‘Seinfeld‘ may have been named after one particular character of the show, but its soul lay in the friendship that its characters shared. With each character bringing their own element of humor and charm to the screen, each one of them was of utter importance. But the show creators did not seem to think the same — or so felt Jason Alexander.
One of the show’s cast members, Michael Richards is set to release his memoir ‘Entrances and Exits’. Other than his personal life, the book sheds light on aspects of his career, a major portion of which is rooted in the iconic sitcom ‘Seinfeld‘. In a rather surprising revelation, Richards has mentioned in his memoir that his co-star Jason Alexander once threatened to quit the show as he felt that his character, George Costanza, was not getting enough screen time. Here’s the full story.
Why Did Jason Alexander Threaten To Leave Seinfeld?
While viewers may not have noticed it, Season 3 of ‘Seinfeld‘ has an episode where the characters Kramer and George are entirely absent. This was apparently the tipping point for Jason Alexander, who plays George’s character, and he threatened to leave the show because of his low screen time.
As per Michael Richards’ book, the incident occurred in 1991 during the filming of the Season 3 episode ‘The Pen’, in which Jerry, played by Jerry Seinfeld, and Elaine, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, visit Jerry’s parents in Florida. Neither Richards, who played Kramer, nor Alexander appear in this episode.
Richards said he accepted the decision of his absence from the episode calmly, as he had already experienced this in Season 2. However, Alexander was furious upon learning he would not be included and threatened to quit the show.
In his memoir, Richards explains Alexander’s reaction at the time. “Jason came onto the show with the most confidence of anyone. He had won a Tony Award on the New York stage, not an insignificant achievement, and until the table read for ‘The Pen,’ he had assumed that ‘Seinfeld’ was a buddy show, starring him and Jerry,” he writes.
He further contends that the entertainment industry often leads to a mix of massive egos and deep insecurities, and this incident was a harsh wake-up call for Alexander.
In case you missed it: “I Would Not Change It”: Jerry Seinfeld Apologizes For “Sexual Undertones” In His Animated Film ‘Bee Movie’, But Vouches For “Awkward Humor”
Jason Alexander Snapped At Writer Larry David About His Absence From Storylines
Michael Richards’ book is not the only one that details this incident when Jason Alexander threatened to leave the show. ‘Seinfeldia: How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything‘ is another piece of writing that reveals how Alexander confronted head writer Larry David about the same. “If you write me out again, do it permanently,” Alexander had said at the time as per the book.
David also tried to explain to him the difficulty of accommodating all four main characters in every episode. But Alexander was not convinced. “Don’t tell me your problems. If you don’t need me here, I don’t want to be here,” he retorted.
Alexander himself also confirmed this story to ‘Access Hollywood‘, admitting he did snap at David but was grateful David didn’t fire him. He also acknowledged that his career would have been drastically different if he had left the show.
Other than Alexander’s issue, Richards also recounts his own experience of insecurity when his character Kramer was absent from the Season 2 episode ‘The Chinese Restaurant’ in his memoir. He has also addressed his notorious racist outburst and his secret battle with prostate cancer in his memoir.
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