Seinfeld Actors who hit Rock Bottom

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards, Jason Alexander

Seinfeld was a monster of 90s pop culture, both critically and commercially. During his 9-year reign as NBC’s crown jewel In the long-awaited TV lineup he must see on Thursday, the Peacock Network earned a record number of Emmy Awards, “while generating annual earnings in the $ 500 million range” , as revealed by the Los Angeles Times . If that’s not it, according to CNBC By Seinfeld In the last season, Jerry Seinfeld himself was making “about $ 1 million for each episode.” Its bright co-stars Jason Alexander (George), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine) and Michael Richards (Kramer) also signed deals for around $ 600,000 per show.

Not that money is everything, but today the real-life Seinfeld is worth an estimated $ 950 million, while his co-creator of “the show about nothing” Larry David is sitting on an estimate of $ 400 million. Bling Bling, right? In 2019 Netflix even got the broadcast rights to the comedy hit. That’s gold, Jerry, gold!

So all this must mean that everything is perfect forever, right? Well, not entirely. Even the biggest names in the show have faced life-altering crises after Seinfeld stardom. These are his stories and, spoiler alert: it gets dark. Here are some Seinfeld actors who hit rock bottom.

Kramer Comedy Club rant

Even recapitulating this event is troublesome, if just to cite a burst of words we have to censor. Michael Richards (who played the adorable Cosmo Kramer in Seinfeld ) was working on material at a comedy club in Los Angeles in 2006 when audience members sent him on a shocking racist tirade. For TMZ Richards threw the following disgusting reference to lynching among the confused crowd: “Fifty years ago we had you upside down with a fork in your mouth.” Naturally, the audience was horrified, with “most of the audience [getting] up and [leaving] disgusted.”

Richards’ apology tour only fueled the disaster. The comedian announced that he was “deeply, deeply regretful” in an incredibly awkward appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman. Jerry Seinfeld sat down to help with damage control, but Richards’ satellite liaison letter only highlighted how out of touch he remained, awkwardly referring to the victims as “African-American.” Seinfeld gave Cosmo another chance to dig in 2012 through his web series Comedians in Cars Drinking Coffee . The previously beloved actor admitted that the incident tore him apart. “I stopped after that event … it broke me,” she admitted shrewdly. This reason was enough for Richards to take a seven-year voluntary break from show business after the scandal, but his attempt to reappear the Kirstie in 2013 ended prematurely when the show was canceled after one season.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus had a very public battle with cancer

No Seinfeld Star went on to have greater success in the industry than Elaine. Julia Louis-Dreyfus has taken home a staggering 11 Emmys since the series ended, for both Veep and The New Adventures of Old Christine . But in 2017, she received the news that all women fear: breast cancer. She made the announcement on her Twitter page, writing, “One in eight women has breast cancer. Today, I am the one ». Her public bravery belied a private battle that deeply scared the actress, even after the test ended. For a healthy woman at the absolute peak of both her fame and professional success, it was a shocking blow. “I was stunned,” America admitted to Buenos dias .

Like a Vanity Fair The actress’ profile revealed that Dreyfus “underwent six rounds of chemotherapy and a double mastectomy” and is now, fortunately, in complete remission. “I’m completely back,” said GMA excitedly. Dreyfus dealt with the whole situation in his characteristic edgy style, looking almost bored by the mandatory questions as he made his public comeback, “I know we have to take the cancer off,” she joked. Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2018 before telling the audience that he had already returned to work at Veep . Dreyfus admitted that he was unable to keep the situation private because it caused delays in the program, so he used public attention to gain support for his cause of choice: universal health care.

Jason Alexander hated working with his girlfriend on screen

Jason Alexander may be one of the most affable actors in Hollywood, but Seinfeld George is absolutely hated working with Heidi Swedberg, who played his famous and ambivalent longtime girlfriend, Susan. The actor released his frustrations in 2015 on The Howard Stern Show , saying, “I couldn’t figure out how to play with her … Her instincts for making a [comedy scene] … and mine always failed.” Legend also says that the rest of the cast, including Julia Louis-Dreyfus, had the same problem with Swedberg, and that’s why Larry David killed his character so unceremoniously in the infamous seal lick incident – which Alexander essentially confirmed.

A truly candid moment about friction on set is rare, so of course Alexander’s interview went viral. And as it turns out, fans always hated Susan too, online bullying against Swedberg increased and Alexander was forced to back down and defend the celebrity whose performance he hated so much. Alexander took to Twitter , writing, “Oh my gosh, leave Heidi alone.” A linked statement said, “I feel officially horrible … She was generous and kind and I am so angry with myself for telling this story in any way that diminishes it.” Bla bla bla.

Jerry Seinfeld seduced a married woman

Seinfeld The namesake character is a serial dater who always finds the fatal flaw in his romantic partners, and then sabotages the relationship. In real life, Jerry Seinfeld met the woman of his dreams at a gym in Manhattan in 1998. The problem was not that she was young enough to be his daughter. No, it was the fact that she was already married. By The New York Times Jessica Sklar (now Jessica Seinfeld) had been hooked for just two months when the comedian devised her first date to be a recording of her upcoming HBO special.

Sklar’s then-husband was understandably furious and, in true Festivus form, proceeded to voice his complaints. “I was manipulated, tricked and completely caught off guard by Jessica’s infidelity,” he said. Page six (via New York Post ) In 1998. “Jerry and Jessica don’t respect decent values. They deserve each other.

Sklar reluctantly disputed this interpretation of events again for The New York Times, claiming that she had already broken up with her husband (is that a thing?) Days before she met Seinfeld, adding that they had been having trouble before her impulsive wedding and they had even been in couples therapy. The real facts of this situation may be murky, but what is indisputable is that Seinfeld and Sklar have been married for several decades and have three beautiful children together.

Larry David defended Woody Allen

Is culture canceling still a thing in the coronavirus era? Larry David ironically documented his bubble boy status through the windows of his Los Angeles home for The New York Times in 2024, but he also admitted to picking up Woody Allen’s controversial memoirs, About Nothing . David gave him a strong criticism, saying, “Yes, it’s great, it’s a fantastic book, a lot of fun … You feel like you’re in the room with it … and it’s hard to walk away after reading that book.” thinking that this guy did something wrong «. Uh oh

The controversy stems from allegations made by Allen’s adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow. Allen’s son Ronan Farrow, the crown prince of #MeToo takedowns, also condemned the book, which was published by the initial publisher. As Allen wrote in his defense, “I never put a finger on Dylan, I never did anything that could be misinterpreted as abusing her; It was a total fabrication from start to finish. ” Allen has also not been charged with any crime.

This is the tense context of David’s impromptu criticism. But oddly, no #LarryDavidIsOverParty was ever hosted. Perhaps it was a social distancing, or perhaps David is above the fray, since all his work is the exploration of faux pas. Even David’s profile overlooks his date for flattering praise of Curb His Enthusiasm. So, despite the backing of the isolation, Larry David feels great, great.

Debra Messing found herself fighting with Donald Trump

Debra Messing will always be best known for Will and Grace, but her two Seinfeld episodes running as Jerry’s casually racist girlfriend was unforgettable. As for his life off camera? Well, Messing had another memorable moment when she was dragged down by the leader of the online free world. President Donald Trump, often triggered, went to his Twitter account and called Messing a “bad actress,” accusing her of racism and trying to create a “blacklist” of her political donors. Two of these charges have some merit.

Messing’s disaster started like all problems, on Twitter, when she liked an image calling Trump’s black voters “mentally ill,” as revealed by Deadline. Indeed, #RacistDebraMessing started trending. The actress quickly apologized and didn’t like the tweet, but cunningly double-dipped, adding Twitter, “Blacks are Trump Republican Party targets for voter crackdown.” This brief step came immediately after Messing and his Will and Grace co-star Eric McCormack urging The Hollywood Reporter to publish the names of those attending an upcoming Trump fundraiser in Beverly Hills, hence the blacklist accusation. Messing did, however, also tweet that political donations are already public and said that, as a consumer, he simply wanted to know where his entertainment dollar was going.

Daniel von Bargen’s long-term suffering

Actor Daniel von Bargen was eponymous Mr. Kruger from Kruger Industrial Smoothing, the disoriented corporate corporate of George Constance. I like more Seinfeld characters, Mr. Kruger was independent and cynical, existing only to torment the hapless George professionally. In reality, von Bargen was a tortured man who died suddenly in 2015 at the age of just 64, under somewhat murky circumstances. Initially, his cause of death was not specified, only later was confirmed by an Ohio funeral home (via The New York Times ) . No family member made statements on his behalf.

What we do know is that von Bargen had a long battle with diabetes. Per TMZ , in 2012 his leg was amputated, but the night before the operation, he shot himself in the temple , staying conscious and calling 911 himself. The recording of emergency calls is perhaps the darkest. Seinfeld- related document in existence, mainly due to von Bargen’s striking and lucid plea for help with a bullet lodged in his skull. And although he survived this brush with death, the actor, unfortunately, passed away just three years later, probably from complications of diabetes. The performer who helped make “leave on a high note” famous came out of the deadly reel.

If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Line at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text the HOME Crisis Text Line at 741741.

Brad Garrett slaps the paparazzi

Brad Garrett is, by most accounts, a gentle giant. Best known for his role as Robert Barone in Everybody Wants Raymond, the comedian also played the overly jealous mechanic in Seinfeld so obsessed with the proper upkeep of Jerry’s Saab, he finally steals the vehicle to worship him. The six-foot-seven-inch actor usually plays his gigantic frame for laughter, prompting great-standing king Greg Giraldo to joke during Joan Rivers’ Comedy Central Roast , “How Did You Get So Far With Ray Romano To ** with those rays on your neck? »

But with great power comes great responsibility. In 2007, Garrett broke up after being called a racist by an overly jealous paparazzi. The video posted by TMZ of the actor hitting the photographer’s camera is a point of view of what it would be like to be hit by a giant. The porridge, which was black, was triggered by Garrett’s alleged racist comments, which cannot be substantiated. That said, a separate incident in 2009 shows Garret in another confrontation, telling a different and nothing overtly religious paparazzi to “wear a turban.” Ugly Things By The Hollywood reporter , the paparazzi in the original 2007 incident claim that Garrett broke his camera, but a Los Angeles judge ultimately decided that the actor was provoked by the notorious cheating. No charges were filed.

Ben Stein is out of order

Actor Ben Stein, best known for his funny performances in movies like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, also played Kramer’s lawyer in a single Seinfeld cameo. Although Stein’s most famous role was that of a professor of economics, or perhaps that of a know-it-all scholar in Ben Stein’s Earn Money, in real life, he is decidedly against science. All of it. As a prominent spokesperson for climate change denial and teaching biblical creationism in public schools, Stein lost credibility among his more liberal peers in Hollywood. Or at least that’s what he thinks.

According to The Hollywood Reporter In 2012, a judge dismissed most of Stein’s rather complex lawsuit against a Japanese computer company that had hired him to cheat a line of printers. Stein claimed that his freedom of expression was being infringed on the state of California because he was allegedly removed from a $ 300,000 contract for his eccentric views on global warming. However, the judge deemed the lawsuit itself a smokescreen for Stein’s largest procarbon agenda and dismissed all but one overheated damage claim.

That doesn’t mean politics didn’t end his career. After the release of Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, Stein’s intentionally misleading propaganda film clouding the primordial waters of evolution by natural selection, his IMDB page tells the story of a man Hollywood told him to get out.

This Frogger fan couldn’t escape in real life

Disney veteran Drake Bell was not just a child star in Disney’s magical realm; He also landed a bit like the Frogger teasing Seinfeld . Bell was a brief thorn in George’s side, desperately wanting a turn in the classic traffic jumping game. But Bell had a harder time crossing the real streets of Los Angeles after his second DUI conviction sent him to real-life jail in 2016.

The First Drake and Josh Star’s bespectacled police photo is truly a Shawshank show to watch, with TMZ even jokingly referring to the celebrity as Clark Kent. To tell the truth, the resemblance is amazing. Normally, one would think that a celebrity could trade a couple of selfies with fans, but LA is serious about drunk driving, and time inside is required on a second offense. According to TMZ , Bell’s sentence also came with four years of probation and a mandatory alcohol education program, which the actor might have thought he already mastered. Fortunately for the former child star, his original 96-hour sentence was reduced to just two days for good behavior. Since 2016, Bell has remained a free man, a master of his own domain.

Phil Hartman’s tragic fate

Phil Hartman was a leading light of many strong Saturday night live seasons in the late 1980s and early 1990s alongside legends such as Dana Carvey and Adam Sandler. NBC’s NewsRadio only cemented it further, but still made time for an unaccredited voice-only cameo in a 1996 Seinfeld episode. In 1998, Hartman’s life took a tragic turn when he was shot dead by his troublesome wife, Brynn. Hartman.

According to the New York Post , After complaining to her friend Ron Douglas about her husband’s “frequent absences,” Brynn returned to the couple’s home where she retrieved Phil’s revolver and shot the sleeping star. Her death was instantaneous, but Phil’s suffering in the abusive relationship was long-standing. Supposedly, Brynn would time diatribes against her husband for kicking him out before SNL dress rehearsals as she increasingly resented his success. A period of rehabilitation also failed when Brynn became very addicted to cocaine and alcohol. Immediately after the murder, she returned to Douglas, this time “obviously drunk.” Following his home and seeing what he had done, Douglas called the police, while Brynn locked herself in the room. When the authorities arrived, the famous celebrity crawled onto the bed and pulled the trigger once more, this time for herself.

If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Line at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text the HOME Crisis Text Line at 741741.

A familiar face suddenly disappears

Circumcision is more controversial than it used to be, but no matter how you feel about tradition, you don’t want Charles Levin’s highly agitated “Mohel” to come to your newborn son’s house. The comedian’s face has appeared on television countless times over the years, appearing in classics like The Twilight Zone and even The Golden Girls . Suddenly, in 2019, the actor Seinfeld disappeared without a trace in late June 2019.

According to The Oregonian , Levin’s son first reported him missing after days without hearing from his father. A search was organized and, less than a week later, the authorities stumbled upon a gruesome scene. On Page Six Detectives surmised that Levin was stuck while driving on dark roads near his remote Oregon home. The 70-year-old man got out of his car and tried to free the vehicle when he tragically fell down a steep ravine to his death.

Levin was exposed to the summer sun and vultures for more than two weeks. According to the police report obtained by the daily Post , he was located on July 13, his body torn and only later identified by dental records. Adding another disgusting note of suffering, the police also discovered the remains of Levin’s beloved dog, Boo Boo Bear, locked in Levin’s abandoned car near his body, which probably succumbed to the heat. Levin’s death was finally declared accidental.