Jerry Seinfeld biography

Synopsis

Profile

Comedian, actor. Born Jerome Seinfeld on April 29, 1954, in Brooklyn, New York City. Seinfeld's interest in comedy was sparked at an early age through the influence of his father, a sign maker who was also a closet comedian. By age eight, Seinfeld was putting himself through a rigorous comic training, watching television day and night to study the techniques of comedians. Over the years, he developed a unique style of comedy that centered on his wry observations on life's mundanities.

Seinfeld studied communications and theater at Queen's College, City University of New York, and shortly after graduation in 1976 he made his stand-up debut at an open mic night in Catch a Rising Star nightclub. He worked his way to an appearance on The Tonight Show in 1981, which gave Seinfeld his first national exposure. By the late 1980s he was one of the highest-profile stand-up comedians in the United States.

After he starred in his own television special Jerry Seinfield's Stand-up Confidential (1987), Seinfeld was asked to develop a sitcom with NBC. He teamed up with friend and fellow comedian Larry David to create the show Seinfeld, which hit the air the following year. Produced and sometimes co-written by Seinfeld, the quirky, widely watched show emphasized loosely structured stories; seemingly insignificant subject matter; and a buddy system of comedy in which the Jerry character often played a straight man to his three tightly wound screwball friends.

The show reached unprecedented levels of popular and critical acclaim, and many of its catchphrases and plot elements became part of the cultural lexicon. Seinfeld ran for nine seasons, and was still the highest-rated show in the United States when its final episode aired in 1998.

Seinfeld returned to stand-up comedy in the late 1990s, embarking on multiple national tours of comedy clubs and theatres, one of which was documented in the 2002 film Comedian. He also wrote Seinlanguage (1993), a best-selling book of humorous observations, and the children's book Halloween (2003). He also co-wrote, co-produced and starred in the animated Bee Movie (2007).

Seinfeld married public relations executive Jessica Sklar on December 25, 1999. They have three children, one daughter and two sons.

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