Iconic Celebrity #9: Jerry Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld is best known for creating and starring in one of the most popular television series of all time, but at heart, he considers himself a stand-up comedian. Seinfeld's comedy has graced both New York clubs and living rooms for over 20 years. As New York as it gets, this is his story.
 

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A Budding Talent

Jerome "Jerry" Seinfeld was born in 1954 in Brooklyn, New York, the youngest child of immigrant, working-class parents. Like many families of that generation, the Seinfelds opted to leave the boroughs, looking for a quieter life and safe place to raise their children. They settled in Massapequa, Long Island, where Jerry spent most of his formative years. Passionate about his heritage and Jewish roots, Seinfeld sojourned to Israel as a teen, volunteering his time on a Kibbutz and then returning home to resume his studies.

Comedy was always on the radar and he played around with stand-up during college, often working without pay but finding it to his liking. He started to hone in on what would ultimately become his understated, observational comedic style. With a clear career focus now in mind, Seinfeld pursued a degree in theater and communications at Queens College, where he graduated with a Bachelor's degree in 1976.

The Early Days

Seinfeld perfected his act at various comedy clubs and finally, at an open-mic event at New York's popular Catch a Rising Star, caught the eye of comedy legend Rodney Dangerfield. That evening led to bigger and better things, ultimately landing him an appearance on a Dangerfield HBO special.

The next several years ushered in a short stint on the TV comedy "Benson," but Seinfeld found himself abruptly fired after only a few episodes, for vague reasons which may have centered on creative differences. Eventually, Seinfeld became a common fixture on late night TV, featured regularly on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" and "Late Night with David Letterman." As his popularity grew, so did his options.

The Television Years

Seinfeld was approached to star or appear in multiple television series, but the sting of "Benson" never completely left him. Opting to hold out for creative control, Seinfeld and pal Larry David started conceptualizing a semi-autobiographical television series concept for a situation comedy called "The Seinfeld Chronicles." Fearing the name would be confused with another popular series of the time, the show's name was ultimately distilled down to "Seinfeld," and television would never be the same. The show premiered on NBC in 1989 and was ground-breaking for its time. Centering on Jerry's character and a small circle of quirky, single friends living in New York City, the series started slow but gained steam in its second season, ultimately hitting the New York funny bone with a bang and resonating not only with New Yorkers but the entire country. "Seinfeld" gave people a reason to stay home at night and the series' popularity never faded, even after Seinfeld and David decided to end its television reign in 1998. "Seinfeld" remains in syndication to this day.

True To His Roots

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Seinfeld was not drawn to the big screen, preferring stand-up comedy to acting. Possibly influenced by the experience of fatherhood, he co-wrote the script for the highly popular, animated family comedy "Bee Movie," delighting children with his voice-over as Barry the Bee. Other projects included documentaries and guest appearances on various television shows, but stand-up comedy, Seinfeld's first obsession, continued to take up most of his professional energy.

Believing we all crave face-to-face interaction and connection, Seinfeld currently performs around 100 stand-up routines a year to crowds ranging from intimate to massive. He has been known to tweet surprise announcements to his followers about a performance an hour or two before the curtain goes up. He has not ignored his online fan base, however, and can be viewed in the online series, "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee."

Seinfeld lives on Long Island with his wife, Jessica, and their three children.

Corey Whelan is a freelance writer in New York. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.