end of that month.[100] Seinfeld and Lonstein dated for approximately four years, until 1997.[100] She transferred from George Washington University to UCLA, in part to be with him, and cited constant press coverage and missing New York City as reasons for the relationship ending.[100]
The age difference led to intense media scrutiny. While Seinfeld was a guest on Howard Stern's talk show, Stern said, "so, you sit in Central Park and have a candy bar on a string and pull it when the girls come?" at which point Seinfeld replied, "she's not 17, definitely not."[102] A few months later, in his second Howard Stern interview, Seinfeld insisted, "I didn't realize she was so young. This is the only girl I ever went out with who was that young. I wasn't dating her. We just went to a restaurant, and that was it."[102] Early in their relationship, Spy magazine referred to Lonstein as "a legal voter".[103] In an October 1993 Playboy interview, Seinfeld described the reactions to the relationship as ranging "from horrified to just busting buttons with pride that they know me", noting that his female acquaintances had overall reacted more negatively than his male ones. He said that his assistant "was so mad" she punched him, whereas his mother was "thrilled". He concluded, "if she's 18, if she's intelligent, that's fine".[104] In March 1994, Seinfeld again defended their age difference in an interview with People, stating that "Shoshanna is a person, not an age."[102] Julia Louis-Dreyfus said in a 1998 New York interview that she was in favor of the relationship, as "it was a happy one for him", and added that she did not believe there was anything wrong with it.[105]
In August 1998, while at a Reebok Sports Club, Seinfeld met Jessica Sklar, a public relations executive for Tommy Hilfiger who had just returned from a three-week honeymoon in Italy with then-husband Eric Nederlander, a theatrical producer and scion of a theater-owning family. Unaware of Sklar's marital status, Seinfeld invited her out. When Sklar eventually told Seinfeld about her relationship situation, she said, "I told him I didn't think this was the right time for me to be involved with anybody." Two months later, Sklar filed for divorce and began dating Seinfeld. The pair married on December 25, 1999.[106][107][108] Comedian George Wallace was the best man at the wedding.[109] After the nuptials, Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld bought Billy Joel's house in Amagansett, Long Island, for US$32 million after news of the couple's interest in the property became public in 2000.[110][111] The Seinfelds have a daughter and two sons.[112]
Wealth and charity
[edit]In 1999, Seinfeld auctioned a Breitling Chronomat watch as part of the "Famous Faces, Watch Auction For Charity" event in New York City. This watch sold for $11,000.[113] In 2001, Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld created the charitable organization The Good+Foundation after their first child was born. Good+Foundation grants donations of products and services to programs that have demonstrated a capacity to address family poverty in three focus areas: supporting new mothers, investing in early childhood, and engaging fathers. GOOD+ Foundation has donated over $42M worth of items through its partner network across the United States.[114] Seinfeld has also participated in Jon Stewart's charity event, Night of Too Many Stars.[115]
According to Forbes magazine, Seinfeld's cumulative earnings from Seinfeld as of 2004 was $267 million, placing him at the top of the celebrity earnings list that year.[116] He turned down $5 million per episode, for 22 episodes, to continue the show for a 10th season.[117] Seinfeld earned $100 million from syndication deals and stand-up performances in 2004, and $60 million in 2006.[118][119] He also earned $10 million for appearing with Bill Gates in Microsoft's 2008 advertisements for Windows.[120] Between June 2008 and June 2009, Seinfeld earned $85 million, making him the world's highest-paid comedian during those 12 months.[121] In 2013, Forbes documented Seinfeld's annual income as $32 million.[122] In mid-2013, Seinfeld disputed Forbes's claims regarding his income and net worth on The Howard Stern Show.[123] Seinfeld was ranked by Forbes the highest-paid comedian for 2015, the second-highest-paid in 2016, and the highest-paid again in 2017.[124][125] Seinfeld's income between June 2016 and June 2017 was $69 million.[124]
In 2024, Bloomberg declared Seinfeld a billionaire, with a net worth standing at more than $1 billion, thanks to various syndication deals his sitcom signed, with $465 million coming from those deals.[126]
Automobiles
[edit]Seinfeld is an automobile enthusiast and collector, and he owns a collection of about 150 cars, including a large Porsche collection.[127] He rented a hangar at the Santa Monica Airport in Santa Monica, California, for an extended period during the 1990s for storage of some of the vehicles in the collection.[128] In 2002, Seinfeld purchased property on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City where he built a $1.4 million two-story garage to store part of his Porsche collection on the East Coast.[129][130] One tally has Seinfeld owning 43 Porsches.[131] Paul Bannister has written that Seinfeld's collection includes Porsche 911s from various years, 10 Porsche Boxsters each painted a different color, and the 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder, the same model and pearl-grey color that actor James Dean had been driving before he crashed that car and subsequently died.[132]
The Discovery Channel television show Chasing Classic Cars claimed that Seinfeld owns the first and last produced air-cooled Porsche 911s. The centerpiece is a $700,000 Porsche 959, one of only 337 built. He was originally not allowed to drive it, because the car was "not street legal." U.S. emissions and crash tests had not been performed for the model because Porsche refused to donate four Porsche 959s for destruction tests. Seinfeld imported the car "for exhibition purposes," on the stipulation that it may never be driven on U.S. roads.[132] The car was made U.S. street legal in 1999 under the "Show or Display" federal law.[133][134] Seinfeld wrote an article for the February 2004 issue of Automobile, reviewing the Porsche Carrera GT.[135]
In 2008, Seinfeld was involved in a car accident when the brakes on his 1967 Fiat 500 failed and, to avoid an intersection, he pulled the emergency brake while turning sharply, ultimately causing the car to flip onto its side. No one was hurt.[136]
Coffee machines
[edit]A coffee aficionado, Seinfeld owns multiple espresso machines, including the $17,000 Elektra Belle Epoque[137] and two machines manufactured by Slayer and Breville.[138] Seinfeld described his single-group Slayer machine, which costs upwards of $8,500, as a "beautiful machine."[139] When NPR asked him about the influence of coffee culture in the U.S., Seinfeld responded in 2013:
I never liked [coffee] and I didn't understand it and I used to do a lot of stuff in my stand-up set in the '80s and '90s about how I don't 'get' coffee. And then something happened about five years ago. I started touring a lot, and we would have these great big, fun breakfasts in the hotel and [coffee] just seemed to go really well [with breakfast]. [Now], I've just started this espresso thing.[140]
In a May 2024 GQ interview titled "10 Things Jerry Seinfeld Can't Live Without", Seinfeld revealed that a Bialetti moka pot is one of his must-haves. He described the process of making coffee with a moka pot as complex and time-consuming, but a pleasurable way to "waste time".[141]
Religion and politics
[edit]Seinfeld is Jewish and has incorporated elements of his Jewish identity in his work.[142] Although he shared that his mother was born into a large family of Syrian Orthodox Jews, he admitted to being non-religious himself.[143] Seinfeld stated that he took a Scientology course when he was in his 20s; he said that he found it interesting but that he did not pursue it any further.[144]
Seinfeld expressed support for Israel during the Israel–Hamas war, saying "I will always stand with Israel and the Jewish people."[145] Seinfeld and his family previously drew criticism, travelling to the West Bank in 2018 to participate in a terrorism simulation camp.[146][147] Seinfeld also visited the headquarters of Abducted and Missing Families Forum where he met with representatives of the families and with abductees who returned from Hamas captivity, and listened to their stories.[148] On May 12, 2024, Seinfeld gave a commencement address and received an honorary degree at Duke University. During his speech, a number of students booed, waved Palestinian flags and walked out in protest.[149][150][151][152] In June 2024, Seinfeld was heckled by protesters during a comedy show in Sydney, Australia. Seinfeld responded joking, "You’re really influencing everyone here. We’re all on your side now, because you’ve made your point so well, and in the right venue, you’ve come to the right place for a political conversation".[153][154]
Seinfeld has made several political contributions, including to George W. Bush's and Al Gore's presidential campaigns in 2000, and subsequently to four Democratic Party primary candidates in 2000 and 2004.[155]
Seinfeld has expressed his distaste for political correctness and woke culture. In 2015, Seinfeld stated that he avoids performing on college campuses because students have become too easily offended by his comedic routines.[156] In a 2024 interview with The New Yorker, Seinfeld claimed political correctness was destroying comedy, saying, “This is the result of the extreme left and PC crap, and people worrying so much about offending other people. When you write a script and it goes into four or five different hands, committees, groups — 'Here's our thought about this joke' — well, that's the end of your comedy.”[157] Months later, he walked back those comments on the "Breaking Bread" podcast, stating "I don't think, as I said, 'the extreme left' has done anything to inhibit the art of comedy. I'm taking that back officially." Seinfeld said he regrets his previous comments because changing cultural attitudes are "not [his] business."[158]
Transcendental Meditation
[edit]In December 2012, Seinfeld said that he had been practicing Transcendental Meditation for 40 years. He promoted the use of the technique in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder with Bob Roth of the David Lynch Foundation in December 2012 on Good Morning America,[159] and also appeared at a 2009 David Lynch Foundation benefit for TM, at which Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr appeared.[160] On November 5, 2015, the David Lynch Foundation organized a benefit concert at New York City's Carnegie Hall called "Change Begins Within" to promote transcendental meditation for stress control. "It's been the greatest companion technique of living that I've ever come across, and I'm thrilled to be part of this movement that seems to have really been reinvigorated by Bob [Roth] and David Lynch," Seinfeld said. "I would do anything that I could to promote it in the world, because I think it's the greatest thing as a life tool, as a work tool and just making things make sense."[161]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | Eddie | Himself | Cameo |
Good Money | |||
1999 | Pros & Cons | Prison Man #2 | |
2002 | Comedian | Himself | Documentary; also executive producer |
2005 | The Thing About My Folks | Cameo | |
2007 | Bee Movie | Barry B. Benson | Voice; also co-writer and producer |
2013 | Quality Balls: The David Steinberg Story | Himself | Documentary |
2014 | Top Five | Uncredited cameo | |
Tom's Restaurant – A Documentary About Everything | Documentary | ||
2016 | Robert Klein Still Can't Stop His Leg | ||
Dying Laughing | |||
2017 | If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast | ||
2022 | George Carlin's American Dream | ||
2024 | Unfrosted | Bob Cabana | Also director, co-writer and producer[162][163] |
Television
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1980 | Benson | Frankie | 3 episodes |
1981 | An Evening at the Improv | Himself | Season 1, Episode 3[25] |
1982 | Square Pegs | Bat Mitzvah Guest | Episode: "Muffy's Bat Mitzvah" |
An Evening at the Improv | Himself | Stand-up special | |
1984 | The Ratings Game | Network Rep | Television film |
1986 | Rodney Dangerfield: It's Not Easy Bein' Me | Himself | Stand-up special. Released on DVD in 2006. |
1987 | Stand-Up Confidential | Stand-up special. Released on VHS in 1993. | |
1989–1998 | Seinfeld | Jerry Seinfeld | 180 episodes; also co-creator, writer and executive producer |
1992 | Carol Leifer: Gaudy, Bawdy & Blue | Himself | Television film |
1992, 1999 | Saturday Night Live | Himself (host) | 2 episodes |
1993 | Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher | Panel Guest | First episode |
Love & War | Jerry Seinfeld | Episode: "Let's Not Call it Love" | |
1993–1998 | The Larry Sanders Show | Himself | 2 episodes |
1994 | Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld | Host | TV special; released on VHS, DVD and Blu-ray |
1997 | NewsRadio | Himself | Episode: "The Real Deal" |
1998 | I'm Telling You for the Last Time | Comedy special | |
Mad About You | Uncredited; Episode: "Season Opener" | ||
1999 | Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm | Television special | |
2000 | Dilbert | Comp-U-Comp | Voice; Episode: "The Return" |
2004–2024 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Himself | 7 episodes |
2007 | 30 Rock | Episode: "SeinfeldVision" | |
2010–2011 | The Marriage Ref | 9 episodes; also creator and executive producer | |
2011 | Talking Funny | Television special, HBO | |
2012–2014 | Louie | 2 episodes | |
2012–2019 | Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee | Himself (host) | 72 episodes; also creator and executive producer |
2014 | Don Rickles: One Night Only | Television special | |
2015 | Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special | Himself | |
Inside Amy Schumer | Episode: "80s Ladies" | ||
2016 | The Jim Gaffigan Show | Episode: "The Calling" | |
Maya & Marty | Episode #1.5 | ||
2017 | Mystery Science Theater 3000 | Freak Masterstroke | Episode: "Starcrash" |
Jerry Before Seinfeld | Himself | Comedy special/documentary, Netflix | |
2018 | My Next Guest Needs No Introduction | Himself (host) | Episode: "You're David Letterman, You Idiot" |
2019 | Huge in France | Himself | Episode: "Épisode Quatre"[164] |
2020 | 23 Hours to Kill | Netflix comedy special | |
2024 | John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA | Episode: "Coyotes"[165] |
Music videos
[edit]Year | Title | Artist | Director | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | "Sunflower" | Vampire Weekend | Jonah Hill | [166] |
Video games
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Publisher | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | Bee Movie Game | Barry B. Benson (voice) | Activision | [167] |
Directing
[edit]Year | Title | Studio |
---|---|---|
2011 | Colin Quinn: Long Story Short | HBO |
2016 | Colin Quinn: The New York Story | Netflix |
2024 | Unfrosted | Netflix |
Writing
[edit]Writing credits for Seinfeld
The list below only includes episodes mainly written by Seinfeld, as he (and Larry David in Seasons 1 through 7) rewrote the drafts for each episode.
Season | Episode | Notes |
---|---|---|
Season 1 | "The Seinfeld Chronicles" | with Larry David |
"Male Unbonding" | with Larry David | |
"The Stake Out" | with Larry David | |
"The Stock Tip" | with Larry David | |
Season 2 | "The Ex-Girlfriend" | with Larry David |
"The Pony Remark" | with Larry David | |
"The Busboy" | with Larry David | |
"The Jacket" | with Larry David | |
"The Chinese Restaurant" | with Larry David | |
"The Phone Message" | with Larry David | |
Season 3 | "The Stranded" | with Larry David and Matt Goldman |
Season 4 | "The Shoes" | with Larry David |
Season 5 | "The Sniffing Accountant" | with Larry David |
"The Raincoats" | with Larry David, Tom Gammill, and Max Pross | |
"The Opposite" | with Larry David and Andy Cowan | |
Season 6 | "The Kiss Hello" | with Larry David |
Season 7 | "The Cadillac" | with Larry David |
Comedy releases
[edit]Stand-up specials
[edit]Year | Title | Studio | Format | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1987 | Stand-Up Confidential | HBO | Broadcast/VHS | [168] |
1998 | I'm Telling You for the Last Time | HBO | Broadcast/streaming/VHS/DVD | [169] |
2017 | Jerry Before Seinfeld | Netflix | Streaming | [170] |
2020 | 23 Hours to Kill | Netflix | Streaming | [171] |
Stand-up appearances
[edit]Year | Title | Studio | Format |
---|---|---|---|
2001 | "Laughing Out Loud: America's Funniest Comedians" | Madacy Entertainment | VHS/DVD |
2003 | "Best of The Improv, Vol. 4" | Koch Vision | DVD |
2007 | "Comedy Club Greats" | Lionsgate | |
2010 | "Lafflink Presents: The Platinum Comedy Series Vol. 1: Jerry Seinfeld" | Lafflink | DVD/streaming |
2014 | "Classic Comedy from An Evening at the Improv" | Somerville House | |
2015 | "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Featuring Jerry Seinfeld" | Carson Entertainment |
References[172]
Awards and nominations
[edit]Over his career he has received numerous accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as nominations for four Grammy Awards. Seinfeld has received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Queens College (1994)[173][174] as well as an Honorary Doctor of Arts from Duke University (2024)[175]
Discography
[edit]- I'm Telling You for the Last Time (Universal Records, 1998) CD/cassette
- Jerry Before Seinfeld (Netflix, 2017) LP
- 23 Hours to Kill (Netflix, 2020) LP
Bibliography
[edit]- SeinLanguage (Bantam Books, 1993)
- Halloween (Little, Brown and Company, 2002)
- Is This Anything? (Simon & Schuster, 2020)
References
[edit]- ^ "100 Greatest Stand-Ups". Archived from the original on June 5, 2004. via "Comedy Central 100 Greatest Standups of all Time". Listology.com. May 19, 2005. Archived from the original on November 25, 2010. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
- ^ "50 Best Stand-Up Comics of All Time". Rolling Stone. February 14, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ "The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time". Variety. December 20, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ "The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 26, 2022. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ "The 75 Best TV Comedies of All Time". IndieWire. February 25, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld". TV Guide. Archived from the original on June 21, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
- ^ a b Weiner, Jonah (December 20, 2012). "Jerry Seinfeld Intends to Die Standing Up". The New York Times Magazine. Archived from the original on January 21, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
- ^ Cown, Alison Leigh (April 23, 2009). "Seinfeld's Back Story, About Something". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
- ^ She also used the last name Hesney, per Cowan, The New York Times.
- ^ Oppenheimer, Jerry (2002). Seinfeld: The Making of an American Icon. Harper. p. 14. ISBN 978-0060188726.
- ^ Cowan, Alison Leigh (April 23, 2009). "Seinfeld's Back Story, About Something". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 17, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
Kalmen Seinfeld died in 1985 in Florida.... The death certificate noted that he worked in the sign business and was survived by his wife, the former Betty Hesney.
- ^ "The Paper Trail of Jerry Seinfeld Leads Back to Ellis Island and Beyond". The New York Times. April 24, 2009. Archived from the original on January 31, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
- ^ Cowan, Alison Leigh (April 23, 2009). "Seinfeld's Back Story, About Something". City Room. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld Has Daddy Issues". Vulture. September 27, 2007. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ "King David's Genes". Moment Magazine. March 5, 2014. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
- ^ "Interview with Evan Seinfeld " Teeth of the Divine". www.teethofthedivine.com. April 26, 2010. Archived from the original on June 29, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
- ^ Kornfeld, Michael (July 23, 1989). "A Single Comedian Is Returning to His Roots". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 8, 2008. Retrieved March 6, 2008.
- ^ Kellerman, Vivien (July 28, 1996). "If You're Thinking of Living In/Massapequa Park, L.I.;Fine Schools, Famous Alumni". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
- ^ "American Jewish comedian Jerry Seinfeld in Israel to promote new movie". Haaretz. Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 15, 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
- ^ Herbert, Geoff (July 20, 2013). "Jerry Seinfeld talks SUNY Oswego, Pop-Tarts, marriage, more during Syracuse performance". The Post-Standard. Syracuse, New York. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld Biography" Film Actor, Screenwriter, Television Actor, Comedian, Television Producer (1954–)". Biography.com (FYI / A&E Networks). Archived from the original on January 5, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
- ^ "Seinfeld's Kibbutz Days". Israeli Culture. Archived from the original on February 23, 2001. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
- ^ a b c "Jerry Seinfeld". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2011. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
- ^ Interview in "How It Began", a special feature in the Seinfeld Season 1 & 2 DVD
- ^ a b "An Evening at the Improv". An Evening at the Improv. Series 1. Episode 3. January 16, 1981.
- ^ "Turner Classic Movies". Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ Gostin, Nicki (May 29, 2012). ""QA: Former NBC honcho offered Jerry Seinfeld over $100 million for one more 'Seinfeld' season"". Fox News. Archived from the original on April 24, 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
- ^ Jason Alexander did not appear in "The Pen"; Julia Louis-Dreyfus did not appear in the pilot, "The Trip, Part 1," or "The Trip, Part 2"; and Michael Richards did not appear in "The Chinese Restaurant" or "The Pen."
- ^ "Seinfeld's commercial". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
- ^ Elliott, Stuart (March 30, 2004). "Seinfeld and Superman join forces again in spots for American Express, this time on the Web". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 28, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
- ^ Finke, Nikki (February 26, 2007). "Seinfeld Auditioning To Host 80th Oscars?". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 28, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
- ^ "Seinfeld to Guest Star on 30 Rock". ComingSoon.net. July 16, 2007. Archived from the original on January 20, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
- ^ Coyle, Jake (August 21, 2008). "Seinfeld to be pitchman for Microsoft". Fox News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 26, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
- ^ "Microsoft Showcase: Watch videos from Microsoft's online video collection". Microsoft. Archived from the original on August 23, 2009. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
- ^ Ed Pilkington in New York. "Seinfeld cast 'reunites' on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm | Media". The Guardian. Archived from the original on January 31, 2018. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld joins the Greater". Greater Building Society. July 9, 2008. Archived from the original on August 10, 2015.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld films advertisement for Newcastle's Greater Building Society". Daily Telegraph. July 10, 2009. Archived from the original on July 11, 2009.
- ^ "New Greater website has exclusive behind the scenes footage from the commercials starring Jerry Seinfeld". Greater Building Society. July 13, 2009. Archived from the original on August 10, 2015.
- ^ "Matthew Richardson". The Daily Show. July 13, 2010. Archived from the original on October 17, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
- ^ Daniella Bondar (July 19, 2019). "Every Episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Ranked". Vulture.com. Archived from the original on February 15, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld says driving in a car with Barack Obama was the "greatest moment" of his life". HelloGiggles. Archived from the original on December 31, 2019. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
- ^ "Kerry Washington, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks and More Pay Tribute to Obama in Farewell Video". Hollywood Reporter. January 8, 2017. Archived from the original on December 31, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld Tells David Letterman About His Comedy 'Anti-Show' Made Possible by the Internet". Variety. June 10, 2014. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld Had Planned a Joan Rivers Appearance on 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee'". Variety. September 16, 2014. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
- ^ "Netflix Nabs Seinfeld Streaming Rights in $500 Million-Plus Deal". Vanity Fair. September 16, 2019. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- ^ Maglio, Tony (January 17, 2017). "Netflix Nabs 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,' 2 New Jerry Seinfeld Stand-Up Specials". The Wrap. Archived from the original on January 17, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 17, 2017). "Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee' Moves To Netflix As Part Of Big Jerry Seinfeld Deal That Includes Specials & Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
- ^ "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee - Awards". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
- ^ McGinn, Daniel (January 2017). "Life's Work: An Interview with Jerry Seinfeld". Harvard Business Review. Archived from the original on October 15, 2022.
- ^ "iTunes – Music – The Gifted by Wale". Itunes.apple.com. June 25, 2013. Archived from the original on February 10, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
- ^ Grenoble, Ryan (October 6, 2014). "Seinfeld's Advertising Award Acceptance Speech Mercilessly Mocks Ad Execs". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
- ^ Seward, Zachary M. (October 5, 2014). "Jerry Seinfeld ripped apart the advertising industry on its biggest night". Quartz. Archived from the original on October 11, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
- ^ "Don Rickles Tribute 'One Night Only' Re-Airs Sunday On Three Viacom Channels". Deadline Hollywood. April 7, 2017. Archived from the original on September 8, 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- ^ "Audience Q&A – SNL 40th Anniversary Special" Archived March 6, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Saturday Night Live
- ^ Brian Moylan. "David Letterman's final episode: a stoic but touching send-off for the Late Show | Media". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 31, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "Michelle Obama given star-studded send-off by Dave Chappelle and Jerry Seinfeld on Jimmy Fallon's show". The Independent. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- ^ Hoffman, Ashley (September 19, 2017). "9 Things We Learned From Jerry Seinfeld's Netflix Special". Time. Archived from the original on September 25, 2017. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld – Artist". grammy.com. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld has 23 Hours to Kill with comedy in Netflix stand-up special trailer". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- ^ "Steve Martin, Jerry Seinfeld Talk Oscars, Netflix, Staying Funny And The Importance Of Irritation At New Yorker Festival". Deadline Hollywood. October 8, 2020. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld's 'Unfrosted' Divides Critics". The Hollywood Reporter. May 3, 2024. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ Nicholson, Amy (May 3, 2024). "'Unfrosted' Review: What's the Deal With Pop-Tarts?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ "'Unfrosted' Review: Jerry Seinfeld's Painfully Stale Pop-Tarts Comedy Never Heats Up". IndieWire. May 3, 2024. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ Bradley, Laura (May 4, 2024). "John Mulaney's 'Everybody's in L.A.' Is Bizarro Comedic Genius". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ Correspondent, Eddino Abdul HadiMusic (December 6, 2023). "Comedian Jerry Seinfeld to perform first Singapore show in June 2024". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
{{cite news}}
:|last=
has generic name (help) - ^ "Jerry Seinfeld relaunches comedy website with updated tour schedule and charity work". Jerry Seinfeld. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- ^ "'Curb Your Enthusiasm' Finale Retries the 'Seinfeld' Ending, Just for Laughs". IndieWire. April 8, 2024. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ Fretts, Bruce (April 9, 1993). "Seinlanguage". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 1, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
- ^ Jerry Seinfeld (2002). Halloween. (Illustrated by James Bennett). Little, Brown. ISBN 9780316706254.
- ^ Wloszczyna, Susan (April 28, 2005). "Seinfeld stirs up publicity". USA Today. Archived from the original on May 2, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
- ^ Ryan, Patrick. "The 10 best jokes from Jerry Seinfeld's new book 'Is This Anything?'". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on March 9, 2024. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ^ Busis, Hillary (April 6, 2017). "Seinfeld, Stewart, Fey and more salute insult master Don Rickles: The night's best jokes". Yahoo.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ Video on YouTube
- ^ "Before the master comes to Netflix". thepopbreak.com. 2017. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
- ^ "Here's Jerry". Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Season 1. Episode 12. July 6, 2018. Netflix.
- ^ Tucker, Ken (November 25, 1994). "TV Review: Abbott & Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 25, 2009. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
- ^ Reinstein, Mara (October 2, 2020). "'I Wasn't Very Good!' Jerry Seinfeld Reflects on His Early Routines, Favorite Seinfeld Episode and the Future of Comedy". Parade. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
- ^ "The greatest hits collection Jerry Before Seinfeld gives the people what they want". The A.V. Club. September 19, 2017. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld names his favorite funny movies". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 2, 2019. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ "John Mulaney on What's Next After 'Kid Gorgeous'". Esquire. September 12, 2019. Archived from the original on January 30, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ Herman, Alison (December 18, 2018). "Ellen DeGeneres, Minus the Dancing, Arrives on Netflix". The Ringer. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "Comedians in Cars, Political Correctness, Current Tour – Jim Gaffigan Answers Your Questions". August 19, 2019. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2020 – via YouTube.
- ^ Weiner, Jonah (December 23, 2012). "Jerry Seinfeld Intends to Die Standing Up". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 6, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ Cowen, Trace William (October 28, 2016). "Issa Rae Talks YouTube Stardom, 'Seinfeld' Influence, & Larry Wilmore on 'Breakfast Club'". Complex. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ "Netflix special transforms comedian Nate Bargatze's career". The Orlando Sentinel. October 14, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
- ^ "How Comedian Mark Normand Thrived During The Pandemic". Forbes Magazine. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
- ^ Steve Martin Is A Polymath: Click To Find Out What That Means! on YouTube published September 29, 2017 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
- ^ "Mets Seinfeld And The Schmoozer: 'Jerry From Queens' Talks Mets Magic On WFAN". CBS Local. June 5, 2012. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
- ^ Jesse Sanchez. "Seinfeld to grace Mets booth Wednesday". MLB.com. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
- ^ Simon, Mark (August 14, 2014). "Mets fan Seinfeld thinks about baseball 'all day'". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on April 23, 2023. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ Clifford, Catherine (January 11, 2018). "This was Jerry Seinfeld's first joke—and how he knew he'd found his calling as a comedian". CNBC. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ Williams, Brian (November 6, 2014). "Jerry Seinfeld to Brian Williams: 'I Think I'm on the Spectrum'". NBC News. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ^ Holley, Peter (November 20, 2014). "Scratch that, folks: Jerry Seinfeld says he's not on the autism spectrum after all". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ^ Hines, Ree (November 20, 2014). "Jerry Seinfeld clarifies autism comments: 'I'm not on the spectrum'". Today. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ^ Levine, Josh (1993). Jerry Seinfeld: Much Ado About Nothing. ECW Press. p. 77. ISBN 1550222015.
- ^ "Comedian Secrets Revealed! Behind-the-scenes stories of Jerry Seinfeld, Ray Romano, and more before they were stars". Fox News. October 15, 2012. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
- ^ Levine, Josh (2010). Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Good: Larry David and the Making of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: ECW Press. p. 19. ISBN 978-1550229479.
- ^ "Comedienne CAROL LEIFER ("Leefer")". NPR. December 15, 1993. Archived from the original on February 9, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
- ^ Jerry Seinfeld and Dr. Ruth talk sex – 1986. August 6, 2011. Archived from the original on October 29, 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2015 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b c d Nigro, Nicholas (June 2015). Seinfeld FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the Show About Nothing. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9781495035357.
he met Shoshanna Lonstein in New York City's Central Park in May 1993, Jerry Seinfeld was thirty-eight and she was only seventeen
- ^ Schneider, Karen (March 28, 1994). "The Game of Love". Archived from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
- ^ a b c McLaughlin, Chelsea (October 14, 2022). "When he was 38, Jerry Seinfeld met a 17-year-old girl in a park. Then they started dating". Mamamia. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ "Party Poop". Spy. Vol. 8, no. 4. February 1994. p. 32.
- ^ Rensin, David (October 1, 1993). "Jerry Seinfeld's 1993 Playboy Interview". Playboy. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ Smith, Chris (March 30, 1998). "Single (Not that there's anything wrong with that!)". New York. Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld and His Wife First Met While She Was Married to Someone Else". Distractify. May 6, 2020. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ "Seinfeld Marries; In-Laws Pay". CBS News. December 26, 1999. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
- ^ Harding, Amanda (August 24, 2020). "'Seinfeld': Jerry Seinfeld Earned a Whopping $400 Million in Royalties From Reruns". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ McDarrah, Timothy (January 17–18, 2004). "VegasBeat — Columnist Timothy McDarrah: Seinfeld will stand, by George". Las Vegas Sun. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
- ^ Schellenbaum, Amy (October 25, 2013). "Inside Jerry Seinfeld's 'Laid-Back,' $32M Hamptons Mansion". Yahoo! Homes. Archived from the original on February 24, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
- ^ "Billy Joel's East Hampton $40 Million Home To Seinfeld". Chicago Tribune. March 3, 2000. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
- ^ Eric Todisco (May 6, 2020). "Jerry Seinfeld's Wife Jessica Says He Is an 'Incredible Father' but 'Wasn't a Natural' at First". People. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
- ^ "What watch does Jerry Seinfeld wear? – Almost On Time". March 28, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld – Comedian, Actor, and Philanthropist". foundationguide.org. Archived from the original on August 2, 2020. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
- ^ "COMEDY CENTRAL® TEAMS UP AGAIN WITH JON STEWART'S BUSBOY PRODUCTIONS AND NEW YORK COLLABORATES FOR AUTISM FOR ON-AIR CHARITY SPECIAL "NIGHT OF TOO MANY STARS: AMERICA COMES TOGETHER FOR AUTISM PROGRAMS"". Comedy Central (Press release). Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
- ^ "Forbes list". Archived from the original on January 16, 2010. Retrieved December 18, 2007.
- ^ "Seinfeld to end show". CNN. December 26, 1997. Archived from the original on December 6, 2007. Retrieved December 18, 2007.
- ^ "The Celebrity 100". Forbes. Archived from the original on January 23, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
- ^ "The Celebrity 100". Forbes. June 14, 2007. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
- ^ TV Guide, September 7, 2008.
- ^ Rose, Lacey (July 13, 2009). "The Top-Earning Comedians". Forbes. Archived from the original on September 6, 2017. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld annual income Forbes". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 1, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld talks comedy for 90 minutes with Howard Stern". The Comic's Comic. June 27, 2013. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ a b "The Highest-Paid Comedians 2015". Forbes. October 21, 2015. Archived from the original on October 22, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
- ^ Berg, Madeline (July 27, 2017). "The World's Highest-Paid Comedians 2017: Jerry Seinfeld Returns To The Top Spot". Forbes. Archived from the original on July 27, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
- ^ "Bloomberg - 'Get Out!': Jerry Seinfeld Is a Billionaire". Bloomberg. March 22, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld Intends to Die Standing Up". The New York Times. December 23, 2012. Archived from the original on January 21, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
- ^ Bjorklund, Dennis (September 2017). Seinfeld Reference: The Complete Encyclopedia with Biographies, Character Profiles & Episode Summaries. Praetorian Publishing. ISBN 9780967985244. Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
- ^ Inside Jerry Seinfeld's Super Secret Manhattan Garage Archived October 28, 2016, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved from TheComplex.com on October 28, 2016)
- ^ Seinfeld Builds a Parking Lot Archived October 28, 2016, at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved from Observer on October 28, 2016)
- ^ "Inside Jerry Seinfeld's Super Secret Manhattan Garage". Complex. April 24, 2013. Archived from the original on April 20, 2014.
- ^ a b Bannister, Paul. The Comedians. pp. 74–75.
- ^ "William Gates III". Forbes. Archived from the original on December 23, 2008. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
- ^ "How To Import A Motor Vehicle For Show Or Display". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Archived from the original on October 18, 2009. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld Reviews the Porsche Carrera GT". Automobile. February 2004. Archived from the original on March 31, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ Phil Foraday (April 5, 2008). "The real story about Jerry Seinfeld's Mystery Car Crash". Automobile Magazine. Archived from the original on February 10, 2018. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
- ^ Chen, Joyce (August 23, 2018). "Jerry Seinfeld's Hamptons Home Has a $17,000 Coffee Maker". Architectural Digest. Archived from the original on December 18, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ Michelman, Jordan (January 8, 2018). "Jerry Seinfeld Of Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee: The Sprudge Interview". Sprudge. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ Weiss, Zachery (March 12, 2018). "Jerry Seinfeld's Favorite Coffee Machine Starts at $8,499". InsideHook. Archived from the original on August 2, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ "So Jerry Seinfeld Called Us To Talk About Coffee". NPR. Archived from the original on April 25, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ "10 Things Jerry Seinfeld Can't Live Without". GQ. Archived from the original on May 11, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
- ^ "Seinfeld and Company". My Jewish Learning. Archived from the original on July 24, 2021. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
- ^ Miller, Andrew (October 17, 2023). "Jerry Seinfeld Admitted to Taking Scientology Courses: "It Was Very Helpful"". Best Life. Archived from the original on March 9, 2024. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ^ Day, Nate (June 10, 2020). "Jerry Seinfeld addresses rumors that he once practiced Scientology: 'I found it very interesting'". Fox News. Archived from the original on September 18, 2021. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld Meets With Families of Israeli Hostages Amid Ongoing Conflict". The Hollywood Reporter. December 19, 2023. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ "Archived copy". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "'Not funny': Jerry Seinfeld slammed for visit to Israeli-run 'anti-terror' camp". Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ The Times of Israel. "Visiting Israel, Jerry Seinfeld meets with freed hostages, families". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on December 24, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
- ^ Madani, Doha; Cohen, Rebecca (May 13, 2024). "Duke students walk out of Jerry Seinfeld's commencement speech amid wave of graduation antiwar protests". www.nbcnews.com. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ "Truth or Fake - Did Duke University students walk out of graduation because speaker Jerry Seinfeld is Jewish?". France 24. May 15, 2024.
- ^ "Free Palestine chants, walk out by US students during Jerry Seinfeld's speech". India Today. May 13, 2024.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld's commencement speech spurs student walkout at Duke University - National | Globalnews.ca". Global News.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld Roasts Pro-Palestine Heckler Who Disrupts Comedy Show: "Get Out of Here"". The Hollywood Reporter. June 19, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld Roasts Pro-Palestine Heckler Who Interrupted His Set and Got Ejected: 'It's a Comedy Show, You Moron! Get Out of Here'". Variety. June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld's Federal Campaign Contribution Report", Newsmeat — America's most popular campaign donor search engine. Accessed May 10, 2008. Archived October 10, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Klee, Miles (April 29, 2024). "Far-Right Influencers Celebrate Jerry Seinfeld Once Again Claiming 'PC Crap' Killed Comedy". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ Yorker, The New (April 26, 2024). "Jerry Seinfeld on Making a Life in Comedy (and Also, Pop-Tarts)". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ Tolentino, Daysia (October 16, 2024). "Jerry Seinfeld said he regrets comments blaming 'extreme left' for ruining comedy". NBC News. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld on Importance of Meditation for PTSD". ABC News. December 13, 2012. Archived from the original on September 7, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
- ^ Gamboa, Glenn (April 6, 2009). "At Radio City, Paul and Ringo together again". PopMatters. Archived from the original on February 24, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
- ^ Grow, Kory. "Katy Perry, Sting Stun at David Lynch's Meditation Benefit Concert – Jerry Seinfeld, Angelique Kidjo, Jim James and others also perform and explain relaxation technique's importance to them at New York's Carnegie Hall". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 20, 2016. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
- ^ Galuppo, Mia (June 23, 2021). "Jerry Seinfeld to Star in Netflix Comedy About Pop-Tarts 'Unfrosted'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 4, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (June 23, 2021). "Jerry Seinfeld To Star In & Direct 'Unfrosted'; Netflix Wins Movie About Creation Of The Pop-Tart". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ "Huge in France Delivers an Unconvincing Dissection of Fame". The Atlantic. April 12, 2019. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ "'John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA' Sets David Letterman, Jon Stewart, Jerry Seinfeld and More Live Guests". TheWrap. April 30, 2024. Archived from the original on May 4, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld Cameos in Jonah Hill-Directed Video for Vampire Weekend (Watch)". Variety. March 13, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
- ^ "DreamWorks Bee Movie Game". Metacritic. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
- ^ "COMEDY REVIEW : COMIC ROLLS OUT BEST FOR IMPROV". The Los Angeles Times. July 16, 1987. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld – I'm Telling You For The Last Time". Discogs. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
- ^ Zinoman, Jason (September 18, 2017). "Meet a Looser, More Personal Seinfeld". The New York Times. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
- ^ Logan, Brian (May 5, 2020). "Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours to Kill review – sublime standup from Mr Generic". The Guardian. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld Appearances". Discogs.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ "Comedian Jerry Seinfeld, Queens College class of 1976, receives an..." Getty Images. May 12, 2021. Archived from the original on May 12, 2024. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
- ^ "BACK TO SCHOOL: JERRY SEINFELD GETS HONORARY DOCTORATE". Greensboro News and Record. June 1, 1994. Archived from the original on May 12, 2024. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
- ^ "Meet the 2024 Honorary Degree Recipients | Duke Today". today.duke.edu. Archived from the original on May 12, 2024. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Jerry Seinfeld at IMDb
- Jerry Seinfeld on Twitter
- Jerry Seinfeld on Instagram
- Jerry Seinfeld at the Internet Broadway Database
- Jerry Seinfeld collected news and commentary at The New York Times
- 1954 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American comedians
- 20th-century American Jews
- 20th-century American male actors
- 20th-century American male writers
- 20th-century American non-fiction writers
- 20th-century American screenwriters
- 21st-century American comedians
- 21st-century American Jews
- 21st-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male writers
- 21st-century American non-fiction writers
- 21st-century American screenwriters
- American billionaires
- American car collectors
- American male comedians
- American male non-fiction writers
- American male screenwriters
- American male television actors
- American male television writers
- American male voice actors
- American memoirists
- American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent
- American people of Syrian-Jewish descent
- American philanthropists
- American showrunners
- American stand-up comedians
- American television writers
- American Zionists
- Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (television) winners
- Comedians from Brooklyn
- Film producers from New York (state)
- Jewish American comedians
- Jewish American male actors
- Jewish American non-fiction writers
- Jewish American screenwriters
- Jewish film people
- Jewish male comedians
- Jews from New York (state)
- Las Vegas shows
- Male actors from Brooklyn
- Massapequa High School alumni
- People from Amagansett, New York
- People from Massapequa, New York
- People from the Upper West Side
- Primetime Emmy Award winners
- Queens College, City University of New York alumni
- Screenwriters from New York (state)
- State University of New York at Oswego alumni
- Television producers from New York City
- Writers from Brooklyn