[3] The episode's storyline was based on one of David's personal experiences;[4][5] when he was dating Monica Yates, she wanted him to meet her father, Richard Yates, a respected novelist. Harris died in April 2022 at the age of 93. Jerry Seinfeld: Come on, it's not even a house. The father of Elaine and her sister Gail, Alton Benes, made his first, and only, appearance in the show during the episode, The Jacket.In the episode, Alton meets George, who he compares to a . DuringSeinfeld's nine-season run, a staple of the sitcom was its impressive roster of guest stars and recurring characters, some of whom became as iconic as Jerry, George, Kramer, and Elaine. Why Elaine Benes' Father Was Only On One Seinfeld Episode, How Old Elaine Is At the Beginning and End of Seinfeld, he First Seinfeld Episode Elaine Wasn't In (& Why), Young Sheldon Has No Excuse For Failing Missy After Paige's Return, It's True, Matt Smith's Post-Doctor Who Success Breaks A 60-Year Trend, Picard Season 3 Easter Egg Raises A Big Sisko DS9 Question. When we first meet Ricky, he's sitting next to Elaine on the subway and offers her a highlighter to help with the TV Guideshe's reading. The New York Times reported in March 2002 that Tierney died in New York City following a series of strokes and a pneumonia diagnosis. . Veteran comic performer and actor Jerry Stiller is best known for his recurring role as the perpetually apoplectic Frank Costanza, father of George, in "Seinfeld," but he wasn't the first person to play the part. The Silent Epidemic Affecting Generation . Jerry, being Jerry, wants the loaf for himself to replace the one that Frank stole from Susan's parents, so he attacks Mabel and steals her bread. Jerry Seinfeld: Wednesday. As it was, Alton Benes made just one appearance on "Seinfeld" during its nine-season run. She was 73. Played by character actor Daniel von Bargen, Mr. Kruger has a few iconic plotlines even though he's only in four Seinfeld episodes. Previously the female role was supposed to be Claire, the waitress at Pete's Luncheonette played by Lee Garlington, but Monk's Cafe replaced the luncheonette and Garlington was dropped from the role. Tierney was set to join the various parents on the show as a series regular, but the actor who played him exhibited such wild behavior that Dreyfus later labeled him as a nut job., The Seinfeld Decision That Cost Jerry Seinfeld $110 Million. Countless career ups and downs ensued, though Tierney booked an impressive run of work in the 1980s via roles in JohnCassavetes' "Gloria," and the Stephen King adaptation"Silver Bullet." Kramer is the most inscrutable and mysterious of all the major "Seinfeld" characters, and even the most vital parts of his backstory and identity are doled out slowly over the show's run, and even then, just barely. [9] He was known for his bad-guy roles in films during the 1940s and 1950s, such as Dillinger, The Hoodlum and Born to Kill. While Frost's turn as Doc Hayward in Twin Peaks overshadowed his five episodes of Seinfeld, fans of the show continue to remember details about him fondlyespecially a passing reference to hisaffair with author John Cheever, which made him one of the first bisexual television characters in history. In the early '60s, she appeared in episodes of everything from "Gunsmoke" to "Burke's Law" to "The Untouchables," and spent the '70s similarly landing guest arcs in detective dramas including "Kojak" and "Barnaby Jones." While Burns and Randolph did a good job with the material they were given, they didn't earn the raves Tierney did. He also doesn't seem to respect Elaine's work, as he forgets that she is working at Pendant Publishing despite her telling him multiple times. Here's whySeinfeld recast Jerry's dad after season 1, and George's dad afterseason 4. John Randolph was by no means a bad actor. 2. His career as an author may have been the inspiration for Elaine to grow up and work as an editor at Pendant Publishing and later as a writer for the J. Peterman Catalog. Elaine later explained in court that she was going to say "I've always loved United Airlines. The veteran character actor was 82. Gideon died at age 58. Her performance at a J. Peterman company party, the central plot theme of "The Little Kicks", causes George to describe it as "a full-bodied dry heave set to music." NBC. [6] David had just bought a suede jacket, and met Richard Yates at the Algonquin Hotel. Those visits usually morphed into meddling and butting in, verging on smothering. A detective turned actor,Barney Martin died at 82 of cancer in Studio City, California, in 2005. Mabel Choate also testifies against Jerry at the trial in the series finale, noting that he never expressed remorse for stealing from her, a little old lady. THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'Seinfeld' 33 years later. In "The Boyfriend", Elaine reveals her disgust for smokers, which leads to a breakup with Keith Hernandez. He's hired by the very welcoming Mr. Thomassoulo, who appears again in the episode, "The Voice" to fire George, the source of disdain and hatred among all the other employees. Played by Twin Peaks alumniWarren Frost and Grace Zabriskie, Mr. and Mrs. Ross never liked George and made no secret that they thought he was terrible for their daughter. He played LAPD Deputy Chief Robinson, who hindered more than helped John McClane in "Die Hard," the resentful Vice Principal Vernon in "The Breakfast Club," and nasty operative Clarence Beeks in "Trading Places." Once season 5 rolled around, the series creators decided they wanted to rewrite Frank Costanzainto a much more involved character, as he was too passive in the series up until this point. In the reunion episode featured in Season 7 of Curb Your Enthusiasm, it is revealed in the years since the finale Jerry has donated sperm to Elaine that results in her having a daughter, who has taken to calling Jerry "Uncle Jerry", but by the episode's end, it is said she now refers to him as "daddy" to Jerry and Elaine's clear discomfort. However, it was Louis-Dreyfus' portrayal of Elaine on Seinfeld that launched her to stardom. Puddy has a casual approach to their relationship as seen in "The Voice" when Puddy claims he just likes her for the sex. George winds up needing to use a cane afterhe attempts to shave with butter and sprains a leg in the Season 9 premiere, "The Butter Shave." Alton Benes is the father of Elaine Benes, and a famous writer. In "The Maestro", Elaine starts dating Bob Cobb, a conductor who insists on being called "Maestro". Portraying the unnamed but memorable mohel was character actor Charles Levin, probably best known for apart from "Seinfeld" the pilot episode of "The Golden Girls" and multiple Woody Allen films. George Costanza, a lazy, obnoxious, and cantankerous ne'er-do-well, finds himself in a succession of great jobs throughout "Seinfeld," all of which he inevitably messes up and loses. Waymire was 36 years old. And can we have soup? . In March 1999,Wallace passed away from respiratory failure and emphysema at the age of 73. In "The Muffin Tops", Elaine convinces her ex-boss Mr. Lippman to start his own business selling just "muffin tops". Morty refuses to let Jerry pay for a meal . Most of George Costanza's bosses expected far more from him than he was ever able to provide, but not Mr. Kruger, George's beleaguered boss at Kruger Industrial Smoothing. In the clip, Stiller, in character as George Costanza's bellicose father, stands over his TV son, played by Jason Alexander, and faces off against Julia Louis-Dreyfus in character as Elaine . Here's why. 10 Elaine's Father Played A Role In The Assassination Of JFK NBC. His favorite games include Marvel's Spider-Man, The Last of Us, God of War, and Hades. Erwin was primarily a stage actor, a veteran of several decades of the Los Angeles-area theater scene, according to CBS News. Sheridan's representative told Deadline that the actor died in her sleep in April 2022. 1. Easy enough for the guy who played Elaine Benes' on-and-off boyfriend on "Seinfeld" for 10 episodes of the cult classic sitcom but is still one of the most quoted and memorable characters from the long-running show. He returned over 20 minutes later, and the car had been towed for being illegally parked. 10 Fascinating Facts About Seinfeld. Elizabeth Sheridan, who played Jerry's mother on Seinfeld, dated James Dean. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Susan Ross (Heidi Swedberg) was George Costanza's longtime girlfriend and, briefly, fiance before she died from licking toxic wedding envelopes George chose to save money. The actor, who played David Puddy, the boyfriend of Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) on 'Seinfeld,' says he used to 'apologize for being on "Family Guy."'. 3. Not only do they not try to prevent the crime or assist the victim, but they make fun of poor Howie. George looks in admiration at the jacket]. North was 72. A courtroom circus develops, and it's all presided over by Mr. Hoyt, the crusading local District Attorney who swears to do whatever it takes to get Jerry and his friends prosecuted, which mainly involves bringing in character witnesses numerous people done wrong by the four defendants across the run of "Seinfeld.". For four seasons in the '70s and '80s, he played radio station manager Arthur Carlson in "WKRP in Cincinnati," Maggie Seaver's father in "Growing Pains," and Mr. Horton, the predatory bike shop owner in a serious two-part "Diff'rent Strokes." Seinfeld stars Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jerry Seinfeld have paid tribute to Jerry Stiller who died yesterday aged 92. There's no reason given for why the show didn't go this route with Alton. He is a graduate of Wesley College's Bachelor of Media Arts and Master of Sport Leadership programs. Though the film remains a career highlight for both, it's probably best not to ask Tarantino what it was like to work with the irascible screen tough. Wretched though Elaine Benes might be in her personal life, she demonstrates professionalism at work at least compared to George. And yet the road that her character paved, as a strong, flawed woman, is still being trod. In "The Wizard", Elaine is not sure if her new boyfriend Darryl is black or not and gets mixed signals when she tries to find out. Whether or not this is true is never expanded on. The moves are repeated in her bedroom in a short scene of "The Slicer". But Seinfeld's four main characters all behaved that way around the Seinfelds or Costanzas they play-acted the role of good kids being polite to the grownups.Larry David and the show's writers never treated the parents like doddering old fools Jerry's meddling Uncle Leo (played by Len Lesser, who died in 2011) was a little more like that but, rather, like hall monitors or . [2], The episode was first read by the cast on November 28, 1990 at 10:30 AM. George parks it in a handicapped-reserved spot, and it imperils a woman in a wheelchair, and an angry mob forms and destroys the car. Alton fought in the Korean War, and once mentioned a friend of his he knew back in Korea who was a tail gunner that "got his brains blown out all over the Pacific". However, Morty is played by Phil Bruns, rather than Barney Martin. The material was later included on the Seinfeld Volume 1 DVD set. Answer (1 of 3): Morty Seinfeld was originally played by Phil Bruns, who appeared in only the second episode. "The Jacket" is the third episode of the second season of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld and the show's eighth episode overall. Frank first shows up in the Season 4 episode, "The Handicap Spot." When confronted, he pretended to stab seinfeld with the knife and was not asked to return. The actor who played Poppie, Reni Santoni, was best known for his role as Clint Eastwood's partner in Dirty Harry, andpassed away at 81 in August 2020 after a long illness. He takes it out. In this legendary episode, Jerry, Elaine, George, and Susan head up to Susan's family's cabin, but not . That doesn't stop them from having ridiculous conflicts. While that impressive crew all delivered standout work in their brief time on the show, few "Seinfeld" supporting players left quite as memorable a mark on the show as the actor who played the father of Elaine Benes (series star Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Lynch paid tribute to Olkewicz on his YouTube channel following his death. From his obsession with TV Guideto his creation of an alternative December holiday called Festivus that violently combats the cheer of Christmas and Hanukkah, Frank Costanza is almost in a class of his own amid the routine madness ofSeinfeld. Some of the main topics of the show include romantic relationships, the challenges of finding a fulfilling career, and the numerous strange experiences and encounters of adult life. In "The Smelly Car", Elaine repulses her boyfriend Carl when her hair smells of body odor from riding in Jerry's car. They are letters from the novelist John Cheever revealing the father is gay. Early Seinfeld episodes didnt age well. Chris' favorite directors include Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, and Quentin Tarantino (among several others). She dumps him because of his reluctance to use exclamation points. Seinfelds co-stars Dreyfus and Alexander saw the situation and were extremely frightened by the actors behavior. Even though the episode was well-received and Tierney earned praise for his performance, Alton was never brought back again. Phil Totola. Dr. Howard Cooperman made a single but memorable appearance in the Season 6 episode, "The Fusilli Jerry." In "The Airport", it is revealed that Gail lives in St. Louis. In a cast filled with literally hundreds of memorable weirdos, Jerry's Uncle Leo is arguably one of the strangest. There isn't anyone on "Seinfeld" who loved, adored, and cherished the hard-to-love Jerry Seinfeld more than his mother, Helen Seinfeld. We first meet Poppie, the owner of a well-known Italian pizzeria, when Jerry starts dating his daughter, Audrey (Suzanne Snyder). Now on Netflix, NBC's "Seinfeld" followed the misadventures of friends living in New York,. Even though the episode was well-received and Tierney earned praise for his performance, Alton was never brought back again. Kruger's first major story involves a trip to the beach with his family and a resulting photograph that George mucks up completely. "The Jacket" premiered on American television on February 6, 1991, on NBC, it gained a Nielsen rating of 10.4/16 and was praised by critics. In May 2006, Gleason died at a hospital in Burbank, California, at age 67. Many pop-culture sayings are attributed to the show including Festivus and yada-yada-yada, not that theres anything wrong with that, among others. Over the span of 27 episodes of "Seinfeld," viewers got a chance to see just why George Costanza was the way he was neurotic, emotionally volatile, and self-loathing. It all boils over into a full-on fight between Jerry and the mohel. By the end of this absurdity, all three Izzys are incapacitated, but still trying to provoke fights with anyone who speaks to them. Elaine Benes - Wikipedia He also has an unusual quirk of believing everyone is gay. He's none too pleased when Ricky stalks Elaine to the Costanza house having made a bizarre bouquet out of Frank's TV Guide. You got it." (The answers: Don't be ridiculous, it's complicated, and no, no soup for you). Barney Martin (March 3, 1923 - March 21, 2005) was an American actor, best known for playing Morty Seinfeld, father of Jerry, on the sitcom Seinfeld (1991-1998). Alton also ruins Jerrys suede jacket when he doesnt allow Jerry to turn it inside out during a snowstorm. Before Stiller portrayed Frank, John Randolph did. Next: Why Seinfeld Killed Off Susan In Season 7. The parents of Jerry and George are frequently the center of "Seinfeld" plot arcs, but Elaine's father, Alton Benes, makes just one appearance in the Season 2 episode, "The Jacket." Unlike her three close friends, Elaine is absent from the pilot episode. He was also part of the award-winning ensembles of "The Contender," "Argo," and "Dogville," but Hall is probably best remembered for the character he played on one episode of "Seinfeld" (and reprised in a cameo in the series finale). [5][11] Cherones stated that, afterwards, Larry David would jokingly threaten to have Tierney back on the show if Cherones did his work badly. Elaine Marie Benes (/ b n s /) is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus.Elaine's best friend in the sitcom is her ex-boyfriend Jerry Seinfeld, and she is also good friends with George Costanza and Cosmo Kramer.Louis-Dreyfus received critical acclaim for her performance as Elaine, winning an Emmy, a Golden Globe and five SAG Awards. In 2009, Gideon's breast cancer was declared in remission, only for the disease to aggressively return in February 2014. Tierney booked his most famous early-career role in 1945, portraying legendary gangster John Dillinger in the hit film "Dillinger." The following night, Jerry, Elaine and George have dinner with Elaine's father, writer Alton Benes. Every single character in Seinfeld is a certified drama queen whose unnecessary shenanigans take the story to Bizarro World and back, but the most absurd of them all might be Cosmo Kramer. In "The Dog", she tells George she moved to New York in 1986, which, by coincidence, is the year Jerry moved into his apartment across the hall from Kramer. [2][pageneeded], It has been reported that other actresses were in line to play the character, including Rosie O'Donnell, Megan Mullally, Jessica Lundy, Patricia Heaton, Mariska Hargitay, and Amy Yasbeck.[3][4][5]. In many ways, Monk's Cafe in Seinfeld is as much a character as the actors on screen, and its human embodiment is Ruthie Cohen, the cashier who appears in a whopping 101 episodes of the show. If the idea was to give Jerry a"harsher parent," Seinfeld and David were successful in that goal, just as they were with George's dad. He was hired by Screen Rant in 2013 to write box office prediction posts in conjunction with the Screen Rant Underground's Box Office Battle game, and his role at the site grew from there. The Danza:. During Seasons 2 to 5, Elaine works at Pendant Publishing under her boss Mr. Lippman, where she served as a copy editor. On their way out, they notice it is snowing. Shows don't often recast recurring roles, due to flack from many. Elaine's father Alton, a war veteran and writer, makes Jerry and his friend George Costanza very uncomfortable. He now has a wide range of cinematic tastes, enjoying the latest Hollywood blockbusters, Oscar contenders, and everything in between. Playing the nosy Helen (immediately after a recurring role as nosy neighbor Raquel Ochmonek on "ALF") was Liz Sheridan, a veteran of multiple '70s Broadway productions and many '80s sitcoms. At the wedding, George reveals that Elaine had once dated the groom, leading Sue Ellen to rip out Elaine's nose-ring. In multiple episodes, including "The Strong Box" and "The Wizard", she can be seen wearing a crucifix. Lloyd Braun suggests this idea to the mayor, who likes it so much that he adds it to his campaign, subsequently leading to his loss in the mayoral elections. Phil is a sexual harasser, so let's get him out of the way. Julia Louis-Dreyfus played Elaine Benes on 'Seinfeld' starting 30 years ago this week. Mullally's found success since Will & Grace as part of two mega-talented cable ensembles in Party Down and Children's Hospital. [1] In the episode, Jerry Seinfeld buys an expensive suede jacket and has dinner with the father of his ex-girlfriend Elaine Benes. Susan Gleason, Gleason's wife, told Backstage that her husband had been diagnosed with mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer related to the inhalation of asbestos. Alton Benes is the father of Elaine Benes, and a famous writer. Jerry wears an expensive jacket when he meets Elaine's father, but an argument ensues when Jerry is reluctant to wear it outside during a snowfall. Seinfeld portrayed a semi-fictionalized version of his life as a stand-up comedian on the sitcom. Seinfeld featured Elaine Benes' father Alton in just one episode, and there's a good reason why the character was never brought back. The date takes a disastrous turn when Jerry sees that Poppie doesn't wash his hands after using the toilet, causing Jerry to refuse to eat the hand-tossed pizza Poppie made especially for them and insulting both father and daughter in the process. In "The Serenity Now", Jerry's uninhibited, exaggerated emotional state causes him to ask Elaine to marry him. In real life, Shapiro's father is renowned author Richard Yates known for his novel "Revolutionary Road". [1] Leifer has said some elements of the character of Elaine, especially her assertiveness, intelligence and sense of humor, are drawn from the off-screen personality of Julia Louis-Dreyfus herself. she often rhetorically asked the world of her boy, whom she visits often at his home in New York City when he can't make it down to Florida to visit her and her husband Morty in their retirement community. George Costanza: We could build a cabin like. Later, when Jerry chides her for fighting with an old man, she says, "Hey, he wrote the check. He was 91 years old and made his final appearance in Twin Peaks'third season. TheSeinfeld seasons 1 & 2 DVD set includes a special inside look at "The Stake Out," which briefly discusses the Morty role. Over several episodes in Season 4, she dates Joe Davola, who is--unbeknownst to Elaine--simultaneously stalking Jerry. Played by British actor Ian Abercrombie, Mr. Pitt's idiosyncrasies almost put Kramer's to shame. He also enjoyed a long stint as the comically underworked Maytag Repairman in a number of TV commercials, per the New York Times. Hulton Archive/Getty Images. While Phil Bruns originally played Jerry's dad, Morty Seinfeld, . If we want to understand George Costanza's particular damage, we need not look much further than his apoplectic father, Frank, whose impotent rages have been passed down to his dysfunctional and underachieving son. Elaine claims to have an IQ of 145 (although her scores range from 85 to 150). In one shot when Jerry, George, Alton, and Elaine are leaving the lobby, George goes from wearing to not wearing his glasses. After that episode, one of the show's creators, Larry David decided that the character as played by Bruns was too laid back, and felt Jerry should have a more crotchety dad. Recurring actors like Bryan Cranston and Patrick Warburton found success on hit shows. Chris Agar is a senior movie/TV news editor for Screen Rant and one of Screen Rant's Rotten Tomatoes approved critics. Kramer's mother, Babs Kramer, was regularly mentioned and Elaine's father made an appearance. She is able to recover her job by agreeing to live temporarily in a remote cave in the desert of Tunisia. The actor who played Alton Benes on "Seinfeld" is none other than late screen legend Lawrence Tierney. Hollywood icon (and father of Jeff Bridges)Lloyd Bridges died in March 1998 at 85 after several illnesses,Gene Dynarski passed in April 2020 after a series of heart issues, and Mandelbaum patriarch Earl Schuman died of undisclosed causes at 100 years old in March 2016. Unfortunately, Nana discovers the bank isn't there anymore and the neighborhood is scarily run-down. . 3rd episode of the 2nd season of Seinfeld, "Jerry's gang is back: First three seasons of 'Seinfeld' arrive on DVD", "DVD Review: Seinfeld: The Complete Series", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Jacket_(Seinfeld)&oldid=1142463012, Television episodes written by Larry David, Television episodes written by Jerry Seinfeld, Short description is different from Wikidata, Television episode articles with short description for single episodes, Television episode articles with short description and disambiguated page names, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Throughout the episode, George sings the song "Master of the House" from the musical, When Jerry and George discuss their options in the hotel bathroom, George suggests that they leave, to which Jerry replies "He'll clunk our heads together like Moe." Seinfeld once jokingly stated that this was because the "Fatman" would run in the second half of the show. Besides his episode of Seinfeld, Tierney was an accomplished actor known for a number of film roles, mostly as a member of the mob. In "The Fire", Elaine reveals her hate for her overly energetic, always-happy colleague Toby. He also silences George when he starts singing "Master of the House". Related:Has Seinfeld Aged Badly - Does It Need To Be "Fixed"? The implication is Bruns was too laid back for what the co-creators envisioned, so they took things in a different direction. In The Jacket, Jerry and George met Alton, who proceeds to refer to George as "chorus boy" for his singing "Master of the House". Related: Why Elaine Benes' Father Was Only On One Seinfeld Episode. Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide stated, "An otherwise mediocre episode, Lawrence Tierney's gruff turn as Elaine's father helps redeem 'The Jacket. They both felt they were in the right and wouldn't back down from each other. Character actor Walter Olkewicz, who played Nick the cable guy in "Seinfeld," died of complications from infections in 2021. Tierneys actions caused the cast and crew to be so frightened that Tierney was never asked back onto the show. His character died in the cult show, but Lynch insisted on bringing him back for the film "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me," released two years later. Elaine later becomes a personal assistant to the eccentric, demanding Justin Pitt, starting in "The Chaperone", but later is fired when Mr. Pitt thinks she and Jerry are conspiring to kill him in "The Diplomat's Club". With Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards, Jason Alexander. In "The Finale", when Elaine is about to be taken away to prison, she emotionally tells Puddy to "not wait for her". [2][4] Additional dialogue at the store where Jerry buys his jacket was cut before broadcast; it featured a reference to Gary Gilmore. Actress Ruth Cohen made a career of extra work on shows like The Golden Girls and Murder, She Wrote, with her main success as Seinfeld's most prolific background star. In "The Stakeout", Jerry tells his parents that the reason for the break-up had to do with fighting too much and "physical chemistry". She returns later to accept his proposal, but Jerry has by that time settled to his usual stable emotional state and says "I don't see it happening." Hellllloooooooo! Via IDB. George suggests Jerry turn the jacket inside out, but because of the candy-stripe lining, Alton insists he turn it back. She reprised the role during season 41 of Saturday Night Live in 2016. "David said, 'We love what you did, we want you for the movie,'" Olkewicz told The Jersey Journal. The guy who takes it out is not getting higher than last place on this list. 27 votes, 13 comments.