Seinfeld: 15 Behind-The-Scenes Trivia Tidbits

15 George Is Learning The Bass

Jason Alexander recently revealed on his Twitter that he is learning the bass guitar. He has offered to reimburse those who can give him tips in a special way. Alexander wrote, “You may ask yourself, ‘what’s in it for me, Alexander? Answer– 5 years from now I will play you the Seinfeld theme song. Serenity now.”

14 Paul Shaffer Was Offered The Role Of George

Jerry Seinfeld early on approached Paul Schaffer to be his “Sidekick” on the new pilot he was developing. Schaffer thought the show wouldn’t amount to anything so he didn’t even bother to return his call. Schaffer says, “That shows the smarts that a guy like me has.”

13 Lorelei From Gilmore Girls Was On Seinfeld

Lauren Graham played Jerry’s girlfriend “Valerie” on season 8 episode 20, “The Millennium.” She landed the role of Jerry’s speed dial obsessed partner just 3 years before landing her most famous role of Lorelei on Gilmore Girls.

12 Philly Customs Officials Reference Seinfeld Joke Upon Finding Molly In Soup Cans

U.S. Customs & Border Protection agents seized 24 pounds of liquid ecstasy hidden in soup cans from the Netherlands. The 12 cans of soup were leaking a purple liquid which agents found suspicious. After reporting their findings the CBP announced “no soup for you!” 

11 Jason Alexander Tried To Get Carol Leifer To Break

In the episode “The Kiss Hello,” writer and executive story editor Carol Leifer played the receptionist who gets in an argument with George over their cancellation policy. Leifer revealed 27 years later that “When Jason Alexander wrote a check to me in that scene, he wrote something crazy dirty to try and break me up. And with each take, the checks got filthier and filthier! Still surprised to this day that I never lost it! ???” 

10 Why Frank Costanza Was Recast After Season 4

Frank Costanza was originally portrayed by John Randolph in the season 4 episode “The Handicap Spot.” While the show creators had nothing but nice things to say about Randolph, they said they went in a new direction with Jerry Stiller. They felt Randolph’s portrayal was a bit too waspy, and too unlike George.” They also added that while they originally wanted a calmer father for George to juxtapose his mother, they eventually decided they wanted the character to be more “Seinfeldian.”

9 Could Jerry’s Hallway Exist?

A user on Reddit recently discovered that Jerry’s hallway defies the laws of physics and really could not exist. After a 3D recreation was made, they realized that the hallway would completely intersect with Jerry’s kitchen.

8 Dark Theory Posits Kramer Was Always Secretly Married

Fans have concocted a theory that perhaps Kramer was a part of an abusive marriage which ended shortly before the show's first episode. The evidence to substantiate the claim is that Kramer became a shut-in, rarely leaving his apartment early on, as he isn’t as prevalent as other characters in the first season. They also cite Kramer’s hatred of marriage in the first episode of season 7 where Kramer describes marriage as “man made prisons.” They also add that he references needing to ask permission to use the bathroom or watch TV.

7 Tom Hanks Asked Permission To Reference Jerry

Robert Smigel pitched Tom Hanks a sketch called “The Stand Ups” for his first SNL episode, which lampooned Seinfeld’s trademark “What's the deal with socks.” Dennis Miller felt like it was wrong to take the joke from Jerry and poke fun at it, when it very well might still be in his act. Hanks called Jerry, having never spoken to him before, pitched the sketch, and Jerry Signed off as he said he’d retired the bit.

6 Buck Showalter Still Loses Money On His Seinfeld Cameo

Buck Showalter appeared in the episode “The Chaperone” in 1994. He says that because he was forced to join the screen actors guild, he is still taxed $19 every time the episode airs.

5 Jason Alexander’s Reaction To George Being Named Most Immoral Character

In a poll on Twitter, George Costanza was voted the most immoral character on Seinfeld. George didn’t just win by a little, he won 63% of the vote. Newman came in second place with 15% of the vote, to which Jason Alexander responded “Wow, this kinda stings. I mean, come on…more immoral than Newman??”

4 How Much Cast Members Make In Reruns

According to Yahoo, Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld can make up to $400 million per Seinfeld syndication cycle. In comparison, while the other main cast were paid a million per episode, they made pennies compared to the show creators because they did not negotiate to own stake in the show.

3 Jason Alexander and Jerry Weren’t Close During The Show’s Run

Although Alexander and Seinfeld had some of the best onscreen chemistry of any sitcom friends, Alexander has mentioned that they were really just “work friends.” Alexander elaborates, "We had very different lives. But we really hung out with each other at the show. We were workmates. After nine years, when the show ended, we kind of went, ‘Oh, bye, see ya!’"

2 The Episode That Almost Got The Show Canned

NBC execs almost made the biggest mistakes of their lives when they nearly canceled the show over the episode “The Chinese Restaurant.” Widely regarded as one of the show's best, this episode was praised for its experimental plot. When it was pitched, however, the execs found it boring and refused to shoot it. After Larry David threatened to quit the show, they allowed it to air near the end of season 2.

1 The Huge Money Jerry Turned Down For Season 10

When Jerry was approached about doing a 10th season, NBC offered Jerry a whopping five million dollars per episode. Jerry has since explained he turned down the money because comedy is all about “proportion.” " How long is this joke going to be? How many minutes? And getting that right is what makes it art or what makes it mediocre.”

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Top Image: NBC