Jerry Seinfeld (character): Difference between revisions

For the actor, see Jerry Seinfeld.

Jerome (Jerry) Seinfeld is a semi-fictional character on the US television sitcom Seinfeld (1989–1998) who was named after, based on, and played by comedian Jerry Seinfeld.

Seinfeld's main friends are George Costanza, Cosmo Kramer and his ex-girlfriend Elaine Benes. His arch-nemesis is Newman. He is usually the voice of reason amidst his friends' antics and the focal point of the foursome's relationship. An eternal optimist, he rarely runs into major personal problems. Jerry is the only main character on the show to maintain the same career throughout the series and to appear in every episode. Considering his job as a comedian, he is the most observational character, sarcastically commenting on his friends' quirky habits. He lives at 129 West 81st Street, New York City, Apartment 5A, although in the first season, his apartment was 411 and in the second season until the episode "The Apartment", the apartment number was 3A.

Jerry is the "passive central player" in the show, a figure who is "able to observe the chaos around him but not always be a part of it."^[1] Plot lines involving Jerry often concern his various relationships -- Jerry often finds "stupid reasons to break up" with women^[2] which, according to Elaine, occurs "every week."

On one occasion when Jerry lets out his emotions and cries, he is perplexed by the experience, asking, "What is this salty discharge?"^[3] Elaine points out that he has "never felt remorse."^[4]

Jerry rarely runs into major personal problems, unlike George and Elaine. In "The Opposite," this tendency is explicitly pointed out, as Jerry goes through a number of experiences of "breaking even" and constantly "evening out," even as his friends are going through intense periods of success or failure. In "The Rye," during a particularly trying time for her, Elaine angrily tells Jerry, "You know, one of these days, something terrible is going to happen to you. It has to!", to which Jerry simply replies, "No, I'm going to be just fine."

Much like the real Seinfeld, Jerry is an avid comic book fan, particularly of Superman, who, along with Mickey Mantle, is one of his heroes. As far as sports, Jerry is a fan of the New York Mets, New York Yankees, New York Knicks, New York Giants and New York Rangers.

Jerry grew up in New York with George Costanza, who, according to "The Outing," were friends ever since an encounter in gym class in their school days. Flashbacks in episodes such as "The Library" portray George and Jerry at this point in their lives. A pizza place which they frequented is portrayed in "The Frogger." George and Jerry attended school together through college at Queens College.^[5] After college, Jerry worked as an umbrella salesman and invented the "Twirl" to make the umbrella look more attractive.

Jerry's parents are Morty and Helen Seinfeld, a retired Jewish couple living in Florida. Although born Jewish, he apparently doesn't practice and generally doesn't "observe" many traditions, like the real Seinfeld. He also has a sister (mentioned in "The Chinese Restaurant"), although she is never named, and never appears on screen.

Jerry has an uncle, Leo, an eccentric minor character who appears in fifteen episodes. Uncle Leo has a son, Cousin Jeffrey, about whom he constantly talks, but who never appears.

The mother of Helen and Leo (the grandmother of Jerry), Nana, is an elderly woman living alone in the city and suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. Nana makes appearances in "The Pledge Drive," "The Kiss Hello," and "The Doodle."

In "The Pony Remark," Helen, Morty, Jerry, and Leo attend a 50th-anniversary party for Manya and Issac, an elderly couple whose relationship to Jerry is never explicitly defined. Manya is described as a Polish immigrant. In the same episode, Jerry references having an "Aunt Rose," and Helen mentions a family member "Claire" who is getting married.

In "The Stakeout," Jerry speaks to an "Uncle Mac," as well as a cousin "Artie Levine."

Jerry is notorious for his detached approach towards relationships and for breaking up with women for the slightest of flaws or for the most minor of reasons.

• As noted in the article on Elaine Benes: "Elaine and Jerry had once dated, and usually mention that things didn't work out. However, they twice slept together after breaking up: In "The Deal", they create a set of rules whereby they can sleep together but remain only friends. Their theory is ruined however when they start squabbling too much (Elaine is furious when Jerry gives her $182 as a birthday gift). Then, in "The Mango", Jerry is so upset at learning that Elaine had faked her orgasms while they were together, that she agrees to give him another chance "to save the friendship". The only other hint that they may still have feelings for each other comes in "The Finale", when they think their plane is about to crash. Elaine says "Jerry, I gotta tell you something...I've always loved" (but before she can finish, the plane steadies itself)."

• One of the very few women that Jerry dated over multiple episodes was girlfriend Rachel, whom he dated in "The Opposite", "The Hamptons" and "The Raincoats".

• For refusing to taste his pie at the coffee shop ("The Pie").
• For wearing the same dress on every date ("The Seven").
• For eating her peas one at a time ("The Engagement").
• Because she had "man hands" ("The Bizarro Jerry").
• Because she had once dated Newman ("The Big Salad").
• Because she wouldn't give him a massage ("The Masseuse").

• Janeane Garofalo starred as Jerry's "perfect" girlfriend in The Foundation and The Invitations and they even became engaged. They later had a perfect "mutual breakup".
• Teri Hatcher in "The Implant" and in "The Finale".
• Marcia Cross in "The Slicer".
• Courteney Cox in "The Wife"
• Jami Gertz in The Stall.
• Jennifer Coolidge in "The Masseuse"
• Kristin Davis in "The Pothole" and "The Butter Shave".
• Amanda Peet in "The Summer of George".
• Lauren Graham as "Delores" (rhymes with female body part)
• Marlee Matlin in "The Lip Reader".
• Catherine Keener in "The Letter".
• Debra Messing in "The Wait Out" and in "The Yada Yada".
• Jane Leeves in "The Virgin, "The Contest" and in "The Finale".

Jerry is also very financially successful and occupationally stable in comparison with his friends and never seems to be at a loss for money.

• For example, Jerry buys his father a Cadillac Deville^[6] and buys it back after his parents sell it, spending over $20,000. In "The Apartment," it is revealed that Jerry could easily lend Elaine $5,000 for an apartment. Also, Jerry is regularly called upon to pay the check for the group at Monk's and allows Kramer to depend on him for food. Despite his apparent financial security, his parents seem to think he needs money, offering to pay for everything when they visit him (even if they have no money, as seen in The Watch) and occasionally urging him to find a new job.

• In "The Checks", Jerry is revealed to be famous in Japan where he appears in the opening montage of Japanese TV's "Super Terrific Happy Hour" and he even continues to earn royalties from each appearance (although each royalty check is only a few cents).

• Jerry spends most the series making a living from stand-up comedy, except for the periods when he and George co-write their own sitcom. Jerry also acts in the pilot episode of their show "Jerry", playing himself.

• Twice, it is suggested that Jerry enter the "Bloomingdales Executive Training Program" as a career alternative. First, in "The Money", after he bounces a check, his worried parents suggest it as a career switch. Then, in "The Van Buren Boys", after Jerry starts dating a "loser", George and Kramer reveal that they also think that he should switch careers to the Bloomingdales training program.

• Jerry has an obsessive insistence on cleanliness and neatness. A girlfriend of his comments that "he would have made a great Nazi" because "everything has to be just so."^[7].

• In "The Pothole," Jerry inadvertently knocks his girlfriend's toothbrush into the toilet bowl, and after she uses it, he is unable to bring himself to kiss her. As revenge, she proceeds to put one item of his in the toilet, which was unknown to him and caused great angst. Upon learning it was the toilet brush, he reassures himself that it can be replaced.

• In "The Voice", he throws out a belt because it touched the edge of a urinal.

• In "The Butter Shave", he throws out a shoelace because it touched the floor of a men's room.

• Jerry has a long-running hatred of Newman, describing him as his "sworn enemy" in "The Andrea Doria" and showing general contempt for him at their every meeting.

• Jerry's snide and sarcastic greeting for him ("Hello Newman") became a trademark of their relationship. Even Jerry's mother Helen uttered the greeting, with as much displeasure as Jerry in "The Raincoats, Part 2".

• Jerry wanted rid of Newman so badly that he once even helped him on his postal route so that he could get a prized transfer to Hawaii ("The Andrea Doria").