Jason Alexander nearly quit ‘Seinfeld’ as his character wasn’t getting enough exposure.
The 64-year-old actor played George Costanza on the sitcom from 1989 to 1998 – picking up seven consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards nominations and four Golden Globe Awards for his work – and his co-star Michael Richards, who played kooky neighbour Kramer on the show, has now told how he almost walked away from the job during series three of the series.
Michael tells in his new autobiography, ‘Entrances and Exits’, Jason got frustrated in 1991 while filming the episode ‘The Pen’ – which sees Jerry Seinfeld’s character Jerry and their friend Elaine, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, visit Jerry’s parents in Florida.
Michael and Jason were both left out of the episode, which Michael said he accepted with “equanimity” as it also happened during season two.
He revealed: “But Jason threatens to quit after learning that he’s also not in the episode. He’s furious.”
But Michael admitted he understood Jason’s point of view, adding: “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 has assumed that ‘Seinfeld’ is a buddy show, starring him and Jerry.
“But this business breeds both massive egos and incredible insecurity, and this episode is one of those ego-jarring wakeup calls.”
The 2016 book ‘Seinfeldia: How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything’ revealed Jason snapped at head writer Larry David about being left out of ‘The Pen’: “If you write me out again, do it permanently.”
When Larry – who went on create hit sitcom ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ – tried to explain how difficult it was to make room for four main characters in every episode, Jason is said to have told the comic: “Don’t tell me your problems. If you don’t need me here, I don’t want to be here.”
Jason has also confirmed the story, telling ‘Access Hollywood’ he blew up at Larry, now 76.
But he added: “Thank God he didn’t say ‘Take a hike,’ because I would have had no life and no career.”
