Seinfeld secondary character poll

This thread/you guys really made me give a second look to Puddy, who bored me to tears when I was watching these at age 12 but who cracks me up on general principle today.

Seinfeld actor Len Lesser dies at 88

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_17406468?source=rss

http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsL/10247-14413.gif

Well. I guess we all know now what Vincent Gallo's going to look like in 35 years.

Poor Uncle Leo.

I think Puddy was a good choice above, but I wish Susan has gotten a vote or two. One of my favourite moments ever was her derisive consent to George's offer of a pre-nup (him thinking that that was his ticket out):

George: Well, I put a lot of thought into this, and I think I would like you to sign a prenuptual agreement.
Susan: A pre-nup?
George: Yeah.
Susan: (bursts out laughing)
George: What's so funny?
Susan: You don't have any money. I make more money than you do...Sure, give me the papers, I'll sign 'em.

^^^ love that exchange.

but RIP uncle leo nonetheless. an inspiration to us all.

yeah, Susan was a great foil for George, but i can see how she gets lost in the shuffle in a poll like this as a straight man among a rogue's gallery of wacky characters

having frank in this poll is unfair

"mr. bookman" getting 6 votes in this poll is fucking insane

i mean

Poppie 0

i agree but the one bookman scene is basically the greatest thing ever committed to film

we'd basically need some kind of overly complicated brackets thing to give each option justice tbh

Mr. Bookman is at the very least the show's greatest one episode wonder, but it's hard to compare that to the frequent regulars

RIP.

http://www.theunnecesarean.com/storage/uncle-leo.jpg

RIP Uncle Leo

I wonder why Alec Berg got two votes. Jerry's really funny when he does the John Houseman bit about the name Alec Berg, but I don't remember the character himself doing anything especially memorable.

xp: I love that episode with the painted eyebrows. "I'm not angry?!"

RIP Leo

I think Klompus should have gotten a vote too. He was a good and funny character.

"Take the pen! I want you to have the pen!

Loved the short bit when Jerry and his folks ride up in the new Cadillac to eat lunch after 4pm and Klompus says something like, "Look who missed the early bird."

wheres bob sacamano

RIP ;_;

Bob Sakamoto: the Keyser Söze of Seinfeld.

SHE'S ON A FIXED INCOME

(rip uncle leo)

Mr. Bookman is at the very least the show's greatest one episode wonder

Lawrence Tierney as Elaine's dad was equally awesome, might have voted for him if he'd been on the poll and I'd remembered.

If I gave it some thought, I could probably come up with a dozen or more great characters (some one-offs, some semi-regular) who aren't listed. Two who come to mind immediately: Kenny Bania ("That's gold, Jerry--gold!") and the two gay guys who stole Elaine's armoire ("Are you talking to me? I think you must be talking to me, because I don't think you're talking to him!")

Oops--Bania's there!

have we done a Peter Stormare poll here yet? if not we really should.

― Alex in Baltimore, Thursday, November 15, 2007 1:00 PM (3 years ago) Bookmark

haha, otm! dude's a national treasure, despite not being american

As far as talentless goes, I think one of the most charming things about Seinfeld (the show) was that Seinfeld (the comedian) basically admitted that he is a pretty terrible actor and thus surrounded himself with much more gifted comic actors, both in the main roles and the secondary parts. One of my most-quoted/imitated Seinfeld lines isn't even really that funny on paper, it's when he's impersonating someone else and talking to his girlfriend on the phone, trying to find out how she feels about him, and what's hilarious about it is how AWFUL his fake voice is, but it's pretty obvious he knows he can't really do a fake voice and is totally hamming it up.

― n/a, Tuesday, November 6, 2007 3:21 PM (3 years ago) Bookmark

what episode was this?

Jackie Chiles 0

you people...

As far as talentless goes, I think one of the most charming things about Seinfeld (the show) was that Seinfeld (the comedian) basically admitted that he is a pretty terrible actor and thus surrounded himself with much more gifted comic actors, both in the main roles and the secondary parts. One of my most-quoted/imitated Seinfeld lines isn't even really that funny on paper, it's when he's impersonating someone else and talking to his girlfriend on the phone, trying to find out how she feels about him, and what's hilarious about it is how AWFUL his fake voice is, but it's pretty obvious he knows he can't really do a fake voice and is totally hamming it up.

― n/a, Tuesday, November 6, 2007 3:21 PM (3 years ago) Bookmark

this is the tractor story/gonorrhea episode right? i fucking love that scene.

i started to get so much more out of seinfeld when i began to notice how often jerry basically broke character.

i'm always impressed by how distinctive and memorable even the throwaway characters on this show are -- i mean characters who were on the show for literally 30 seconds, like the guy who gets in a fight with george for 'double-dipping' his chip.

yeah it was the tractor story

xposts
yeah i think it's funny when ppl complain about jerry's poor acting, i mean, that was one of the linchpins of the show imo. that and his horrible "regular guy" wardrobe choices

what's wrong with the super tight purple turtleneck?

absolutely nothing, if it's matched with the right high-top basketball sneakers

and it's tucked into jeans, sans belt

this is the scene I was talking about:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo3b2WofpUw

Just recently watched a whole season of this back-to-back thanks to a $6 grocery store price on the one box set - - and god, Frank and Estelle are absolutely the highlight of this show, real pros. Basically everything they ever say is hilarious, quotable, and perfectly-delivered.

There's a line in the hand modelling episode, "Would you believe when I was 18, I had a silver dollar collection?" I can't explain why that's funny but it kills me every time I hear it

It's the pauses, just how excruciating Frank makes it to listen to anything he has to say. Same thing in the bra salesman episode: "There's the B... the C.... and the D. ..That's the biggest."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3AMRHXMfjs

the Costanzas are honestly a part of the show that, while great, hasn't aged as well for me -- like i thought they were way funnier at the time when i was 14 or whatever than i do now, while George and Elaine and a lot of the other supporting characters have aged like fine wine.

oh i love em, there's this .. (YOU come ere)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3rczDq5k4Y

LOL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_nCmj9IyLo&feature=related

the Costanzas are honestly a part of the show that, while great, hasn't aged as well for me -- like i thought they were way funnier at the time when i was 14 or whatever than i do now,

I feel the opposite--they're way funnier now. Partly because I now have parents-in-law, and while they're not exactly like them, they're enough like them for it to be horribly funny

always more of a fan of jerry's parents, tho you're right about frank's amazing line-readings.

susan's parents were great too, especially the dad's excruciating monologue about the cabin kramer (i think) burned down.

One of my favourite Frank bits is when he tells Elaine the story of his Korean affair (with a look of complete mortification on Elaine's face): "I feel I need to unburden myself." From Estelle--I'm not sure which episode it's from--I love the line, "And he's altogether an idiot."

i really wish i'd voted for Jack Klompus, he's incredible.

David Puddy vs. Dennis Duffy

TAKE THE PEN!