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whadu · Level 49: GameShark **Posts:** 37198 **Timestamp:** Tue May 27, 08 6:25 AM

Main characters

* Jerry Seinfeld (Jerry Seinfeld)—Jerry is the show's central character who comes across as a "clean freak". He is obsessed with orderliness and is a bit of a "germophobe". In the show, Jerry makes a living as a stand-up comedian. His apartment is the center of a world visited by his eccentric friends George, Elaine, and Kramer. He is often seen as "the voice of reason" amid all the insanity generated by the people in his world.[6] Plot lines often involve Jerry's romantic relationships; he typically finds "stupid reasons to break up" with women. While seemingly the 'normal' one amongst his friends, his character's neurosis reveals itself in his obsessive cleanliness, narcissism, and steadfast immaturity. His favorite superhero is Superman and there are various references to it in the series.

* George Costanza (Jason Alexander)—George is Jerry's best friend since school. He is cheap, dishonest, and often jealous of others' achievements. He is often portrayed as a loser who is insecure about his capabilities. He often lies about his profession, relationship, and almost everything else, which usually creates trouble for him later. He often uses an alias ("Art Vandelay"), when lying or assuming a fake identity. George was once succinctly described by Elaine as a "short, stocky, slow-witted, bald man". He fantasizes of being an architect. He often does questionable things which others might also do but often gets caught in the act (such as urinating in a parking garage).[7]

* Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus)—Elaine is intelligent and assertive, but superficial. She sometimes has a tendency to be very honest with people, which often gets her into trouble.[8] She often gets caught up in her boyfriends' habits, her eccentric employers' unusual demands, and the unkindness of total strangers. A recurring plot line for Elaine is her frustrating inability to find Mr. Right; she also goes through an on/off relationship with David Puddy throughout Season 9. She used to date Jerry, and remains his close friend. One of Elaine's trademark maneuvers is her forceful shove when she receives good or shocking news while using her catch phrase "get out!". She is seen as the intellectual stronghold of the group of friends.

* Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards)—Kramer is Jerry's "wacky neighbor" and friend. His trademarks include his humorous upright pompador hairstyle, vintage clothing, and his energetic sliding bursts through Jerry's apartment door. Elaine refers to him as a 'hipster doofus'. At times he acts naive, dense, and almost child-like, yet randomly shows astonishing insight into human behavior. Though he never seems to have held a 'real' job, he often makes a bundle on some wacky scheme. He often dreams of ridiculous schemes to make money, some of which include a pizza place where "you make your own pie", a cologne that smells like "the beach", authoring a coffee-table book about coffee-tables (for which he appeared on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee), and designing a brassiere for men called the "Bro" (or Manssiere according to Frank Costanza).[9] Kramer consistently goes out of his way to help total strangers. Despite being arguably the 'weirdest' of the group, Kramer seems to have the most success with the opposite sex.

Secondary characters

There are numerous recurring minor characters in Seinfeld. The most prominent are:

* Newman (portrayed by Wayne Knight)—An overweight, despicable postal worker. He is Kramer's accomplice and Jerry's nemesis and is a neighbor of both (Apartment 5E). He will go out of his way to make Jerry's life miserable. He is usually greeted contemptuously by Jerry with "Hello, Newman!," to which he also mostly responds with "Hello, Jerry!" in similar fashion. He is always plotting against Jerry, always eating and being obnoxious in Jerry's apartment. He is the most frequently recurring male character, from his first appearance in the show's second season all the way through the last episode.
* Morty Seinfeld (originally portrayed by Phil Bruns, but later replaced by Barney Martin) and Helen Seinfeld (portrayed by Liz Sheridan)—They are Jerry's parents. Morty is a retired raincoat salesman and famous for obstinately sticking to his convictions; Helen cannot understand why anyone would not like her son. They always feel that Jerry is not making enough money and try to help him out financially. These two characters are based on Jerry's biological parents.
* Frank Costanza (originally portrayed by John Randolph, replaced by Jerry Stiller) and Estelle Costanza (portrayed by Estelle Harris)—They are George's eccentric parents. George usually blames them for his current mental state and failure to succeed in life. They are known for their violent temper, often leading to yelling and constant verbal fights. They make many appearances from season 4 to 9.
* Uncle Leo (portrayed by Len Lesser)—He is Jerry's uncle and Helen's brother. He personifies the eccentric old man and often tries to demean Jerry with comparisons to his own purportedly successful son. He has a habit of grabbing the person with whom he is conversing by the arm. He always brags about his son, Jeffrey (who never makes an appearance on the show), who works for the Parks Department. Uncle Leo is seen in seasons 2 to 9 occasionally.
* Susan Ross (played by Heidi Swedberg)—George's fiancée and a former NBC executive. She tries to become friends with Elaine and Jerry in one episode but can't tolerate their inane chatter. She worked for NBC in season 4 and was engaged to George in season 7. She dies in the last episode of season 7, from licking the poisonous glue of their wedding invitation envelopes. She is the most frequently recurring female character in seasons 4 and 7, and has a cameo role in the season 9 episode titled "The Betrayal".
* George Steinbrenner (voiced by Larry David, portrayed by Lee Bear, who is only seen from behind)—He is George's boss and owner of the New York Yankees. Steinbrenner's face is never shown on the show. He is parodied for his arrogance and lack of touch with the realities of running of a baseball team. A recurring gag is for him to call George into his office, then proceed to ramble on about inane topics as George slowly walks out the door. In edited scenes, the real George Steinbrenner makes a cameo appearance and goes out with Elaine. The scenes were cut due to time constraints and are available on the season 7 DVD. He usually appears from the finale of season 5 to 9.
* J. Peterman (played by John O'Hurley)—He is one of Elaine's eccentric bosses. Peterman owns The J. Peterman Company and Elaine works on the catalog released by the company. Using the florid style of a treasure hunting adventurer, he typically announces his journeys to exotic locations in search of unique clothing. He is usually seen making an appearance from the finale of season 6 to season 9.
* Kenny Bania (portrayed by Steve Hytner)—Bania is a fellow stand up comedian. Jerry hates Bania, because he is so annoying. Bania's trademark "Hey Jerry!" is often treated by Jerry and his friends with annoyance and indifference. Kenny Bania appears in various episodes throughout seasons 6 through 9.
* David Puddy (portrayed by Patrick Warburton)—Puddy is Elaine's on-again, off-again boyfriend. He is a competent auto mechanic, but also an airhead with numerous quirks, most notably his squinting, staring, and insatiable appetite for high fives. He calls himself a Christian and he is known for his short, unapologetic delivery and unflinching assuredness. He is seen in seasons 6 and 9.
* Mickey Abbott (portrayed by Danny Woodburn)—A friend of Kramer's and a "little person", he has aspirations to be an actor ("The Wait Out", "The Burning") and competes for women with Kramer ("The Yada Yada"). He makes appearances from Season 5-9.
* Jackie Chiles (portrayed by Phil Morris)—Jackie is Kramer's lawyer. He has a secretary named Suzy and sets up appointments for his clients with an unseen "Dr. Bison". He also speaks with a rapid-fire delivery and tends to overuse grandiose adjectives like 'preposterous' and 'outrageous'. Chiles is a caricature of the late Johnnie Cochran. He is seen occasionally in seasons 7 to 9.
* Justin Pitt (portrayed by Ian Abercrombie)—Usually referred to as "Mr. Pitt," he was Elaine's demanding boss during the sixth season. He hired her because she reminded him of Jackie Onassis. He makes his appearance throughout Season 6 as well as "The Finale".
* Tim Whatley (played by Bryan Cranston)—Jerry's dentist, he appears in Seasons 6, 8 and 9. Elaine accuses him of regifting in "The Label Maker", and he converts to Judaism and begins to make references to the Jewish people as if he is a lifelong Jew in "The Yada Yada".
* Sue Ellen Mischke (portrayed by Brenda Strong)—She is known as the "Braless Wonder" due to her habit of not wearing a brassiere. She is the heiress to the Oh Henry! candy bar fortune. Out of spite, Elaine gives her a bra as a birthday gift which Sue Ellen wears as a top. She repeatedly attempts to better Elaine, but was finally betrayed in her appearance in "The Betrayal". She makes appearances in seasons 7 to 9.

Seinfeld,

Sitcoms

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