So What’s The Deal With Jerry Seinfeld?

It's no surprise that Seinfeld defined an era and is considered to be one of the greatest shows ever. After being on the air for nine seasons, it's almost impossible to not hear about this classic sitcom, and not its star, comedian Jerry Seinfeld. Born on April 29, 1954, in Brooklyn, New York, the New York Mets fanatic has found more success after his show ended in 1998. There are so many little things that people would never guess about the comedian. How much do you really know about this guy anyway?

What's The Deal With Light Bulbs?

GettyImages-1038556194
Jens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty Images
Jens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty Images

The New Yorker took odd jobs to pay the rent during his early days in comedy. In some jobs, he used it as an excuse to try out new material. For instance, he sold light bulbs over the phone with his friend Mike Costanza.

Later on, Seinfeld found himself waiting tables, but quit after he landed a gig emceeing at the Comic Strip. That was only the beginning for the aspiring comedian.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Studied Scientology

ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-500894870
JOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images
JOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

In an interview with Parade, the Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee host mentioned that he dabbled in Scientology. He revealed that "I actually got to it from my auto mechanics teacher in high school, who was into it, and he was telling me about it. In my early years of stand-up, it was very helpful. I took a couple of courses."

ADVERTISEMENT

He also added that the practice has very good technology, which appealed to him the most.

ADVERTISEMENT

Seinfeld's Cat Enjoys Special Snacks

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

He might be a comedian, husband, and a father, but Jerry is also a proud cat owner. Javier is the family cat who has his own stroller. People on Central Park West are used to seeing the little guy rolling up and down the street in his stroller.

ADVERTISEMENT

Seinfeld's four-legged friend also enjoys cannabis his vet prescribed for his anxiety. With his chic white sweater, it's no surprise he's caused some embarrassment.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Diagnosed Himself With Autism

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1066224558
Lisa Lake/Getty Images for Philly Fights Cancer
Lisa Lake/Getty Images for Philly Fights Cancer
ADVERTISEMENT

During an interview with NBC News, the comedian stirred the pot once again. This time, he diagnosed himself with autism. He told Brian Williams "I think on a very drawn-out scale, I think I'm on the spectrum." According to The Washington Post, parents of autistic children called the comments a slap to the face.

ADVERTISEMENT

Seinfeld quickly walked back his remarks on Access Hollywood. "I don't have autism. I'm not on the spectrum."

ADVERTISEMENT

His Blurb Was Pulled Out Of A Comedians Biography

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-92356966
Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images
Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Bill Cosby was a huge impact on the comedian. While Seinfeld remained quiet in public about Cosby's growing scandal, his actions spoke louder than words. In 2015, Seinfeld had a blurb about idolizing the comedian, but it was pulled from Mark Whitaker's biography, Cosby: His Life and Times.

ADVERTISEMENT

This came after he learned it was being used in promotional materials and on Amazon. It was the most significant stance Seinfeld took to distance himself from his idol.

ADVERTISEMENT

He's An Old School Comedian In A New School World

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1032530912
Manny Carabel/Getty Images
Manny Carabel/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

It's no surprise that he comes from a different era of comedy. However, that hasn't stopped the New Yorker from finding success with his web show. Thanks to the growing popularity, he continues to show a new generation that funny is just funny.

ADVERTISEMENT

Sure, the comedian found himself in some controversy, but it wasn't enough to end his career. Seinfeld has shown people he's quick to adapt and he can find the punchline in almost any situation.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Wears White Sneakers For Two Reasons

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-78303548
R.H. Stagg /Getty Images
R.H. Stagg /Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

There's an interesting story behind the white sneakers the comedian is always seen in. Jerry wore them throughout the show's existence and during his stand-up career. It all started with the comedian wanting to be like Joe Namath of the 1969 New York Jets.

ADVERTISEMENT

The quarterback was one of the only players to wear white shoes. The other reason comes from Bill Cosby, who always wore white sneakers on I SPY.

ADVERTISEMENT

There Are Two Episodes He Loved The Most

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

He liked "The Rye" and "The Pothole." The reason why is because they got to shoot at Paramount Studios, which gave producers a feeling that it felt like a real TV show.

ADVERTISEMENT

The comedian revealed in an interview about the location, "We had this idea of marble rye and we had to shoot it in an outdoor set, and this was a very expensive thing to do, it's like a movie place there at Paramount in LA."

ADVERTISEMENT

A Talent Scout Saw Jerry's Potential

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-120341706
Ann Summa/Getty Images
Ann Summa/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

The observationalist comedian ended up being fired from his first acting gig on Benson. After being canned with three episode appearances, the humiliating incident encouraged him to work harder on his stand-up act.

ADVERTISEMENT

Eventually, his talents caught the eye of a Tonight Show scout, and Seinfeld became part of the NBC roster, teaming up with Larry David. The pair created what first started out as The Seinfeld Chronicles.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Enjoys Being Abused By Comedy Club Owners

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-858513444
Craig Barritt/Getty Images for The New Yorker
Craig Barritt/Getty Images for The New Yorker
ADVERTISEMENT

In 2002, Seinfeld did a documentary called Comedian. There's one point where the Governor's club owner told him to be off the stage at a particular time. The owner happened to treat Jerry the same as everyone else that was there and he thought that was so hilarious.

ADVERTISEMENT

It was a significant reason why he wanted to go back into doing standup comedy simply because the start of your show doesn't get treated like that.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Counsels Hecklers

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-692400956
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Very early on in his career, Jerry wanted to be the 'Heckle Therapist.' When people would say something nasty, the comedian would immediately become sympathetic to them and help them with their problem.

ADVERTISEMENT

He did everything he could to work out what was upsetting them, and understanding their anger. The audience would find it funny and it would discombobulate the heckler. Essentially, he wants to be on your side even when you're coming after him.

ADVERTISEMENT

He's Not Too Sure About Seinfeld Parody Accounts On Social Media Today

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-692332446
FilmMagic/FilmMagic/Getty Images
FilmMagic/FilmMagic/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

After over nine years of doing the show, both Larry and Jerry had sat through hundreds of ideas that people wanted to do on the show. Naturally, most of the ideas weren't as a good as others. The ideas that they would respond to, they just needed to be very unique in their own kind of way.

ADVERTISEMENT

Now there are Twitter accounts like @SeinfeldToday, but Jerry isn't very fond of ideas coming from a social media account.

ADVERTISEMENT

There's One Movie That He Believes Shouldn't Have Had A Sequel

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

In his Reddit AMA, Jerry responded to a question about how Seinfeld would be today. He said, "Everything would have had to change. The characters would have gotten married and started families, I suppose." Then, he took a moment to call out on specific movie franchise he felt "disrespected" its life cycle.

ADVERTISEMENT

"Look at The Hangover. If you made just one, the movie would be a comedy legend. Because they made three, it isn't."

ADVERTISEMENT

He's A Fan Of Laugh Tracks

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1032339666
Andrew Toth/Getty Images for GOOD+ Foundation
Andrew Toth/Getty Images for GOOD+ Foundation
ADVERTISEMENT

It was something the show struggled with since they had real laughs on the scenes that were shot in front of an audience. But, they would shoot other scenes that couldn't be in front of the audience. Essentially, producers tried to compromise and put in a suitable laugh track.

ADVERTISEMENT

Seinfeld revealed in the Reddit AMA that one of the fun things of a sitcom is feeling you're an audience even though you're at home.

ADVERTISEMENT

The First Time He Saw Larry David, He Didn't Approach Him

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-469628040
Al Pereira/WireImage/Getty Images
Al Pereira/WireImage/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

In a revealing AMA chat on Reddit, the co-creator of Seinfeld opened up about Larry David. The first time he ever met David was in 1975 when he leaned on Jerry's car in front of the Improv on 9th Avenue in New York City.

ADVERTISEMENT

"I was eavesdropping on him talking to another comedian, and I wasn't even in comedy yet. I knew they were real comedians." Two years later, the pair had their first conversation at a bar.

ADVERTISEMENT

His TV Show Had A Rocky Start

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-501444338
Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Hulu
Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Hulu
ADVERTISEMENT

The Seinfeld Chronicles was almost dropped after one season. Former NBC president of Entertainment, Warren Littlefield, explained to FOX411 what transpired. "The audience did not like the show and that scared us, but we did manage to find money to film four episodes to hold the show intact by making one less two-hour Bob Hope special, and it did ok."

ADVERTISEMENT

The 13 episodes didn't do well, but NBC believed the show had something special.

ADVERTISEMENT

His Ex May Have Been Inspiration For One Character

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1045729160
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Farm Sanctuary
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Farm Sanctuary
ADVERTISEMENT

Seinfeld dated comedian and writer Carol Leifer. The two remained close friends, even after their breakup. The scenario sounds oddly familiar, and it should because that's the relationship between Jerry and Elaine Benes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Leifer said in an interview, "People make that connection because I dated Jerry and we have stayed friends all these years." It's only fair to mention that Leifer joined the Seinfeld writing staff in the fifth season. She won four Emmy Awards for her work.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Hates The Idea That Seinfeld Is 'A Show About Nothing'

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

During the fourth season, there's a plotline about Jerry and George pitching a sitcom to NBC. The pair described it as a "show about nothing." Many felt that was a direct commentary about the show itself, and Seinfeld wasn't thrilled about the description.

ADVERTISEMENT

He told the Hollywood Reporter that it was made up by the press. He then described the self-imposed rule on the show: "No hugging. No learning."

ADVERTISEMENT

There's One Show He Thinks Ripped Off Seinfeld

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
friends_KWFSTq
Alice S. Hall/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Alice S. Hall/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

When Friends debuted in 1994, critics were quick to point out one thing. Ann Hodges of The Houston Chronicle dubbed it the "new Seinfeld wannabe." In 2016, the comedian mentioned the similarities on the Awards Chatter podcast.

ADVERTISEMENT

"We thought, 'They wanna do our show with better-looking people. That's what they're doing here.'" NBC even considered a crossover episode between both shows, but Larry David immediately rejected the idea to no ones surprise.

ADVERTISEMENT

There's One Particular Item He Doesn't Find Funny

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

What made Seinfeld great was not being afraid to admit when a joke was flat. They even stopped filming an episode because it just wasn't funny. There was one episode where Jerry buys a handgun, and some of their best writers couldn't figure out how to make the subject work.

ADVERTISEMENT

They went as far as doing the read-through, then cancelling the episode altogether. Trying to make that topic funny ended up being no fun for anyone.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Turned Down A Massive Amount Of Money For A Tenth Season

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Larry David had already stepped down as showrunner by the ninth season. Seinfeld was in full control of the show, and he dropped a bombshell when the show would end in 1998.

ADVERTISEMENT

Former NBC executive Littlefield told FOX411 "We offered him $5 million an episode. We didn't mess around. What we put on the table was unheard of." Following Seinfeld, he did get a start on his personal life, which needed some help.

ADVERTISEMENT

Seinfeld Wasn't Pitched As A Show About Nothing

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The real pitch happened in 1988. Both Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David met with NBC, pitching an idea that they wanted to do a show on how a comedian gets his material. The show about nothing was just a joke that would become an episode a little way down the road.

ADVERTISEMENT

To this day, both comedians are surprised that it caught on as a way for people to describe the show.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Was Romantically Involved With Shoshanna Lonstein

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-141270326
Ron Galella/WireImage/Getty Images
Ron Galella/WireImage/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

At the height of Seinfeld in 1993, the star of the show was linked to the 17-year-old beauty. However, that wasn't all of it. According to People, the comedian was spotted at George Washington University when Lonstein was attending college. They reportedly dated for four years from 1993-1997.

ADVERTISEMENT

She even took weekend trips to Los Angeles with him and was introduced by some of his comedian friends, including George Wallace.

ADVERTISEMENT

He Proposed To His Wife At An Awkward Time

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-1032465446
Andrew Toth/Getty Images for GOOD+ Foundation
Andrew Toth/Getty Images for GOOD+ Foundation
ADVERTISEMENT

Shortly after breaking up with Lonstein, Seinfeld met Jessica Sklar in 1998. Despite hitting it off right away, Sklar was a newlywed. The future Mrs. Seinfeld had walked down the aisle a month prior with Eric Nederlander.

ADVERTISEMENT

After the newlyweds came back from their honeymoon, the couple divorced four months into their marriage. Afterward, Sklar and Seinfeld became engaged in November 1999, and then exchanged their vows on Christmas Day.

ADVERTISEMENT

Jessica Was Accused Of Plagiarism

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-77136473
Jamie McCarthy/WireImage/Getty Images
Jamie McCarthy/WireImage/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

In 2007, Mrs. Seinfeld published Deceptively Delicious, a cookbook about how to hide vegetables in your children's food to help them eat healthier. However, Missy Chase Lapine published a similar book and decided to sue Jessica for plagiarism.

ADVERTISEMENT

Unfortunately, Jerry made matters worse when he defended his wife on the Late Show with David Letterman. Lapine then sued Seinfeld for libel. Both of her lawsuits against the Seinfelds were eventually tossed out of court.

ADVERTISEMENT

Apparently, His Web Series Has Caused Controversy

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-983926484
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Netflix
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Netflix
ADVERTISEMENT

Seinfeld turned his attention to Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee. According to HuffPost, the comedian was repeatedly told by social media and content experts that people won't watch web videos in a long length. Then, things got dicey when audiences noticed most of the guests were white male comedians.

ADVERTISEMENT

Despite the criticism, Seinfeld did expand on the show's guest list with guests like J.B. Smoove and Kate McKinnon.

ADVERTISEMENT

Seinfeld Is Facing A Lawsuit For Allegedly Stealing His Hit Web Series

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-983926540
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Netflix
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Netflix
ADVERTISEMENT

Christian Charles says he conceived Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee. Charles alleges that the idea for this show was his. The plaintiff contends he has a long history of working with Seinfeld and that he registered copyrights on treatment and script for a pilot episode.

ADVERTISEMENT

In addition, he says he conducted meetings and had email conversations with the comedian's reps. After working on the pilot and demanding compensation, Seinfeld began to use his creativity.

ADVERTISEMENT

Seinfeld Was Concerned About Who Was Pursuing The Lawsuit

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-491587368
Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images
Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

The comedian shined a light on the situation with the Associated Press. Even with so much drama unfolding, Seinfeld was worried about who would do such a thing. He told the Press that it was unfortunate when it's a friend and they decide to go for the money instead.

ADVERTISEMENT

Essentially, all Christian Charles wanted was not only compensation, but a "Created by" credit for his early efforts of the web series.

ADVERTISEMENT

According To The Lawsuit, Charles Pitched The Idea To Seinfeld

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-491587372
Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images
Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

According to the lawsuit, Charles pitched the idea to Seinfeld as far back as 2002 and even directed a pilot episode. However, it was cut out after demanding ownership interest. Seinfeld's attorney filed a motion to dismiss the suit in June 2018, his court brief asserting that the idea of the show was too broad to even consider it as a lawsuit.

ADVERTISEMENT

Charles only sued after learning how much Seinfeld was getting paid.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Case Figures To Turn On The Issue Of Infringement Vs. Ownership

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
GettyImages-537747156
Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
ADVERTISEMENT

Not only is the comedian asking the court to declare Charles' copyright claim as time-barred, but the comedian has urged the judge to see the other claims in the lawsuit, such as breach of implied contract, unfair competition, and quantum merit.

ADVERTISEMENT

Charlies is now due for a full response, but before he does, he will have to find himself a lawyer. The attorney who handled the complaint sought to withdraw over a business conflict.