Jerry Seinfeld facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jerry Seinfeld
Seinfeld in 2023
Birth name	Jerome Allen Seinfeld
Born	(1954-04-29) April 29, 1954 (age 71) New York City, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up television film
Alma mater	State University of New York at Oswego Queens College, City University of New York (BA)
Years active	1976–present
Genres	Observational comedy clean comedy cringe comedy surreal humor deadpan satire
Subject(s)	American culture American politics everyday life gender differences human behavior social awkwardness pop culture current events
Spouse	Jessica Sklar ​ (m. 1999)​
Children	3
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Jerome Allen Seinfeld (born April 29, 1954) is a famous American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He is best known for his unique style of observational comedy, where he makes jokes about everyday life.

Seinfeld became a huge star by playing a version of himself in the TV show Seinfeld (1989–1998). He also helped create and write the show with Larry David. Seinfeld became one of the most popular and loved TV shows of all time.

After Seinfeld, he created and hosted the web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (2012–2019). In this show, he drove around with other comedians, chatting and drinking coffee. He also co-wrote and starred in the animated movie Bee Movie (2007) and the comedy film Unfrosted (2024).

Jerry Seinfeld has won many awards, including an Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. He has also written several books, including a children's book called Halloween. He is married to author Jessica Seinfeld and they have three children.

Early Life and Education

Jerry Seinfeld was born in Brooklyn, New York City. His father, Kálmán Seinfeld, was a sign painter. His mother, Betty, and her parents were Jewish and came from Aleppo, Syria.

Jerry grew up in Massapequa, New York, on Long Island. When he was 16, he spent some time volunteering in Kibbutz Sa'ar in Israel. He went to college at the State University of New York at Oswego. Later, he transferred to Queens College, City University of New York, and graduated in 1976. He studied communications and theater.

Comedy Career Highlights

Starting Out in Stand-Up

Jerry Seinfeld became interested in stand-up comedy during college. He started performing at "open-mic" nights in comedy clubs. After graduating in 1976, he performed at a famous club called Catch a Rising Star. This led to an appearance on a TV special with comedian Rodney Dangerfield.

In 1980, he had a small role on the TV show Benson. He played a mail delivery boy who tried to tell jokes. In 1981, he appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He impressed Carson and the audience, which led to many more TV appearances.

The Hit Show Seinfeld

Seinfeld at the 44th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1992

In 1988, Jerry Seinfeld created a TV show with Larry David for NBC. It was first called The Seinfeld Chronicles but was later renamed Seinfeld. The show was about Jerry and his friends living in New York City.

Seinfeld became incredibly popular and was the most-watched comedy show on American television. The final episode aired in 1998, but the show is still very popular today in reruns. Jerry Seinfeld was the only actor to appear in every single episode.

After Seinfeld: New Projects

After his show ended, Seinfeld went back to doing stand-up comedy. In 1998, he toured and recorded a comedy special called I'm Telling You for the Last Time. A documentary called Comedian (2002) showed how he developed new jokes and performed them.

Seinfeld at the 49th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1997

In 2004, Seinfeld appeared in online commercials for American Express. He appeared with a cartoon version of Superman, who was often mentioned as Jerry's hero on his TV show.

Jerry also lent his voice to the main character, Barry B. Benson, in the 2007 animated movie Bee Movie. He also helped write and produce the film. In 2008, he was part of an advertising campaign for Windows Vista.

In 2009, Jerry and the cast of Seinfeld reunited for a few episodes of Larry David's show Curb Your Enthusiasm. They played fictional versions of themselves, making fun of the original Seinfeld ending.

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

Seinfeld tapping on the Oval Office windows of the White House with President Barack Obama in 2015

In 2012, Seinfeld started a web series called Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. In each episode, he would pick up a different comedian in a cool car and they would go for coffee and chat. The show started on Crackle and later moved to Netflix.

Many famous comedians and even then-President Barack Obama appeared on the show. Jerry said that knocking on the Oval Office window with President Obama was "the peak of my entire existence." The series won three Webby Awards.

In 2017, Seinfeld signed a big deal with Netflix. This deal brought Seinfeld and Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee to the streaming service. It also included two new stand-up specials from him.

Recent Work

In 2017, Netflix released his stand-up special Jerry Before Seinfeld. It showed him returning to the comedy club where he started his career. In 2020, his special 23 Hours to Kill was released on Netflix.

In 2024, Jerry Seinfeld directed, co-wrote, and starred in the Netflix comedy movie Unfrosted. This film was a funny story about how Pop-Tarts were created. He also started a new stand-up tour in 2024, performing in Singapore, Australia, and North America.

Books by Jerry Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld has written several books:

• SeinLanguage (1993): This book is mostly based on his stand-up comedy routines.
• Halloween (2002): This is a children's book illustrated by James Bennett.
• Is This Anything? (2020): This book looks back at his 45 years in comedy and includes many of his best jokes from different decades.

Comedy Influences

Jerry Seinfeld has talked about the comedians who inspired him. He believes that Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Bill Cosby, and Don Rickles are the top four stand-up comedians of all time.

He also mentioned being influenced by humorist Jean Shepherd, Mad Magazine, Jonathan Winters, Jerry Lewis, Robert Klein, and Abbott and Costello. He loved Monty Python because they were "just about silly, funny things that meant nothing."

When he was a teenager, Jerry collected comedy albums. Some of the albums he listened to included:

• Lenny Bruce – Thank You Masked Man (1972)
• George Carlin – Class Clown (1972)
• Steve Martin – Let's Get Small (1977)
• Bob Newhart – The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart (1960)
• Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner – 2000 and One Years with Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks (1961)

Personal Life

Seinfeld with members of Kibbutz Be'eri in the kibbutz dining room, December 19, 2023

Jerry Seinfeld is a big fan of the New York Mets baseball team. He sometimes calls into a sports radio show as "Jerry from Queens." He loves baseball and says he thinks about it "all day."

He is left-handed, and his very first joke was about being left-handed.

Marriage and Family

Seinfeld with Lonstein at the 47th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1995

In August 1998, Jerry Seinfeld met Jessica Sklar. They got married on December 25, 1999. They have a daughter and two sons.

Jessica and Jerry Seinfeld in 2010

In 2001, Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld started a charity called The Good+Foundation. This organization helps families in need by providing products and services.

Car Collection

Jerry Seinfeld is a big fan of automobiles and collects cars, especially Porsches. He owns a large collection of about 150 cars. He even built a special two-story garage in New York City to store his Porsches. His collection includes many different Porsche models.

In 2008, Jerry was in a small car accident when the brakes on his 1967 Fiat 500 failed. He was not hurt.

Coffee Lover

Jerry Seinfeld loves coffee and owns several fancy espresso machines. He used to joke about not understanding coffee in his stand-up routines. But about five years before 2013, he started drinking it while touring and now enjoys it a lot. He even uses a Bialetti moka pot to make coffee, which he finds a fun way to "waste time."

Beliefs and Views

Jerry Seinfeld is Jewish. He has included parts of his Jewish identity in his comedy. He has said he is not religious himself.

He has supported Israel, especially during the Israel–Hamas war. In 2024, he gave a speech at Duke University. Some students protested during his speech. He was also heckled by protesters during a show in Sydney, Australia, where he joked about their timing.

Seinfeld has talked about how he feels about political correctness in comedy. He once said that he avoids performing at colleges because students can be easily offended. He later said he regretted those comments, saying that changing cultural attitudes are "not [his] business."

Jerry Seinfeld has practiced Transcendental Meditation for over 40 years. He promotes this technique to help with stress. He believes it's a great tool for life and work.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music Videos

Video Games

Directing

Writing

Writing credits for Seinfeld

The list below only includes episodes mainly written by Seinfeld, as he (and Larry David in Seasons 1 through 7) rewrote the drafts for each episode.

Comedy Releases

Stand-Up Specials

Stand-Up Appearances

Awards and Honors

Jerry Seinfeld has received many awards throughout his career. These include a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has also been nominated for four Grammy Awards.

He has also received honorary degrees from Queens College (1994) and Duke University (2024).

Discography

• I'm Telling You for the Last Time (Universal Records, 1998) CD/cassette
• Jerry Before Seinfeld (Netflix, 2017) LP
• 23 Hours to Kill (Netflix, 2020) LP

See also

In Spanish: Jerry Seinfeld para niños