‘Seinfeld’s Michael Richards Reveals Co-Star “Almost Quit The Show In Season 3”
Seinfeld actor Michael Richards has revealed that a former co-star nearly quit the hit show after failing to appear in an episode in Season 3.
Richards, who played Kramer in the NBC comedy, has written a memoir, in which he recounts that neither he nor Jason Alexander (who played George Costanza) were required for an episode titled ‘The Pen.’
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Page Six quotes an excerpt from Richards’ book, where he writes that while he took his own absence with equanimity, Alexander was more miffed.
“Jason threatens to quit after learning that he’s also not in the episode. He’s furious,” Richards wrote in his memoir, adding that he sympathised with his fellow actor.
“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.”
Australia’s news.com.au website reports that Alexander confirmed Richards’ claims several years ago. In 2017, he told Access Hollywood that at the time he had snapped at Larry David, the lead writer for the sitcom, and threatened to leave the show.
Seinfeld ran on NBC from 1989 to 1998 and was critically acclaimed, winning a clutch of Emmy Awards.
Richards has been appearing in public for the first time since he faced a major backlash following an incident in 2006, when he shouted racial slurs at hecklers in the audience of his stand-up show. Deadline reported earlier this week that the comedian recently addressed the reasons for his rant and said he “isn’t looking for a comeback.”
The publishers of his book, Permuted Press, refer to the incident in their press release for Richards’ memoir, saying it “drove him to a lifelong spiritual quest, one that would help him move forward from apology and accountability to a greater appreciation for our shared humanity, a quest that continues to this day almost eighteen years later.” The book will be published on June 3.
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