Jerry Seinfeld who is an American stand-up comedian and writer, filmmaker, and television producer specializing in observational comedy. we will try to know about him then let's know about him.
Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld was born on April 29, 1954, in Brooklyn, New York. He was raised in a Jewish family: his father, Kalmen Seinfeld, was a sign painter of Hungarian Jewish descent, and his mother, Betty (née Hosni), was a member of a Syrian Jewish family. He has an older sister, Caroline.
Seinfeld grew up in Massapequa, Long Island, where he attended Massapequa High School. At the age of 16, he spent time volunteering at Kibbutz Sa'ar in Israel.
He began college at SUNY Oswego and later transferred to Queens College, City University of New York, where he graduated in 1976 with a bachelor's degree in communications and theater.
career and stand-up success
Seinfeld began his stand-up career shortly after graduating from college. From there, he began performing in New York comedy clubs including Catch a Rising Star, The Improv, and The Comic Strip, developing a style based on observational humor that was well-received.
In 1981, he made a breakthrough appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, which helped him gain national recognition. He was very happy with it. Before that, he had also worked in small roles on television, such as Benson.
His first major television special was Stand-Up Confidential (1987).he loved it and was honest about it.
Seinfeld sitcom era (1989–1998)
In 1989, Jerry Seinfeld co-created The Seinfeld Show with Larry David. The show premiered on NBC and ran until 1998. It was one of the best connections he had made to his career.
Seinfeld featured Seinfeld as a semi-fictionalized version of himself, surrounded by eccentric friends including George Costanza, Ellen Benes, and Cosmo Kramer. Seinfeld has often been called "a show about nothing," with its plot revolving around everyday trivialities (waiting in line, social awkwardness, etc.). But it didn't lose. If it had, it wouldn't have gotten where it is today.
During its run, the series garnered both critical acclaim and widespread popularity. It earned numerous Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, winning several. In 1995, Seinfeld won the Golden Globe for Best Actor, Television Series - Musical or Comedy. After Seinfeld ended, it became one of the highest-rated shows in the United States.
He became known worldwidemore
Influence
Seinfeld has stated, "On the Mount Rushmore of stand-up comedy, there are four faces, in my opinion: Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Bill Cosby, and Don Rickles."Seinfeld has also cited as his influences Jean Shepherd,Mad Magazine, Jonathan Winters, Jerry Lewis, Robert Klein, and Abbott and Costello. He stated, "Monty Python was a gigantic influence on me. They were just about silly, funny things that meant nothing, and that's the stuff I love. There's a wonderful childlike freedom in those kinds of things
In the Netflix comedy special, Jerry Before Seinfeld, he displayed his personal comedy albums collection from when he was a teenager.These albums included:
Lenny Bruce – Thank You Masked Man (1972)
George Carlin – Class Clown (1972)
Steve Martin – Let's Get Small (1977)
Bob Newhart – The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart (1960)
Mike Nichols and Elaine May – Improvisations to Music (1958)
Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner – 2000 and One Years with Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks (1961)
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Seinfeld stated his five favorite films are The Heartbreak Kid (1972), The Graduate (1967), The In-Laws (1979), A Night at the Opera (1935), and Glengarry Glen Ross (1992).
Those influenced by Seinfeld include John Mulaney,Ellen DeGeneres, Jim Gaffigan,Judd Apatow, Issa Rae,Nate Bargatze,and Mark Normand. On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Steve Martin described Seinfeld as one of his "retro heroes" saying "He's a guy who came up behind me and is better than I am. I think he's fantastic, I love to listen to him, he almost puts me at peace. I love to listen to him talk"
Personal life
Seinfeld is a fan of the New York Mets and periodically calls Steve Somers' show on WFAN-AM, a sports radio station, as "Jerry from Queens."Seinfeld called four innings of a Mets game on SNY on June 23, 2010, reuniting with analyst Keith Hernandez, who appeared in the Seinfeld two-part episode entitled "The Boyfriend."[89] According to Seinfeld, he thinks about baseball "all day" and has said "when I think of retirement, all I would think of is going to a baseball game every day.
Seinfeld is a fan of comic book characters, particularly Superman.In 2022, he appeared on a variant cover of Batman/Superman: World's Finest with the title characters.
Seinfeld is left-handed, and the first joke he wrote professionally was about the topic.[93] In a 2014 interview with NBC News, he made statements suggesting that he believed he was on the autism spectrum.[94] However, following criticism for his alleged self-diagnosis, he later clarified that he is not autistic and had been commenting on a play about the condition that he "related to on some level.
Relationships and marriage
Years before Seinfeld was created, Seinfeld dated Carol Leifer.[97][98] She was a fellow comedian, and one of the inspirations for the Seinfeld character Elaine Benes.[99][100] On national television with sex therapist and talk show host Dr. Ruth Westheimer, he mentioned that he was engaged in 1984 but called it off.
Seinfeld with Lonstein (left) at the 47th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1995
In May 1993, then 39-year-old Seinfeld met 17-year-old Shoshanna Lonstein in Central Park.After a brief conversation, Lonstein gave Seinfeld her phone number.Seinfeld and Lonstein dated for approximately four years, until 1997.She transferred from George Washington University to UCLA, in part to be with him, ultimately citing constant press coverage and missing New York City as reasons for the relationship ending.
In August 1998, while at a Reebok Sports Club, Seinfeld met Jessica Sklar, a public relations executive for Tommy Hilfiger who had just returned from a three-week honeymoon in Italy with then-husband Eric Nederlander, a theatrical producer and scion of a theater-owning family. Unaware of Sklar's marital status, Seinfeld invited her out. When Sklar eventually told Seinfeld about her relationship situation, she said, "I told him I didn't think this was the right time for me to be involved with anybody." Two months later, Sklar filed for divorce and began dating Seinfeld. The pair married on December 25, 1999.Comedian George Wallace was the best man at the wedding.After the nuptials, Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld bought Billy Joel's house in Amagansett, New York, for US $32 million after news of the couple's interest in the property became public in 2000.The Seinfelds have a daughter and two sons.
Wealth and charity
In 1999, Seinfeld auctioned a Breitling Chronomat watch as part of the "Famous Faces, Watch Auction For Charity" event in New York City. This watch sold for $11,000. In 2001, Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld created the charitable organization Good+Foundation after their first child was born. Good+Foundation grants donations of products and services to programs that have demonstrated a capacity to address family poverty in three focus areas: supporting new mothers, investing in early childhood, and engaging fathers. GOOD+ Foundation has donated over $42M worth of items through its partner network across the United States.Seinfeld has also participated in Jon Stewart's charity event, Night of Too Many Stars.
According to Forbes magazine, Seinfeld's cumulative earnings from Seinfeld as of 2004 was $267 million, placing him at the top of the celebrity earnings list that year.He turned down $5 million per episode, for 22 episodes, to continue the show for a 10th season.Seinfeld earned $100 million from syndication deals and stand-up performances in 2004, and $60 million in 2006.He also earned $10 million for appearing with Bill Gates in Microsoft's 2008 advertisements for Windows.Between June 2008 and June 2009, Seinfeld earned $85 million, making him the world's highest-paid comedian during those 12 months.[119] In 2013, Forbes documented Seinfeld's annual income as $32 million. In mid-2013, Seinfeld disputed Forbes's claims regarding his income and net worth on The Howard Stern Show.[121] Seinfeld was ranked by Forbes the highest-paid comedian for 2015, the second-highest-paid in 2016, and the highest-paid again in 2017.Seinfeld's income between June 2016 and June 2017 was $69 million.
In 2024, Bloomberg declared Seinfeld a billionaire, with a net worth standing at more than US$1 billion, thanks to various syndication deals his sitcom signed, with $465 million coming from those deals,making him one of the richest celebrities.
Seinfeld with members of Kibbutz Be'eri in the kibbutz dining room, December 19, 2023
Seinfeld is Jewish and has incorporated elements of his Jewish identity in his work. Although he shared that his mother was born into a large family of Syrian Orthodox Jews, he admitted to being non-religious himself.Seinfeld stated that he took a Scientology course when he was in his 20s; he said that he found it interesting but that he did not pursue it any further.
Seinfeld expressed support for Israel during the Gaza war, saying "I will always stand with Israel and the Jewish people." Seinfeld and his family previously drew criticism, travelling to the occupied West Bank in 2018 to participate in an anti-terrorism simulation camp.In 2023, Seinfeld visited the headquarters of Abducted and Missing Families Forum where he met with representatives of the families and with abductees who returned from Hamas captivity, and listened to their stories. On May 12, 2024, Seinfeld gave a commencement address and received an honorary degree at Duke University. During his speech, a number of students booed, waved Palestinian flags and walked out in protest. In June 2024, Seinfeld was heckled by protesters during a comedy show in Sydney, Australia. Seinfeld responded joking, "You're really influencing everyone here. We're all on your side now, because you've made your point so well, and in the right venue, you’ve come to the right place for a political conversation".A similar incident occurred at a later show in Melbourne.In 2025, responding to a social media influencer and ambush activist who said "Free Palestine", he shook his head and replied "I don't care about Palestine.
Seinfeld has made several political contributions, including to George W. Bush's and Al Gore's presidential campaigns in 2000, and subsequently to four Democratic Party primary candidates in 2000 and 2004.
Seinfeld has expressed his distaste for what he calls political correctness. In 2015, Seinfeld stated that he avoids performing on college campuses because students have become too easily offended by his comedic routines.In a 2024 interview with The New Yorker, Seinfeld claimed political correctness was destroying comedy, saying, "This is the result of the extreme left and PC crap, and people worrying so much about offending other people. When you write a script and it goes into four or five different hands, committees, groups – 'Here's our thought about this joke' – well, that's the end of your comedy. Months later, he walked back those comments on the "Breaking Bread" podcast, stating "I don't think, as I said, 'the extreme left' has done anything to inhibit the art of comedy. I'm taking that back officially." Seinfeld said he regrets his previous comments because changing cultural attitudes are "not [his] business.
On September 9, 2025, speaking at Duke University at an event with Omer Shem Tov, Seinfeld characterizing the "Free Palestine" movement as antisemitic and compared it to the Ku Klux Klan, saying "Free Palestine is, to me, just — you’re free to say you don’t like Jews. Just say you don’t like Jews.”[162][163] He added, "By saying Free Palestine, you’re not admitting what you really think. So it’s actually — compared to the Ku Klux Klan, I’m actually thinking the Klan is actually a little better here because they can come right out and say, 'We don’t like Blacks, we don’t like Jews.' Okay that’s honest.
In response, a Duke University spokesperson stated "Duke does not preview the remarks of speakers. And the invitation of speakers to campus does not imply any endorsement of their remarks.
Democratic North Carolina state senator Sophia Chitlik, who shared the stage after Seinfeld, condemned his comments, stating "I condemn Seinfeld’s horrific comments, which I’ve made clear to his team and to the event sponsors.In a September 12, 2025 op-ed in the Duke Chronicle, Leo Goldberg wrote that "Seinfeld’s combination of familial ties and fame, it seems, entitles him to waltz into Duke as he pleases and be given a mantle from which to espouse ludicrous views as if he represents the University or its student body.
Transcendental meditation
In December 2012, Seinfeld said that he had been practicing Transcendental Meditation for 40 years. He promoted the use of the technique in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder with Bob Roth of the David Lynch Foundation in December 2012 on Good Morning America,and also appeared at a 2009 David Lynch Foundation benefit for TM, at which Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr appeared.On November 5, 2015, the David Lynch Foundation organized a benefit concert at New York City's Carnegie Hall called "Change Begins Within" to promote transcendental meditation for stress control. "It's been the greatest companion technique of living that I've ever come across, and I'm thrilled to be part of this movement that seems to have really been reinvigorated by Bob [Roth] and David Lynch," Seinfeld said. "I would do anything that I could to promote it in the world, because I think it's the greatest thing as a life tool, as a work tool and just making things make sense.
2011The Marriage Ref9 episodes; also creator and executive producer2011Talking FunnyTelevision special, HBO2012–2014Louie2 episodes2012–2019Comedians in Cars Getting CoffeeHimself (host)72 episodes;
also creator and executive producer2014Don Rickles: One Night OnlyTelevision special2015Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary SpecialHimselfInside Amy SchumerEpisode: "80s Ladies"2016The Jim Gaffigan ShowEpisode: "The Calling"Maya & MartyEpisode 2017Mystery Science Theater 3000Freak MasterstrokeEpisode: "Starcrash"Jerry Before SeinfeldHimselfComedy special/documentary, Netflix2018My Next Guest Needs No IntroductionHimself (host)Episode: "You're David Letterman, You Idiot"2019Huge in FranceHimselfEpisode: "Épisode Quatre"2023 Hours to KillNetflix comedy special2024John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LAEpisode: "Coyotes
Music videos
YearTitleArtistDirectorRef.2019"Sunflower"Vampire WeekendJonah Hill
Video games
YearTitleRolePublisherRef.2007Bee Movie GameBarry B. Benson (voice)Activision
Directing
YearTitleStudio2011Colin Quinn: Long Story ShortHBO2016Colin Quinn: The New York StoryNetflix2024UnfrostedNetflix
Comedy releases
Stand-up Special
YearTitleStudioFormatRef.1987Stand-Up ConfidentialHBOBroadcast/VHS[178]1998I'm Telling You for the Last TimeHBOBroadcast/streaming/VHS/DVD2017Jerry Before SeinfeldNetflixStreaming2023Hours to KillNetflixStreaming
Stand-up appearances
YearTitleStudioFormat2001"Laughing Out Loud: America's Funniest Comedians"Madacy EntertainmentVHS/DVD2003"Best of The Improv, Vol. 4"Koch VisionDVD2007"Comedy Club Greats"Lionsgate2010"Lafflink Presents: The Platinum Comedy Series Vol. 1: Jerry Seinfeld"LafflinkDVD/streaming2014"Classic Comedy from An Evening at the Improv"Somerville House2015"The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Featuring Jerry Seinfeld
Awards and nominations
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Jerry Seinfeld
Over his career he has received numerous accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as nominations for four Grammy Awards. Seinfeld has received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Queens College (1994) as well as an Honorary Doctor of Arts from Duke University (2024)
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