List of Seinfeld minor characters

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The television show Seinfeld featured many minor characters.

<i>Seinfeld</i> American sitcom

Seinfeld is an American sitcom television series created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld for NBC. The show stars Seinfeld as a fictionalized version of himself, and mostly focuses on his personal life with a handful of friends and acquaintances, including best friend George Costanza, friend and former girlfriend Elaine Benes, and neighbor across the hall Cosmo Kramer. Seinfeld is set predominantly in an apartment building in Manhattan's Upper West Side in New York City. It is often described as being "a show about nothing", as many of its episodes are about the minutiae of daily life.

Contents

Secondary characters

Character frequency

Character# of episodesActorCharacter description
Ruthie Cohen101 Ruth Cohen A cashier at Monk's Café whom George once accused of stealing a $20 bill with lipstick drawn on the president. She can be seen in the background as the cashier at Monk's in almost every episode that features the interior of the cafe as a setting.
Newman 48 Wayne Knight Fellow tenant in Jerry and Kramer's apartment building. A bulky male U.S. postal worker and Jerry's nemesis. A catchphrase of Jerry's is that he greets him with a contemptuous disdainful "Hello, Newman" each time they meet. In "The Raincoats", Helen Seinfeld automatically addresses Newman with the same tone. In "The Revenge," only Newman's voice is heard, which was originally voiced by Larry David and rerecorded for syndication. Newman often speaks in an exaggeratedly dramatic, Shakespearean way, and generally has a more advanced vocabulary than other characters. Newman is also noted for his poetry. Worked with David Berkowitz.

His first name appears to be unknown by any of the characters, even his employer; in "The Package" his business card gives his name merely as "NEWMAN." A minor character calls him "Norman" in "The Bottle Deposit," but this was a mistake on the part of the actress/character, rather than any revelation of Newman's first name. Newman is petty, vindictive, prone to hysteria, and often depicted as a stereotypical evil genius, who is usually undermined in some way. Jerry's exasperation, or epiphany involving Newman will cause him to clench his fist and mutter "Newman!" under his breath.

Newman has been shown to harbor unrequited romantic feelings for Elaine.

Frank Costanza 29 John Randolph (first appearance), Jerry Stiller (later appearances)George's father. His ancestors came from Tuscany. Utterly deranged and very quick to anger. Of Italian descent, he was a travelling businessman who detests removing his shoes in other people's homes, and wears his sneakers in the swimming pool. He is also a former cook in the Army and learned to speak Korean while serving in the Korean War. He invents the holiday Festivus, as a reaction to the cultural commercialism of Christmas, and of which George has few fond memories. He has a phobia of spending silver dollars and suffers strongly from musophobia; however, he has a genuine compassion for squirrels. His lawyer (played by Larry David) wears a cape.
Estelle Costanza 29 Estelle Harris George's highly obnoxious and melodramatic Jewish mother. She constantly squabbles with Frank and George about their actions, but is the closest thing to reason in the Costanza household. Enjoys playing Mahjong. George claims she has never laughed, ever.
Susan Ross 29 Heidi Swedberg Born on June 8, 1964, Susan was George's on-off girlfriend and later fiancée and the daughter of wealthy parents. She was bisexual ("... that I like women"), partnered with a woman named Mona, and worked for NBC before getting fired, the latter apparently a result of her relationship with George. Died on May 16, 1996, from licking cheap, toxic wedding invitation envelopes George bought during their engagement. George initially shows little remorse at her demise despite her devotion to him, which backfires when he is tied to a charity foundation dedicated to her and realizes had they been married, he would have inherited her considerable wealth and possessed vast amounts of money and property.
Morty Seinfeld 24 Phil Bruns (first appearance), Barney Martin (later appearances)Jerry's father. He has strong, if sometimes outdated convictions about business and the way of the world. Fittingly, he spent some time as a politician in his Florida retirement community. During his working years, he sold raincoats with Harry Fleming and was the inventor of the "belt-less trench-coat." He hates Velcro because of "that tearing sound." He is extremely mindful of money, once calculating the interest and lost value of $50 that was owed several decades ago. However, he engages in frequent disputes with Jerry over money, refusing to let his son pay for anything in his presence, particularly restaurant checks.
Helen Seinfeld 24 Liz Sheridan Jerry's mother. Often needed to provide reason to Jerry's and Morty's eccentric lifestyle, though overprotective of Jerry and often refuses point-blank to do anything that would place him at inconvenience.
Jacopo "J." Peterman 22 John O'Hurley Elaine's boss in the last three seasons and the fictitious founder of the real-life J. Peterman Company. Eccentric adventurer and world-traveler. Once fired Elaine on suspicion of opium addiction when she failed a drug test after consuming a poppy seed muffin, and again for her extreme dislike of the film The English Patient . According to O'Hurley, Peterman's distinctive manner of speaking was inspired by "'40s radio drama, combined with a bit of a bad Charles Kuralt." [1]
George Steinbrenner 16 Larry David (voice), Mitch Mitchell (in "The Nap" and "The Millennium"), Lee Bear (other appearances)George's boss. Depicted as a rambling, unpredictable and hard-nosed owner of the New York Yankees whose face is never seen.
Uncle Leo 15 Len Lesser Jerry's uncle. Brother of Helen Seinfeld. A bit of an old coot. Has a son, Jeffrey, who works in the NYC Parks Department, whom he mentions at every opportunity. Is very keen on Jerry stopping to say "hello." Often when something doesn't go the way he wants it to, he attributes it to anti-Semitism. He was once convicted of a "crime of passion."
Matt Wilhelm 12 Richard Herd George's supervisor at the New York Yankees. Briefly abducted by a carpet-cleaning cult (by the name of S-men), Wilhelm later leaves the Yankees to become head scout for the New York Mets. He appears to suffer from symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
David Puddy 11 Patrick Warburton Elaine's on-again-off-again boyfriend, often referred to and addressed as Puddy. Unflappable and calm, yet can be a surprisingly passionate individual at times (usually as a result of something Elaine has said). There is little ambiguity as to his status as an airhead and likes to stare into space. Used to be an auto mechanic (considered by Jerry as the only honest mechanic in New York), but later became a car salesman. Dislikes the term "grease monkey." A recovering mysophobe, born again Christian, and a face-painting New Jersey Devils fan. Loves Arby's. Known for frequently initiating "high-fives" and his trademark line, delivered in monotone, "Yeah, that's right."
Mr. Lippman 11 Richard Fancy, Harris Shore (in "The Library")Elaine's boss at Pendant Publishing and a temporary boss of George in "The Red Dot." Later, he opens a bakery named "Top of the muffin to you!" that sells only the tops of muffins, stealing the idea from Elaine. Enjoys cigars and botches a big merger with the Japanese due to a nasty cold and no handkerchief to sneeze into. He declines to shake hands with the Japanese representative because of this and ruins the merger, causing Pendant Publishing to go bankrupt.
Justin Pitt 8 Ian Abercrombie Elaine's second boss. Extremely wealthy business owner. He is a very picky individual and nearly impossible to please. Eats his Snickers bars with a knife and fork and prefers to wear white knee socks. Fired Elaine after he became convinced she had tried to murder him using a deadly drug interaction, using Jerry as accomplice.
Mickey Abbott 7 Danny Woodburn A quick-tempered little person actor. Typically appears with his friend Kramer. Becomes aggravated if referred to as a "midget." Often appears in roles as children or elves (with Kramer at a department store). In The Race, Mickey states that he has two children in college, though it's possible that Mickey made that up to appear more sympathetic to the boss who was firing him. In "The Yada Yada", Kramer states that he has been married three times, and he marries for a fourth time at the end of the episode.
Russell Dalrymple 7 Bob Balaban The president of NBC who works with Jerry and George on a television pilot. Had teenage daughter played by Denise Richards, who was ogled by George and Jerry. He becomes obsessed with Elaine and quits NBC to join Greenpeace in order to impress her. He falls off a small dinghy while chasing a whaling ship. His crewmates (one of whom was played by Larry David) cannot find him in the dark waters and he subsequently perishes at sea where one of the crewmates promises to contact Elaine and inform her of his actions.
Kenny Bania 7 Steve Hytner Stand-up comedian considered a 'hack' by Jerry and other comedians. Jerry especially dislikes him because he uses Jerry's act to warm up his audience. Though his profession plays no role in his first appearance, "The Soup", Jerry Seinfeld felt it was important to the character, since Bania's indomitable self-confidence is characteristic of a certain type of club comedian. [2] Ovaltine is a main topic of his acts (Jerry: "He thinks anything that dissolves in milk is funny"). He has curious views on food, and is obsessed with eating dinner at Mendy's Restaurant.
Crazy Joe Davola 6 Peter Crombie Writer who suffers from mental problems. Attacked Kramer, blames Jerry for misfortunes, dated and stalked Elaine, going as far as taking photographs of her around town and even in her apartment with a telescopic lens. Depressed that Elaine rejected him, he dressed up like the clown from the opera Pagliacci and beats up several street toughs who antagonize him. Likes to leave his door open to "encourage intruders". Attacked Jerry at the filming of the Jerry Pilot and was never heard from again.
Dugan6 Joe Urla Co-worker of Elaine at J. Peterman. Thinks that no one should make fun of pigs.
Jackie Chiles 6 Phil Morris Kramer's eccentric but highly efficient lawyer. Although very successful, he has had bad luck when representing Kramer. Favorite sayings are "Outrageous! Egregious! Preposterous!" Parody of Johnnie Cochran. After the group is convicted in the finale, Jackie confirms that Sidra, Jerry's ex-girlfriend, has physical features that are not only real, but also "spectacular."
Larry6Lawrence MandleyThe sour manager or owner of Monk's Cafe, often antagonized by the foursome's antics. Occasionally brandishes a gold earring.
Jack Klompus 6 Sandy Baron Short tempered resident of Phase Two of the Pines of Mar Gables who seems to consistently have a grudge against Morty Seinfeld. Has a fancy astronaut pen that he gives to Jerry out of duress. Gets a "sweetheart deal" from Jerry for Morty's Cadillac, then subsequently drives it into a swamp and loses the aforementioned pen. He also made false allegations of Morty stealing from the treasury (despite Jerry buying the Cadillac for Morty) and convinced the residents of the complex it was true, which led to Morty's impeachment as the president of the condo association.

Other characters appearing in 5 or more episodes

Bryan Cranston American actor and director

Bryan Lee Cranston is an American actor, producer, writer and director. He is best known for playing Walter White on the AMC series Breaking Bad (2008–2013), Hal on the Fox sitcom Malcolm in the Middle (2000–2006), and Dr. Tim Whatley on the NBC sitcom Seinfeld (1994–1997).

Dentist Healthcare occupation

A dentist, also known as a dental surgeon, is a surgeon who specializes in dentistry, the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aids in providing oral health services. The dental team includes dental assistants, dental hygienists, dental technicians, and sometimes dental therapists.

"The Yada Yada" is the 153rd episode of the American NBC sitcom Seinfeld. The 19th episode of the eighth season, it aired on April 24, 1997. Peter Mehlman and Jill Franklyn were nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series in 1997.

Warren Frost was an American actor. His work was mainly in theater, but he worked in films and television sporadically from 1958. He is known for television roles on Matlock, and Seinfeld, and particularly as Doctor Hayward on Twin Peaks, a series co-created by his son Mark Frost. He has also appeared in TV movies, such as Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990) and The Stand (1994).

Grace Zabriskie is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Sarah Palmer in Twin Peaks and its film prequel Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), Lois Henrickson in Big Love, as well as in cult films such as two of David Lynch's films: Juana Durango in Wild at Heart (1990) and Visitor #1 in Inland Empire (2006). Other film roles include Nickel Mountain (1984), Child's Play 2 (1990), and The Grudge (2004). She is also known for her recurring roles in Seinfeld and Charmed.

John Cheever American novelist and short story writer

John William Cheever was an American novelist and short story writer. He is sometimes called "the Chekhov of the suburbs". His fiction is mostly set in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the Westchester suburbs, old New England villages based on various South Shore towns around Quincy, Massachusetts, where he was born, and Italy, especially Rome. He is "now recognized as one of the most important short fiction writers of the 20th century." While Cheever is perhaps best remembered for his short stories, he also wrote four novels, comprising The Wapshot Chronicle , The Wapshot Scandal, Bullet Park (1969), Falconer (1977) and a novella Oh What a Paradise It Seems (1982).

Characters appearing in 2–4 episodes

Brian George British actor

Brian George is an Israeli-English actor, voice artist, comedian and singer, best known for playing Pakistani restaurateur Babu Bhatt on Seinfeld and the gynaecologist father of Raj Koothrappali on The Big Bang Theory.

Sheree North actress

Sheree North was an American actress, dancer and singer, known for being one of 20th Century-Fox's intended successors to Marilyn Monroe.

"The Nose Job" is the 26th episode of Seinfeld. It is the ninth episode of the show's third season. It first aired on November 20, 1991. The episode was written by Peter Mehlman and was directed by Tom Cherones.

"The Switch" is the 97th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld, and the 11th episode of the show's sixth season. It aired on January 5, 1995. In this episode, Jerry wants to switch from dating a non-laughing woman to dating her roommate, Elaine has difficulty retrieving a tennis racket she loaned out, and George enlists Kramer's mother to spy on his seemingly bulimic girlfriend, leading to him learning Kramer's first name.

Unseen characters

Imaginary characters and pseudonyms

Related Research Articles

Elaine Benes main character on the TV show Seinfeld

Elaine Marie Benes is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Elaine's best friend 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. She reprised the role during season 41 of Saturday Night Live.

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Jerome "Jerry" Seinfeld is the main protagonist and title character of the American television sitcom Seinfeld (1989–1998). The straight man among his group of friends, this semi-fictionalized version of comedian Jerry Seinfeld was named after, co-created by, based on, and played by Seinfeld himself. The series revolves around Jerry's misadventures with his best friend George Costanza, neighbor Cosmo Kramer, and ex-girlfriend Elaine Benes. He is usually the voice of reason amidst his friends' antics and the focal point of the relationship.

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"The Bottle Deposit" is a two-part episode, and the 131st and 132nd episode and 21st and 22nd episode of the seventh season of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It aired on May 2, 1996. This was originally an hour-long episode, but it was split into two parts for syndication.

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"The Sniffing Accountant" is the 68th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld, being the fourth episode of the series' fifth season. It aired on NBC on Thursday, October 7, 1993.

"The Chicken Roaster" is the 142nd episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the eighth episode for the eighth season. It aired on November 14, 1996.

"The Van Buren Boys" is the 148th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld, and name of a fictional New York street gang. Their sign is holding up eight (8) fingers, because the gang is named for the 8th President of the United States, Martin Van Buren. This was the 14th episode for the 8th season. It aired on February 6, 1997.

"The Betrayal" is the 164th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the eighth episode for the ninth and final season. It aired on November 20, 1997. The episode is colloquially referred to as a backwards episode due to its use of reverse chronology, starting with the final scene and playing in order backwards. The episode can be played in "correct" order (chronologically) on the DVD release of season 9.

"The Finale" is the two-part series finale and the final episode of the American sitcom Seinfeld. They are the 179th and 180th episodes of the show and the 23rd and 24th episodes of the ninth season. It aired on NBC May 14, 1998 to an audience of 76 million viewers. Its initial running time was 1 hour and 15 minutes.

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"The Caddy" is the 122nd episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 12th episode for the seventh season. It aired on January 25, 1996.

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References

  1. Adventurer: Seinfeld's J. Peterman. Forbes.com Video Network. Retrieved Jun 6, 2009.
  2. Seinfeld Season 6: Inside Look - "The Soup" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2005.
  3. "Seinfeld" The Stakeout (TV Episode 1990) – IMDb
  4. Somer, Jared; Somer, Adam. "Cousin Jeffrey: He Works for the Parks Department". Unofficial Seinfeld Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2012-06-30.

Seinfeld on IMDb