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Michael Anthony Richards (born July 24, 1949) is an American actor and former stand-up comedian. He achieved global recognition for starring as Cosmo Kramer on the NBC television sitcom Seinfeld from 1989 to 1998.
Michael Richards is best known for playing Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld, a role that earned him three Emmys and a cult following. He also appeared in films like UHF, Airheads, and Bee Movie, and created and starred in The Michael Richards Show.
- January 1, 1
- 1.91 m
- Culver City, California, USA
Immortalized as Cosmo Kramer on the classic sitcom Seinfeld (1989), West Coast comedy star Michael Richards was born on July 24, 1949, and raised in South Los Angeles, California, to Phyllis (Nardozzi), an Italian-American medical records librarian, and William Richards, an electrical engineer.
- July 24, 1949
- Overview
- Early life
- Career
Michael Richards, (born July 24, 1949, Culver City, California, U.S.), American actor and comedian best known for his portrayal of Cosmo Kramer on the critically acclaimed situation comedy Seinfeld (1989–98). In addition to Seinfeld, Richards has appeared in numerous television shows and films, including the late-night sketch comedy show Fridays (1...
Richards was born in Culver City, California, to Phyllis Richards (née Nardozzi), who was a medical records librarian, and William Richards, an electrical engineer. His father was killed in a car crash when Richards was two years old. As a youth, Richards was influenced by entertainers who used slapstick and physical comedy to get laughs, such as B...
He began performing stand-up comedy in 1979, describing his act to The New York Times as a “cross between [those of] Robin Williams and Andy Kaufman—different voices, faces, characters, all transforming very fast.” Less than a year later, American comedian Billy Crystal offered Richards a spot on his television comedy special The Billy Crystal Show, which in turn led to a regular gig on the sketch comedy show Fridays. He also played the butler Fejos in the horror comedy film Transylvania 6-5000 (1985) and Rick the gardener in the situation comedy Marblehead Manor (1987–88) before landing the role of Kramer in 1989.
Richards was introduced to and worked with American actor and comedian Larry David on Fridays. David, who would become a cocreator of and the head writer for Seinfeld, had someone else in mind for the role of Kramer during casting. The character was based on David’s kooky New York City neighbour, Kenny Kramer, and David did not see Richards in the role. However, American actor and comedian Jerry Seinfeld, the show’s star and other creator, insisted on Richards for the part, and David agreed to go with Seinfeld’s preference. After Richards auditioned, he did a handstand and then walked out of the room. He brought that same kinetic, slapstick energy to the role of Kramer, using what would become his signature physical gags, such as barging through Jerry’s apartment door, to great comic effect. Richards immersed himself so deeply in the role that he would sometimes react angrily when his antics made his fellow cast members laugh, because it caused him to break his intense concentration.
After Seinfeld ended its run in 1998, Richards played the kindhearted optimist Wilkins Micawber in the television movie David Copperfield (2000) and starred in the short-lived comedy series The Michael Richards Show (2000). He struggled to find work in television and film in the early 2000s and returned to performing stand-up comedy. During a 2006 appearance at the Laugh Factory comedy club in Los Angeles, he lashed out and hurled obscenities and racial epithets at African American audience members who had been heckling him. After a video of the incident circulated on the Internet, Seinfeld, a longtime friend of American talk-show host David Letterman, arranged to have Richards appear on the Late Show with David Letterman to apologize. Richards also addressed the controversy in 2012 on Seinfeld’s talk-show series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
His other post-Seinfeld roles include a version of himself in David’s comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm (2009), chauffeur Frank Baxter in American actress Kirstie Alley’s situation comedy Kirstie (2013–14), and an appearance in the romantic comedy Faith, Hope & Love (2019).
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- Fred Frommer
Jun 1, 2024 · The Seinfeld star opens up about his life, career, and the incident that ended his comedy career in his new book, Entrances and Exits. He talks about his military service, his mother's secret, his cancer diagnosis, and his spiritual journey.
May 23, 2024 · The actor, who played Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld, reveals how he faced his insecurities and anger after a wild rant towards hecklers in 2006. He also shares his childhood, career, and life now in his new book Entrances and Exits.
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May 23, 2024 · 'Seinfeld' star Michael Richards revealed he was diagnosed with stage 1 prostate cancer in 2018 and that he 'probably would have been dead' in months without surgery.
