Jason Alexander

Jason Alexander (born Jay Scott Greenspan; September 23, 1959) is an American actor and comedian. Over the course of his career, he has received an Emmy Award and a Tony Award as well as nominations for four Golden Globe Awards. He gained stardom for his role as George Costanza in the NBC sitcom Seinfeld (1989–1998), for which he won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series and was nominated for seven consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and four Golden Globe Awards for Best Supporting Actor in Television.

Alexander made his Broadway debut originating the role of Joe in Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along in 1981. He remained active on Broadway acting in the musicals The Rink in 1984 and the Neil Simon play Broadway Bound in 1986. He then starred in Jerome Robbins' Broadway in 1989, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. His subsequent theatre roles include the touring production of The Producers from 2003 to 2004 and replacing Larry David in the original 2015 Broadway production of Fish in the Dark. He has also directed several plays such as the original 2023 Broadway production of The Cottage.

His film roles include Pretty Woman (1990), Jacob's Ladder (1990), Coneheads (1993), The Paper (1994), Dunston Checks In (1996), Shallow Hal (2001), and Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009). He voiced the gargoyle Hugo in the Disney film The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) and the titular role in Duckman (1994–1997). He was the narrator for the documentary film Sideshow: Alive on the Inside (1999). For his role in Dream On (1994) he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

Early life and education

Alexander was born on September 23, 1959, in Newark, New Jersey to a Jewish family, the son of Ruth Minnie (née Simon), a nurse and health care administrator, and Alexander B. Greenspan, an accounting manager. Alexander later borrowed his father's first name to create his stage name, Jason Alexander. Interested in magic from an early age, he initially hoped to be a magician, but while attending a magic camp was told that his hands were too small for card magic. He became interested in theater, eventually realizing, "Wait a minute—the whole thing's an illusion. Nothing up there is real" and that theater itself was "a magic trick". He then decided to pursue a theater career.

After high school, he studied theater at Boston University. He wanted to pursue classical acting, but a professor redirected him toward comedy after noticing his physique, remarking, "I know your heart and soul are Hamlet, but you will never play Hamlet." Alexander left Boston University without a degree after his third year to take a full-time acting job in New York City. The university awarded him an honorary degree in 1995.

Career 1980–1999: Broadway debut and Seinfeld Alexander began his acting career on the New York stage and is an accomplished singer and dancer. Alexander made his film debut in 1981 in the summer camp slasher film The Burning. On Broadway he appeared in Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along in 1981, Kander & Ebb's The Rink in 1984, Neil Simon's Broadway Bound in 1986, Accomplice in 1990, and Jerome Robbins' Broadway in 1989, for which he garnered the 1989 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Frank Rich of The New York Times wrote of his performance "Jason Alexander, the evening's delightful narrator, accomplishes the seemingly impossible: he banishes the memory of Zero Mostel from the role of Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum".

In addition to his roles as an insensitive, money-hungry lawyer in Pretty Woman in 1990, Alexander has appeared in Jacob's Ladder in 1990, Coneheads in 1993, The Paper and North in 1994, The Last Supper in 1995, Dunston Checks In in 1996, Love! Valour! Compassion! in 1997, Denial in 1998, and Love and Action in Chicago in 1999. Alexander starred in several commercials during the 1980s. Among them were commercials for Hershey's Kisses; Delta Gold potato chips; Miller Lite beer; McDonald's McDLT hamburger; Pabst Blue Ribbon beer; Levi's 501 jeans; Sony Watchman TV; and Western Union wire transfer. Before Seinfeld, Alexander appeared in commercials for John Deere and McDonald's and in the short-lived CBS sitcoms E/R (1984) and Everything's Relative (1987).

Alexander is best known as one of the key cast members of the award-winning television sitcom Seinfeld, where he played the bumbling George Costanza (Jerry Seinfeld's character's best friend since childhood). He was nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards for the role, but did not win any, mainly due to his co-star Michael Richards winning for his role as Cosmo Kramer. He did, however, win the 1995 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series.

Concurrently with his Seinfeld role, he had a part in the ABC sitcom Dinosaurs as Al "Sexual" Harris (who frequently engaged in sexual harassment) as well as other characters from 1991 to 1994. For his role in an episode of Dream On, Alexander was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 1994. Alexander voiced the lead character in the animated series Duckman (1994–1997) and voiced Catbert, the evil director of human resources, in the short-lived animated series Dilbert from 1999 to 2000, based on the then-popular comic strip. In January 1995, he did a commercial for Rold Gold pretzels to be broadcast during the Super Bowl. The commercial depicts him with Frasier dog Eddie jumping out of an airplane with a parachute over the stadium. After the commercial, the audience is brought back to a supposedly live feed of the playing field hearing startled sports commentators as Alexander and the dog land in the field to wild applause.

Alexander appeared in the 1995 TV version of the Broadway musical Bye Bye Birdie, as Conrad Birdie's agent, Albert Peterson. He guest-starred in episode 8 of the 1996 variety show Muppets Tonight. He voiced the gargoyle Hugo in Disney's 1996 animated film The Hunchback of Notre Dame and its direct-to-video sequel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame II. Alexander voiced the character Abis Mal in the 1994 film The Return of Jafar and the 1994-1995 TV series based on the 1992 film Aladdin.

In 1997, he appeared in Cinderella, a remake of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, alongside Whitney Houston, Brandy Norwood, and Whoopi Goldberg. His other Disney voice work includes House of Mouse in 2001 and the 2012 video game Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. He has dabbled in directing, starting with 1996's For Better or Worse and 1999's Just Looking. In 1999, Alexander presided over the New York Friars Club Roast event honoring Jerry Stiller, who played his father on Seinfeld; it featured appearances by Kevin James and Patton Oswalt, both Stiller's costars on The King of Queens. Alexander appeared in the 1999 Star Trek: Voyager episode "Think Tank" as Kurros, a genius alien trying to get Seven of Nine to serve on his ship.

In 1999, he provided narration for the documentary film Sideshow: Alive on the Inside.

2000–2009: Solo-lead sitcoms and return to theater Despite a successful career in film and stage, Alexander did not repeat his Seinfeld-level of success in television. 2001 marked his appearance as inept womanizer Mauricio in Shallow Hal and his first post-Seinfeld return to prime-time television: the heavily promoted but short-lived ABC sitcom Bob Patterson, which was canceled after five episodes. Alexander partially blames the show's failure on the country's mood after 9/11. Alexander made cameo appearances as himself in 2001 in the second season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, and he appeared in the show's seventh season with his three principal Seinfeld co-stars. He was featured in the Friends 2001 episode "The One Where Rosita Dies" as Earl, a suicidal supply manager. Phoebe calls him trying to sell him toner, learns about his problem, and tries to persuade him not to commit suicide. This is referenced in an episode of Malcolm in the Middle where Alexander appears as Leonard, a neurotic and critical loner. He describes himself as "free" and says he makes money "selling toner over the phone". Later in the episode, he is repeatedly harassed by a man named George.

He appeared in "One Night at Mercy", the first episode of the short-lived 2002 revival of The Twilight Zone, playing Death. He played the toymaker A.C. Gilbert in the 2002 film The Man Who Saved Christmas. He appeared in Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) commercials in 2002, including one with Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants and another with Trista Rehn of The Bachelorette. It was rumored that he quit doing these commercials due to KFC suppliers and slaughterhouses' alleged cruelty to animals, but he denied that in an interview with Adweek, saying, "That's PETA bullcrap. I loved working for KFC. I was targeted by PETA to broker something between them. I think KFC really stepped up to the plate; unfortunately PETA did not." In 2007, Alexander appeared in a commercial for the ASPCA that aired on cable TV stations. In 2018, Alexander portrayed Colonel Sanders in commercials for KFC, reprising his role from the 2002 campaign.

In 2003, he was cast opposite Martin Short in the Los Angeles production of Mel Brooks's The Producers. He appeared with Kelsey Grammer in the 2004 musical adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, as Jacob Marley. He voiced Lil' Lightning in 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure (2003), which went on to become one of his most signature roles. Alexander's second chance as a TV series lead, the CBS sitcom Listen Up (2004–05), also fell short of a second season. Alexander was the principal executive producer of the series, based very loosely on the life of the popular sports-media personality Tony Kornheiser. He performed on the Family Guy: Live in Vegas 2005 album. Alexander continued to appear in live stage shows, including Barbra Streisand's memorable birthday party in 2005 for Stephen Sondheim at the Hollywood Bowl, where he performed selections from Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street with Angela Lansbury. He featured in the 2005 Monk episode "Mr. Monk and the Other Detective" as Monk's rival, Marty Eels.

In a 2006 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Alexander demonstrated several self-defense techniques. Also that year, he hosted the PBS "A Capitol Fourth" celebrations in Washington, D.C., singing, dancing, and playing tuned drums. Alexander was featured as a recurring cast member in the second season of Everybody Hates Chris. He hosted the Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner. He was the artistic director of Reprise Theatre Company in Los Angeles from 2007 until it went defunct in 2013, where he previously directed Sunday in the Park with George, and directed its 2007 revival of Damn Yankees. In 2007, Alexander was a guest star in the third episode of the improv comedy series Thank God You're Here.

He has been a frequent guest and panelist on Bill Maher's Politically Incorrect in 1995, 1997 and 2000 and Real Time in 2006, 2009 and 2012; Hollywood Squares in 1999, 2002 and 2004; the Late Late Show in 2003, 2012, 2014 and 2015, with Craig Kilborn, Craig Ferguson, and James Corden; Late Show with David Letterman in 1989, 2000, and 2002; The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2015; and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2015. In 2008, Alexander guest-starred in the season four episode "Masterpiece" of the CBS show Criminal Minds as Professor Rothschild, a well-educated serial killer obsessed with the Fibonacci sequence who sends the team into a race against time to save his last victims. He returned in the same season to direct the episode "Conflicted", featuring the actor Jackson Rathbone.

Alexander hosted the LOL Sudbury opening night gala in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada in 2008, which was simulcast throughout Canada at 60 Cineplex theaters, a first for any comedy festival. He has lent his voice to several episodes of the Twilight Zone Radio Dramas. In 2008 and again in 2009, Alexander fronted Jason Alexander's Comedy Spectacular, a routine exclusive to Australia. The show consists of stand-up and improvisation and incorporates Alexander's musical talent. He is backed up by several well-known Australian comedians. His first time performing a similar show of this nature was in 2006's Jason Alexander's Comedy Christmas. In February/March 2010, Alexander starred in his show, The Donny Clay Experience, at the Planet Hollywood Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Donny Clay, whom he has portrayed in a tour of the United States and Orillia, Ontario, is a self-help guru in a similar mold to his Bob Patterson character. In 2009, he played Joseph in the Thomas Nelson audio Bible production The Word of Promise. The project featured a large ensemble of actors, including Jim Caviezel, Lou Gossett Jr., John Rhys-Davies, Jon Voight, Gary Sinise, Christopher McDonald, Marisa Tomei, and John Schneider. In 2009, Alexander had a small role in the film Hachi: A Dog's Tale as a train station manager.

2010–present

He starred as Cosmo in the 2011 live action film A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner!. In 2011, Alexander was the guest star in an episode of Harry's Law, playing a high school teacher bringing a wrongful dismissal suit. In 2015, he replaced Larry David as the lead in David's Broadway play Fish in the Dark. He co-starred opposite Sherie Rene Scott in the 2017 world premiere of John Patrick Shanley's The Portuguese Kid at the Manhattan Theatre Club. In 2018, Alexander played Olix the bartender in The Orville. The same year, he portrayed Gene Lundy, a drama teacher, on two episodes of Young Sheldon. In 2020, 2021 and 2022, he reprised the role of Gene Lundy on one episode.

In 2019, Alexander appeared on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as Asher Friedman, a blacklisted Broadway playwright who is an old friend of Midge Maisel's father Abe Weissman. He won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Song for "The Bad Guys?" on Brainwashed By Toons (2020). In 2020, Alexander hosted the Saturday Night Seder, an online Passover Seder that featured many celebrities and benefited the CDC Foundation.

From February 2023 he co-presented Really? No, Really?, a weekly podcast in which he, co-host Peter Tilden, and their guests attempt to find answers "to life’s most baffling, intriguing, confusing and annoying questions". In July 2023, he made his Broadway directing debut with Sandy Rustin's comedy The Cottage. The cast includes Eric McCormack, Laura Bell Bundy and Lilli Cooper. In 2023, on the December 21 primetime CBS special Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic, Alexander performed two songs in conjunction with dance-performers and closed the show with a spoken tribute to Van Dyke.

Personal life Alexander has been married to Daena E. Title, cousin of director Stacy Title, since May 31, 1982. and Noah.

Charity Alexander was the national spokesman for the Scleroderma Foundation, a leading organization dedicated to raising awareness of the disease and assisting those who are afflicted. In summer 2005, he appeared with Lee Iacocca in ads for DaimlerChrysler. Iacocca did the ads as part of a way to raise money for Denise Faustman's research on autoimmunity. Iacocca and Alexander both have loved ones whose lives have been adversely affected by autoimmunity.

Alexander competed on televised poker shows and in various tournaments. He appeared twice on Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown, winning the final table of the 8th season. Alexander won the $500,000 prize for the charity of his choice, The United Way of America, to help benefit the New Orleans area. Alexander played in the 2007 World Series of Poker main event, but he was eliminated on the second day. He returned in 2009, making it to day 3 of the event and finishing in the top 30% of the field. Alexander has appeared on NBC's Poker After Dark in the "Celebrities and Mentors" episode, finishing in 6th place after being eliminated by professional poker player Gavin Smith. He signed with PokerStars, where he plays under the screen name "J. Alexander". In 2021, Alexander competed in a virtual National Poker Tournament, hosted by the Children's Tumor Foundation, to raise money for Neurofibromatosis research.

Political views Alexander has been a prominent public supporter of the OneVoice initiative, which seeks out opinions from moderate Israelis and Palestinians who want to achieve a mutual peace agreement, through what it states is the silent majority of Israelis and Palestinians. On Real Time with Bill Maher, he said he had visited Israel many times and spoke about progress toward peace he had observed.

Alexander, who was interviewed at the event by Jewish News Syndicate, stated he supported the OneVoice Movement, and acknowledged an occupation of Palestine and called for a two-state solution, which was later criticized by Roz Rothstein, CEO of the pro-Israel education group StandWithUs.

Alexander is a supporter of the Democratic Party. Alexander supports same-sex marriage and an assault weapons ban. In 2020, he campaigned for the Texas Democrats with former Seinfeld colleagues Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Larry David. He endorsed Barack Obama in 2012 and Joe Biden in 2020. He has called Republican Party senator Ted Cruz a jerk from the "jerk store" in reference to a joke from Seinfeld.

Acting credits Film Year Title Role NotesRef. 1981 The Burning Dave 1986 The Mosquito Coast Clerk Brighton Beach Memoirs Pool Player 1990 Pretty Woman Philip Stuckey White Palace Neil Jacob's Ladder Mr. Geary 1992 I Don't Buy Kisses Anymore Bernie Fishbine 1993 Sexual Healing Frank Short subject Coneheads Larry Farber For Goodness Sake VCR Customer Short subject 1994 The Paper Marion Sandusky North North's Father The Return of Jafar Abis Mal Voice; direct-to-video Blankman Larry Stone 1995 For Better or Worse Michael Makeshift Also director The Last Supper The Anti-Environmentalist 1996 Dunston Checks In Robert Grant The Hunchback of Notre Dame HugoVoice 1997 Love! Valour! Compassion! Buzz Hauser 1998 Denial Art Witz 1999 Madeline: Lost in Paris Henri / Uncle Horst Voice; direct-to-video 2024 Stealing Pulp Fiction Dr. Mendelbaum 2025 The Electric State Ted Finister 2026 Louis B. Mayer Post-production

Television Year Title Role NotesRef. 1981 Senior Trip Pete Television film 1984–1985 E/R Harold Stickley 15 episodes 1986 Rockabye Lt. Ernest Foy Television film 1987 Everything's Relative Julian Beeby 10 episodes 1988 Newhart Ramming Episode: "Courtin' Disaster" 1989–1998 Seinfeld George Costanza Main role; 178 episodes 1992–1993 Dinosaurs Various voices Recurring role; 7 episodes 1993 Dream On Randall Townsend Episode: "Oral Sex, Lies and Videotape"1993–1998 Saturday Night Live Himself 2 episodes 1994–1997 Duckman Eric Duckman (voice) Main role; 70 episodes 1994, 1998 The Larry Sanders Show Himself 2 episodes 1994 Aladdin Abis Mal (voice) Recurring role; 14 episodes 1995 Bye Bye Birdie Albert Peterson Television film 47th Primetime Emmy Awards Himself (co-host) Television special 1996 Muppets Tonight Himself Episode: "Jason Alexander" The Nanny Jack Episode: "The Tart with Heart" Sesame Street Himself Episode 3557 1997 Remember WENN Alan Ballinger Episode: "Nothing Up My Sleeve" Cinderella Lionel Television film 1998–1999 Hercules Poseidon (voice) Recurring role; 7 episodes 1999 Jingle Bells Elf Voice; Television film Ultimate Trek: Star Trek's Greatest Moments Captain James T. KirkTelevision special Star Trek: Voyager Kurros Episode: "Think Tank" 1999–2000 Dilbert Catbert (voice) Main role; 9 episodes 2001, 2009 Curb Your Enthusiasm Himself Recurring role; 5 episodes 2001 Friends Earl Episode: "The One Where Rosita Dies" Bob Patterson Bob Patterson Main role; 10 episodes; also executive producer The Legend of Tarzan Zutho Voice, episode: "Tarzan and the Face from the Past" 2002 Son of the Beach Tex Finklestein Episode: "Penetration Island" House of Mouse Hugo Voice; Episode: "Donald Wants to Fly" The Twilight Zone Death Episode: "One Night at Mercy" The Man Who Saved Christmas A.C. Gilbert Television film 2003 Malcolm in the Middle Leonard Episode: "Future Malcolm" 2004–2005 Listen Up Tony Kleinman Main role; also producer 2004 A Christmas Carol Jacob Marley Television film 2005 Monk Marty Eels Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Other Detective" 2006 Odd Job Jack Don Voice; episode: "Twenty-One You're Dead" Campus Ladies Professor Episode: "A Very Special Episode" 2006–2007 Everybody Hates Chris Principal Edwards 2 episodes 2008 The New Adventures of Old Christine Dr. Palmer Episode: "One and a Half Men" Criminal Minds Prof. Rothchild Episode: "Masterpiece" 2009 Meteor Dr. Chetwyn 2 episodes 2010–2013 Fish Hooks Mr. Nibbles Voice; 3 episodes 1982 Forbidden Broadway Performer Stage 72, Off-Broadway 1984 The Rink Lino/Lenny/Punk/Uncle Fausto Al Hirschfeld Theatre, Broadway 1985–1986 Personals Louis/Others Minetta Lane Theatre, Off-Broadway 1986–1988 Broadway Bound Stanley Jerome Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway 1989–1990 Jerome Robbins' Broadway Narrator Imperial Theatre, Broadway 1990 Accomplice Performer Richard Rodgers Theater, Broadway Light Up the Sky Sidney Black Union Square Theatre, Off-Broadway 2000 Defiled Harry Mendelssohn Geffen Playhouse, Los Angeles 2003–2004 The Producers Max Bialystock National Tour 2006 The God of Hell Director only Geffen Playhouse, Los Angeles 2008 The Odd Couple Oscar Madison Stage Reading 2013 Finding Neverland Charles Frohman Workshop Broadway Bound Director only Odyssey Theatre 2017 The Portuguese Kid Barry Dragonetti Manhattan Theatre Club 2023 The Cottage Helen Hayes Theater, Broadway Gutenberg! The Musical!Producer (one night only) James Earl Jones Theatre, Broadway 2024 Judgment Day Sammy Campo Chicago Shakespeare Theater Fiddler on the RoofTevyeLa Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts 2026Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetDirector onlyLa Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts

Music videos Year TitleArtist Role 2007 "Celebrity" Brad Paisley Himself 2007 "Online" Geek; also director 2012 "Trying Not to Love You" Nickelback Bud2021"Cinderella Medley"Todrick Hall & BrandyLionel

Video games Year Title Voice roleRef. 1996 Disney's Animated Storybook: The Hunchback of Notre Dame Hugo Outstanding Writing for a Special Class Series Drama Desk Awards 1986 Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Personals 1989 Outstanding Actor in a Musical Jerome Robbins' Broadway Primetime Emmy Awards 1992 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Seinfeld (episode: "The Note" + "The Tape") 1993 Seinfeld (episode: "The Contest" + "The Outing") 1994 Seinfeld (episode: "The Hamptons" + "The Opposite") Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Dream On (episode: "Oral Sex, Lies, and Videotape") 1995 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Seinfeld (episode: "The Gymnast" + "The Race") 1996 Seinfeld (episode: "The Pool Guy" + "The Invitations") 1997 Seinfeld (episode: "The Comeback") 1998 Seinfeld (episode: "The Strike") Golden Globe Awards 1992 Best Supporting Actor – Television Seinfeld (season 3) Outstanding Male Actor in a Comedy Series 1995 Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series Outstanding Male Actor in a Comedy Series 1996 Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series Outstanding Male Actor in a Comedy Series 1997 Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series Outstanding Male Actor in a Comedy Series 1998 Outstanding Male Actor in a Comedy Series Tony Awards 1989 Best Actor in a Musical Jerome Robbins' Broadway