Uncle Leo

Last updated
Uncle Leo
Uncle Leo - eyebrows.jpg
Uncle Leo after his eyebrows have been singed off in "The Package"
First appearance The Pony Remark (1991)
Last appearance The Finale Part II (1998)
Created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David
Portrayed by Len Lesser
In-universe information
OccupationRetired
SpouseStella (separated/widowed)
Significant otherLydia
ChildrenJeffrey (son)
Relatives Helen Seinfeld (sister)
Nana (mother)
Jerry Seinfeld (nephew)
Unnamed niece

Uncle Leo is a fictional character portrayed by Len Lesser in the American sitcom Seinfeld . Leo is the character Jerry Seinfeld's uncle. Uncle Leo made his debut in the second-season episode "The Pony Remark" and appeared in at least one episode in each of the subsequent seasons through the show's nine-season run.

Contents

On the 25th anniversary of the show's debut, Rolling Stone ranked Uncle Leo as number six on its list of "100 Best Seinfeld Characters," behind only Newman at number five and the four main characters: Jerry, Kramer, Elaine, and George. [1]

Description

Uncle Leo is the brother of Jerry's mother, Helen; his last name is never revealed. In an episode where Leo signs for a package addressed to Jerry, he actually signs it "Uncle Leo". In "The Bookstore", Jerry mentions "Leo" to Kramer. Kramer is initially confused, but upon remembering, he says, "Oh, yeah. Right. Uncle Leo. Forgot his first name."

Uncle Leo is very eccentric and a "general kvetch ." [1] When coming across Jerry, he always exclaims his catchphrase, "Jerry! Hello!" with his arms wide open. [2] When Jerry has a Cape Fear -esque nightmare about him in "The Bookstore," Leo has the word "Jerry" tattooed on the fingers of his right hand and "Hello" on the fingers of his left. [3]

When talking to people, Uncle Leo has a tendency to grab the person's arm (often uncomfortably) and hold them close. [4] In "The Pony Remark," Jerry guesses that he does this "because so many people have left in the middle of his conversation."

Uncle Leo often brags about his son (Jerry's cousin Jeffrey, who never appears on the show) and his various accomplishments while working in the Parks Department. Leo is very sensitive about greetings; when Jerry once avoided stopping to talk to his uncle on the street (because Jerry was on his way to a meeting), Leo was offended and called Jerry's mother in Florida to complain about the snub.

Leo is retired. His wife, Stella, is seen in the third-season episode "The Pen", but by the seventh season, he is either widowed or divorced. In "The Shower Head", he is living with a woman named Lydia. He breaks up with her because Jerry joked on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno about Leo's paranoid obsession with antisemitism in ridiculous contexts, such as claiming that a cook is antisemitic for overcooking his hamburger. Lydia found Jerry's comments funny, so Uncle Leo accused her of being an anti-Semite, as well. He resumes the relationship later on in the episode, although neither Stella nor Lydia is mentioned in subsequent episodes.

In "The Package", Leo receives a package for Jerry after Jerry refuses it, being suspicious that it could contain a bomb. Although initially refusing George's suggestion to let Leo open the package, he encourages Leo to open it after Leo asks Jerry to accompany him to Jeffrey's Parks Department production of The Mikado . This happens over the phone, and Jerry hears a loud explosion once Leo agrees to open the box. Except for having his eyebrows and moustache burnt off, Leo is unharmed. Elaine later quickly draws new eyebrows on him with her eyeliner, leaving him with a comical expression of anger.

In "The Bookstore", Jerry catches Uncle Leo in the act of shoplifting at a local bookstore, thereafter, confronting him about it. Leo maintains that seniors have the upper hand since they can claim senility ("Come on! I'm an old man. I'm confused! I thought I paid for it. What’s my name? Will you take me home?"); he also reminds Jerry to always greet him "Hello" no matter how awkward the situation. [3] Jerry later unintentionally gets Leo arrested by "bookstore police" after Leo attempts yet another theft. The episode reveals that Uncle Leo has a criminal record related to a "crime of passion".

"He's the kind of guy who is a total nuisance at times and the kind of guy you avoid. He's a very expansive character, and that has an attraction to it," Lesser said of the character in 1998. [5]

Character legacy

Len Lesser, who portrayed Uncle Leo, exhibited some of the same character traits, especially the overly excited greetings, when he portrayed the character Garvin from 1996 to 2004 on Everybody Loves Raymond . [4]

Lesser died in 2011. [6] His role as Uncle Leo was remembered as an "iconic" and "scene-stealing" character. [7] Despite his persona as a complaining braggart, Uncle Leo "still managed to be loveable". [1]

Appearances

The Uncle Leo character appears in a total of 15 episodes from 1991 to 1998.

Season Two
Season Three
Season Four
Season Five
Season Six
Season Seven
Season Eight
Season Nine

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cosmo Kramer</span> Fictional character in the American television sitcom Seinfeld

Cosmo Kramer, usually referred to as simply "Kramer", is a fictional character in the American television sitcom Seinfeld (1989–1998) played by Michael Richards.

Newman (<i>Seinfeld</i>) Major character on the TV show Seinfeld

Newman is a recurring character and the main antagonist of the television show Seinfeld, portrayed by Wayne Knight from 1992 until the show's finale in 1998. He is Jerry's arch-nemesis and Kramer's friend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Seinfeld (character)</span> Main character on the TV show Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld is the title character and the main protagonist 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 amid his friends' antics and the focal point of the relationship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Len Lesser</span> American actor (1922–2011)

Leonard King Lesser was an American character actor best known for his recurring role as Uncle Leo on Seinfeld. He was also known for his role as Garvin on Everybody Loves Raymond.

"The Invitations" is the 24th and final episode of the seventh season of Seinfeld and the 134th overall episode. It originally aired on May 16, 1996, and was the last episode written by co-creator Larry David before he left the writing staff at the end of this season. This episode was directed by Andy Ackerman.

"The Ex-Girlfriend" is the first episode of the sitcom Seinfeld's second season and the show's sixth episode overall. The episode was first broadcast on NBC in the United States on January 23, 1991, after being postponed for one week due to the start of the First Gulf War. During the course of the show, George Costanza breaks up with his girlfriend Marlene and leaves some books in her apartment. He persuades his friend Jerry to retrieve them. Jerry starts dating Marlene, who annoys him as much as she did George, but he finds himself unable to break up with her because she has a "psycho-sexual" hold on him.

"The Pony Remark" is the second episode of the second season of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, and the seventh episode overall. The episode was written by series co-creators Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, based on a remark David once made.

"The Phone Message" is the ninth episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, and the fourth of the show's second season. The episode concerns protagonist Jerry Seinfeld dating a woman who likes a commercial for cotton Dockers he dislikes. Meanwhile, his friend George Costanza leaves an obnoxious message on the answering machine of his girlfriend, and goes to great lengths to prevent her from hearing it.

"The Statue" is the sixth episode of the second season of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, and the show's 11th episode overall. In the episode, protagonist Jerry Seinfeld inherits some of his grandfather's old possessions. One of these is a statue, resembling one that his friend George Costanza broke when he was ten years old. When Jerry sees the statue in the house of Ray, the man who cleaned his apartment, he believes Ray stole the statue. Jerry struggles to get back at Ray, as his friend Elaine Benes is editing a book written by Ray's girlfriend.

"The Revenge" is the seventh episode of the second season of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, and the show's 12th episode overall. The story revolves around George Costanza's plot to exact revenge on his boss, with his friend Elaine Benes' help, after he quits his job at Rick Barr Properties and is refused re-employment. Meanwhile, Jerry and his neighbor Kramer get even with a laundromat owner—who they believe has stolen money from Jerry—by pouring cement into one of his washing machines.

"The Chinese Restaurant" is the 11th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld's second season on NBC, and is the show's 16th episode overall. The episode revolves around protagonist Jerry and his friends Elaine Benes and George Costanza waiting for a table at a Chinese restaurant, on their way to see a special one-night showing of Ed Wood's infamous science fiction feature Plan 9 from Outer Space. George tries to use the phone but it is constantly occupied, and Jerry recognizes a woman, but he is unsure where he has seen her before.

"The Watch" is the 46th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the sixth episode of the fourth season of the series, and first aired on September 30, 1992. In a direct continuation of the previous episode, "The Wallet", George learns that his efforts at negotiation have cost him and Jerry the deal with NBC for a television pilot, and he makes a desperate bid to get it back, while Jerry tries to keep his parents from discovering that the watch Uncle Leo found in a garbage can is the one they gave Jerry as a gift, and Elaine's plan for Kramer to pose as her new boyfriend does not prove as effective as hoped.

"The Package" is the 139th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the fifth episode for the eighth season, originally airing on October 17, 1996.

"The Bookstore" is the 173rd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 17th episode for the ninth and final season. It aired on April 9, 1998. In this episode, Jerry catches his Uncle Leo in the act of shoplifting, George is forced to buy a book after he is caught reading it in the bookstore's public bathroom, and Kramer and Newman attempt to start a rickshaw business.

"The Highlights of 100" is an hour-long, two-part episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This is the 14th and 15th episodes for the sixth season, and the 100th and 101st overall episode. It aired on February 2, 1995. It is a clip show with no new content apart from a 50 second long intro by Jerry Seinfeld. In syndication, it airs as two separate episodes of 30 minutes each, with a second intro at the beginning of the second episode. This is the first episode in the series not to open with a stand-up routine.

"The Kiss Hello" is the 103rd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This is the 17th episode for the sixth season. It aired on February 16, 1995. Although this was the 102nd episode to air, the cast and crew of the series credit this as the 100th episode because it is the 100th episode created. In this episode, Kramer posts the names and photos of all the tenants in his apartment building on a board in the lobby so that everyone will know each other. Jerry is uncomfortable with such pervasive socialization, bringing him to conflict with his neighbors at the same time as he investigates his Nana's story that his Uncle Leo owes his mother Helen $50.

"The Maestro" is an episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It first aired on October 5, 1995. It was the series' 113th episode and third episode for the seventh season. The episode debuted recurring character Jackie Chiles, a lawyer who represents Kramer in the hot coffee case introduced in the previous episode. The title character is played by Mark Metcalf. Elaine dates him while Jerry tries to disprove his claim that there are no houses available to rent in all of Tuscany.

"The Shower Head" is the 126th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This is the sixteenth episode for the seventh season. It aired on February 15, 1996. It had 32.3 million US viewers. This episode focuses on Jerry and George's struggles to get their respective parents to move out of New York. Meanwhile, the tenants of Jerry's apartment building are made miserable by the new low-flow showerheads, and Elaine takes a drug test for work which comes back positive for opium.

<i>Seinfeld</i> (season 2) Season of television series

Season two of Seinfeld, an American television series created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, began airing on January 23, 1991, on NBC.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "From Soup Nazis to Nuts: 100 Best 'Seinfeld' Characters". Rolling Stone . July 9, 2014. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  2. ↑ Silverman, Stephen M. (February 17, 2011). "Uncle Leo Dies". People . Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  3. 1 2 Roberts, Soraya (February 17, 2011). "Len Lesser, Uncle Leo actor, was 'one of our favorites,' says Jerry Seinfeld". New York Daily News . Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  4. 1 2 O'Neal, Sean (February 17, 2011). "R.I.P. Len Lesser, Seinfeld's Uncle Leo". The A.V. Club . Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  5. ↑ "PASSINGS: Len Lesser, Sidney Harth, Ratu Josefa Iloilo, Santi Santamaria, T.P. McKenna, Howard Lucraft". Los Angeles Times . February 17, 2011. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  6. ↑ "'Seinfeld' actor Len Lesser dies; played Uncle Leo". USA Today . Associated Press. February 17, 2011. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Uncle Leo's 'Seinfeld' Scenes: Jerry Remembers His Favorite". Huffington Post . February 17, 2011. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.