Birthdate: April 29, 1954

Birthplace: Brooklyn, NY

Occupations: Actor, Writer, Comedian, Producer

Quote: On wanting to move back to New York City: "After a while in Los Angeles, you're not going to be funny anymore. I feel like I have a certain amount of oxygen left from being out here, and eventually, I won't be funny. It just slowly ebbs away, because the environment is very unfunny. L.A. is very unfunny. Out here, they exterminate it. In New York, you breed it; it's in the air. The garbagemen have it, the mailmen have it--everybody has it." --Rolling Stone magazine, September 22, 1994

Claim to Fame: Starred in popular NBC comedy series Seinfeld (1989-1998)

Significant Other(s):
Carol Leifer, comedian, screenwriter, producer; reportedly the model for the character of Elaine on Seinfeld
Shoshanna Lonstein; born 1975; together 1993-1997
Jennifer Crittenden, screenwriter; wrote for Seinfeld; dated summer 1998
Wife: Jessica Sklar; married December 25, 1999

Family:
Father: Kalman Seinfeld; died 1985
Mother: Betty Seinfeld; born 1915
Sister: Carolyn Liebling (née Seinfeld), Seinfeld's business manager; born 1952

Awards:
1988: American Comedy: Funniest Male Stand-Up Comic
1992: American Comedy: Funniest Actor in a TV Series, Seinfeld
1993: Emmy: Outstanding Comedy Series, Seinfeld
1993: Golden Globe: Best Actor in a TV Series (comedy or musical), Seinfeld
1993: Golden Globe: Best Television Series (comedy or musical), Seinfeld
1994: Screen Actors Guild: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, Seinfeld
1996: Screen Actors Guild: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, Seinfeld
1997: Screen Actors Guild: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, Seinfeld
1998: People's Choice: Favorite TV Comedy Series, Seinfeld

Factoids:
Portrayed Martini in Queens College production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Seinfeld has practiced Zen meditation since the early 1970s

Education:
State University of New York at Oswego
Queens College of the City University of New York in Flushing; B.A., theater and communications, 1976

Movies:
Johnny Carson: The Comedians - "Good Stuff" - Stand-Up Debuts From "The Tonight (1996)
Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld (1994)
It's Not Easy Bein' Me (1987)

More:
Jerry's transition from standup comedian 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. 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 spokesperson for American Express. His 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 could not 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 lightbulb 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 standup throughout the '80's, Seinfeld's reputation for keen observation 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 "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 deeply held personal philosophy. "I have this romantic vision of being a standup comic -- being on your own in a strange town, being in the spotlight, the smoke. You're not even in show business. You're the guy on a surfboard miles out in the ocean trying to create something on your own."

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