From the NY Post



June 5, 2006 -- JERRY Seinfeld told the audience at a taping of TV Land's "Sit-Down Comedy with David Steinberg" that he owes his incredible comedy success to a television failure - an ill-fated, three-episode stint on the show "Benson." Seinfeld played the governor's joke writer, but the character was underdeveloped and went nowhere, reports The Post's Larry Getlen. So the producers decided to fire him. The only problem? "They didn't bother to tell me," says Seinfeld, who told the packed crowd at John Jay Community College that he went to rehearsal, ready to work, only to find no script for him at the run-through. "Hey, where's my script?" he said and was only then told the bad news. The experience hit him like a brick. "I was angry," he said, expressing dismay at how you could reach a pinnacle in acting only to have it ripped out from under you. "That doesn't happen in stand-up," he said. "Once you get to a certain level, they don't make you go back to the beginning." Seinfeld said it was then that he decided to dedicate himself fully to the art of stand-up. "I'm gonna be a comedian," he recalled thinking, "because I can control that."

From the NY Post



June 5, 2006 -- JERRY Seinfeld told the audience at a taping of TV Land's "Sit-Down Comedy with David Steinberg" that he owes his incredible comedy success to a television failure - an ill-fated, three-episode stint on the show "Benson." Seinfeld played the governor's joke writer, but the character was underdeveloped and went nowhere, reports The Post's Larry Getlen. So the producers decided to fire him. The only problem? "They didn't bother to tell me," says Seinfeld, who told the packed crowd at John Jay Community College that he went to rehearsal, ready to work, only to find no script for him at the run-through. "Hey, where's my script?" he said and was only then told the bad news. The experience hit him like a brick. "I was angry," he said, expressing dismay at how you could reach a pinnacle in acting only to have it ripped out from under you. "That doesn't happen in stand-up," he said. "Once you get to a certain level, they don't make you go back to the beginning." Seinfeld said it was then that he decided to dedicate himself fully to the art of stand-up. "I'm gonna be a comedian," he recalled thinking, "because I can control that."

Most stand up comics hate television as they are not in control of their destiny's anymore and they have to deal with scripted comedy rather than fresh material based on the current happenings of the day. They also hate the interfence from networks and not having much creative control. Wanda Sykes told this to the GSU Urbanite in regards to her cancellation. Damon Wayans told this to an Arizona paper in regards to his cancellation in 2005.

...I wasn't too impressed with Seinfeld's appearances on "BENSON". "Frankie"
just seemed to be in the way of everyone else....perhaps the fact that this WAS Jerry's first regular television role, and he simply wasn't "ready" to join a tight ensemble cast, may have cost him any chance of even being a recurring
character. It took him almost an entire decade to get where he got to be in TV....by THEN, he knew what he wanted to do, and HOW to do it!

...I wasn't too impressed with Seinfeld's appearances on "BENSON". "Frankie"
just seemed to be in the way of everyone else....perhaps the fact that this WAS Jerry's first regular television role, and he simply wasn't "ready" to join a tight ensemble cast, may have cost him any chance of even being a recurring
character. It took him almost an entire decade to get where he got to be in TV....by THEN, he knew what he wanted to do, and HOW to do it!

Quite honestly I never understood his true purpose on the show. A MESSENGER? Is that like the pony express? I don't get why any Governor would need that, unless I'm not fully understanding what it is a messenger does.

I never saw Seinfeld's Benson appearances - but seeing how his career ended up, I can see why he was glad to be fired!! :lol:

I never saw Seinfeld's Benson appearances - but seeing how his career ended up, I can see why he was glad to be fired!! :lol:


He had very quick appearnces in 3 episodes, they were so quick that if you blinked, you would have missed it-lol

He had very quick appearnces in 3 episodes, they were so quick that if you blinked, you would have missed it-lol
He's still laughing all the way to the bank!

I vaguely remember reading that he had been on "Benson". After all those years of doing his own thing and writing for "Seinfeld", I don't think he'd be comfortable having to let someone else do all the work. Although he was in that episode of "30 Rock" but I'm sure they let him have some say, since it is an NBC show
Andrea

I vaguely remember reading that he had been on "Benson". After all those years of doing his own thing and writing for "Seinfeld", I don't think he'd be comfortable having to let someone else do all the work. Although he was in that episode of "30 Rock" but I'm sure they let him have some say, since it is an NBC show
Andrea


That's when I didn't realize he was that old-lol I was like-"he played on Benson in 1980 which mde me realize that he is in his 50's now

That's when I didn't realize he was that old-lol I was like-"he played on Benson in 1980 which mde me realize that he is in his 50's now
He's 54, to be exact - April 29, 1954.

He's 54, to be exact - April 29, 1954.

Yep, that's what he said when I saw him in Vegas last weekend! Thanks for the reminder of his b-day though. I couldn't remember the date! BTW I was watching an eppy of "Seinfeld" this morning ("The Alternate Side") and Elaine was talking about how she was trying to break up with this 66 year old man that she was seeing. I was thinking how funny it was that he was so "old" and although I don't know Julia Louis Dreyfus' real age, 66 doesn't seem old anymore!

Andrea

He's 54, to be exact - April 29, 1954.

Yep, that's what he said when I saw him in Vegas last weekend! Thanks for the reminder of his b-day though. I couldn't remember the date! BTW I was watching an eppy of "Seinfeld" this morning ("The Alternate Side") and Elaine was talking about how she was trying to break up with this 66 year old man:grr: that she was seeing. I was thinking how funny it was that he was so "old" and although I don't know Julia Louis Dreyfus' real age, 66 doesn't seem old anymore!

Andrea

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is 47 (January 13, 1961) - but I don't know how old she was when that particular episode was made.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is 47 (January 13, 1961) - but I don't know how old she was when that particular episode was made.

God, I remember when 47 used to sound ancient! I'm 40 (41 in September) and I still feel like I'm in my late 20's/early 30's. Age is just a number, right? Julia must have been in her 30's since it's been ten years since Seinfeld went off the air. That episode was from Season 3, which was about 1991 or 1992.

Andrea

I did not know that Benson Fired Jerry Seinfeld

I did not know that Benson Fired Jerry Seinfeld

Yeah and now I bet they're saying "What was I thinking?!?!":lol:

I found the link to the interview....
http://www.tvland.com/video/index.jhtml?bcpid=192878566&bclid=202217888
I've only watched the 3rd part (which is a riot!), where he talks about Benson and then doing "Seinfeld" but I am going to watch the other parts ASAP!

Andrea


Andrea

Thanks for the link

Thanks for the link
You're most welcome!:)

Andrea

Yeah and now I bet they're saying "What was I thinking?!?!":lol:

If Benson went up against Seinfeld, I'd agree with you, but Benson ended in 1986, quite a while before Jerry even became famous for his show. (When did it start, '89? '90?). Furthermore, if you did happen to see Jerry's spots on the show, you'd probably understand why he didn't stick around. It had nothing to do with HIM, per se, it was just that the part itself was not needed, regardless of who played it.

I am a Seinfeld fan myself, so I'm not dissing Jerry; I'm just saying he wasn't needed on the show. But I'm very glad his show was so successful; I'm sure it made anything that happened in his past seem completely trivial! :)

Yeah and now I bet they're saying "What was I thinking?!?!":lol:


If anything they made the right choice.

James Noble was good friends with Jerry if I remember from the podcast interview and he saw his show. He immediately knew why Seinfeld's role as Frankie didn't work.

I am a Seinfeld fan myself, so I'm not dissing Jerry; I'm just saying he wasn't needed on the show. But I'm very glad his show was so successful; I'm sure it made anything that happened in his past seem completely trivial! :)
I didn't get the impression that you were saying anything against Jerry. In that interview he said he was glad that it happened. The way I understood it was that when that role didn't work out, he realized that his real calling was to be a comedian! And what a great choice he made!

Andrea

Maybe the producers of "Benson" realized they'd made a rare casting mistake and decided to give old Jerry the boot, or maybe he just got on thier nerves or something. :lol:
:joke:

Maybe the producers of "Benson" realized they'd made a rare casting mistake and decided to give old Jerry the boot, or maybe he just got on thier nerves or something. :lol:
:joke:

It probably was a casting oversight on their part, because I never understood why they thought they needed a messenger who told jokes on the show. :confused:

I've finally seen the Seinfeld eps of Benson. From watching them, I'm stunned that he went on to become the biggest sitcom stars of the past 25 years! The character of Frankie was completely unfunny (and unneccessary).