Jason Alexander facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jason Alexander
Alexander in 2009
Born	Jay Scott Greenspan (1959-09-23) September 23, 1959 (age 65) Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Alma mater	Boston University
Occupation	Actor comedian director podcaster presenter
Years active	1981–present
Spouse(s)	Daena Title ​ (m. 1982)​
Children	2
Relatives	Stacy Title (cousin-in-law)

Jay Scott Greenspan (born September 23, 1959), known as Jason Alexander, is an American actor and comedian. He is famous for playing George Costanza in the TV show Seinfeld (1989–1998). For this role, he won a Screen Actors Guild Award. He also received many nominations for other big awards.

Jason Alexander started his acting career on Broadway in 1981. He won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role in Jerome Robbins' Broadway in 1989. He has also appeared in many movies like Pretty Woman (1990) and Shallow Hal (2001). You might also know his voice as Hugo the gargoyle in Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Early Life and Education

Jay Scott Greenspan was born in Newark, New Jersey. His mom was a nurse, and his dad was an accounting manager. Jay later used his father's first name, Alexander, to create his stage name, Jason Alexander.

Jason grew up in Maplewood and Livingston, New Jersey. He graduated from Livingston High School in 1977. When he was younger, he wanted to be a magician. But he was told his hands were too small for card tricks.

He then became interested in theater. He realized that theater was like a "magic trick" because it creates illusions. So, he decided to become an actor. After high school, he studied theatre at Boston University. A professor told him he was better suited for comedy than serious roles. Jason left college early for an acting job in New York City. Later, in 1995, the university gave him an honorary degree.

Jason Alexander's Acting Career

Starting on Broadway and Seinfeld

Jason Alexander began his acting journey on stage in New York. He is also a talented singer and dancer. His first movie role was in 1981 in The Burning. On Broadway, he performed in several musicals. These included Merrily We Roll Along (1981) and The Rink (1984).

In 1989, he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for Jerome Robbins' Broadway. A famous critic from The New York Times praised his performance. He said Jason made people forget other actors who played similar roles.

Besides his stage work, Jason appeared in many films. He played a lawyer in Pretty Woman (1990). Other movies include Coneheads (1993) and Dunston Checks In (1996). Before Seinfeld, he was in commercials for brands like Hershey's and McDonald's.

Jason Alexander is most famous for his role as George Costanza in Seinfeld. George was the clumsy best friend of Jerry Seinfeld's character. Jason was nominated for many awards for this role. He won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series in 1995.

He also voiced characters in cartoons. He was the main voice in Duckman (1994–1997). He also voiced Catbert in the Dilbert animated series. In 1995, he appeared in a funny commercial for Rold Gold pretzels during the Super Bowl.

Jason also voiced Hugo the gargoyle in Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996). He returned as Hugo in the sequel. He also voiced Abis Mal in The Return of Jafar (1994). In 1997, he was in the TV movie Cinderella with Whitney Houston and Brandy Norwood.

TV Shows and More Stage Work

After Seinfeld, Jason Alexander tried leading other TV shows. One was Bob Patterson in 2001, but it didn't last long. He said the mood in the country after 9/11 might have affected the show. He also made guest appearances as himself on Curb Your Enthusiasm. He was also in an episode of Friends in 2001.

In 2003, he starred in the Los Angeles production of The Producers. He also played Jacob Marley in a musical version of A Christmas Carol in 2004. His second TV show as a lead, Listen Up (2004–05), also ended after one season.

Alexander in 2006

In 2006, he hosted the "A Capitol Fourth" celebration for PBS. He sang, danced, and played drums. He also hosted the Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner. From 2007 to 2013, he was the artistic director for Reprise Theatre Company in Los Angeles.

Jason has been a frequent guest on talk shows like Politically Incorrect and Real Time. In 2008, he guest-starred in the TV show Criminal Minds. He also directed an episode of the show. He has performed comedy shows in Australia and Las Vegas. In 2009, he voiced Joseph in an audio Bible project. He also had a small role in the movie Hachi: A Dog's Tale.

Recent Projects

Alexander with Alan F. Horn in May 2010

In 2011, he played a human version of Cosmo in the live-action movie A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner!. In 2015, he took over the lead role in Larry David's Broadway play Fish in the Dark. He also appeared in the TV show The Orville and played a drama teacher named Gene Lundy on Young Sheldon.

In 2019, Jason Alexander appeared on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. He played Asher Friedman, a playwright. In 2020, he won a Daytime Emmy Award for a song called "The Bad Guys?". He also hosted an online Passover Seder event with many celebrities to raise money for charity.

Since 2023, he has co-hosted a weekly podcast called Really? No, Really?. In July 2023, he made his Broadway directing debut with the play The Cottage. In December 2023, he performed a tribute to Dick Van Dyke on a CBS special.

Personal Life

Jason Alexander married Daena E. Title on May 31, 1982. They have two sons named Gabriel and Noah. Daena is the cousin of director Stacy Title.

Jason is also interested in magic. He performed a magic act at The Magic Castle in Hollywood in 2006. He even won an award for his magic skills.

Helping Others

Jason Alexander was the national spokesman for the Scleroderma Foundation. This group helps people with a disease called scleroderma. He also appeared in ads with Lee Iacocca to raise money for research into autoimmune diseases.

Jason enjoys playing poker for charity. He has appeared on TV poker shows like Celebrity Poker Showdown. He won $500,000 for the United Way of America to help people in New Orleans. He has also played in the World Series of Poker.

Political Views

Jason Alexander supports the OneVoice Movement. This group works to find common ground between Israelis and Palestinians who want peace. He has visited Israel many times and believes in a two-state solution.

He has also hosted events for the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces. This charity supports soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces. He believes these soldiers are "humane and noble."

Jason Alexander supports the Democratic Party. He supports same-sex marriage and stricter gun laws. In 2020, he campaigned for the Texas Democrats with his Seinfeld co-stars. He supported Barack Obama in 2012 and Joe Biden in 2020. He has also openly criticized Donald Trump.

Selected Acting Roles

Film Roles

Television Roles

Theatre Roles

Director Roles

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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  Alexander in 2009

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  Alexander in 2006

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  Alexander with Alan F. Horn in May 2010

See also

In Spanish: Jason Alexander para niños