Jerry Seinfeld, star of Castle Rock Entertainment's Emmy Award winning series "SEINFELD" on NBC-TV, possesses one of the most astute and original minds in comedy today. Garnering impressive ratings in its new time slot on Thursdays at 9:00PM, Seinfeld's unique comic sensibility has become a national obsession.
Jerry's transition to comic television actor has been a great success, earning him the 1992 and 1993 American Comedy Awards for Best Actor in a Comedy Series. He has also been twice nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series and he received a Golden Globe Award in 1994. However, his demanding production schedule has not prevented him from remaining one of the busiest and most popular stand-up comedians in the country.
In 1992, Jerry was chosen to be the National Spokeman for American Express. Seinfeld's sharp wit and intelligent observations have given the American Express campaign a dynamic new edge.
Born in Brooklyn, Seinfeld became fascinated by comedians at the age of eight while watching them on television. "I remember my parents telling me, 'this man's job is to come out and be funny for people.' I couldn't believe it. 'That's his whole job?' I asked. 'Are you kidding me?' and they said, 'no, he's kidding us.'"
Even with the success of "SEINFELD", Jerry will always be most passionate about performing in front of a live audience. "I knew I was going to be a comedian at a very young age," he recalls. "I remember one time I made a friend laugh so hard that he sprayed a mouthful of cookies and milk all over me. And I liked it. That was the beginning."
Through his honor-roll years at Queens College and brief working stints as a telephone light bulb salesman and a jewelry street vendor, Jerry never lost sight of his dream. "My whole life I was just trying to laugh - I'm obsessed with that moment," he says. "When you're laughing, you've left your body, you've left the planet...It's an incredible experience."
As he honed his craft with a steady slate of stand-up throughout the '80's, Seinfeld's reputation for keen observational humor spread. "Everyone's looking for good sex, good food and a good laugh," Jerry asserts. "They're little islands of relief in what's often a painful existence." His first TV special, "Jerry Seinfeld's Stand-Up Confidential", was seen on HBO in 1987-88. In the Spring of 1991, Jerry served as host for NBC's "Spy TV: How To Be Famous" and Showtime's "Aspen Comedy Festival".
Seinfeld's broad appeal has earned him regular appearances on a host of talk shows, most notably "The Tonight Show" and ΓÇ£Late Night with David Letterman." In all, Jerry has made a combined total of over 50 appearances on the two shows. To figure out why, one need only ask Seinfeld fan David Letterman: "He is easily one of the best stand-up comedians working today."
Seinfeld's success is truly the culmination of a deep-held personal philosophy. "I have this romantic vision of being a stand-up comic - being on your own in a strange town, being in the spotlight, the smoke. You're not even in show business. You're a guy on a surfboard miles out in the ocean trying to create something on your own."
