Highlights
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus wanted to make a bigger contribution to Seinfeld and repeatedly asked Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld to write her more lines.
- John O’Hurley praised Julia Louis-Dreyfus as one of the greatest television comediennes of all time and admired her dedication to finding the laugh in every scene.
- O’Hurley was fascinated by Michael Richards’ brilliance as Kramer and admired his dedication to perfecting his physical comedy skills behind the scenes.
Working on Seinfeld was a unique experience for both the main cast and guest stars. The guest stars in particular have revealed a lot of information about the process behind the scenes. Take Steve Hytner as an example, the actor claims Jerry Seinfeld was more nervous than he was to shoot scenes early on given his background as a comedian transforming into acting.
As for Patrick Warburton, the actor revealed he tried to stay away from Jerry just to avoid trouble.
In the following, we’re going to take a closer look at John O’Hurley’s time on the sitcom. The actor had a blast working on the series, though he especially had praise for Julia Louis-Dreyfus. We’ll reveal what their dynamic was like on-set, and the other Seinfeld star O’Hulrey had praise for.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus Wanted More At The Start Of Her Run With Seinfeld
At the start of Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus felt as though she could’ve been contributing more to the sitcom. The actress admitted this wasn’t a gender issue, more so about her character on the show. Julia Louis-Dreyfus let it be known to Larry David, wanting to make a bigger contribution.
She reveals, “Well, I never really approached it from the perspective of my gender, per se. I wanted to just play ball with everybody, I’m not going to lie, in the beginning, I didn’t always have a lot to do in certain episodes. And I would go to Larry and Jerry multiple times and say, ‘Hey, you guys, write me more, I need to be in this show more.’ That’s what I just kept doing. And they did.”
“But you see, they didn’t write for me as a woman,” she added. “They just wrote for me, for this character, as opposed to this gender, which I think is instructive in a lot of ways from a writing point of view.”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus was more than impressive in her role, and that especially held true for a guest star who got to work very close to the actress.
John O’Hurley Called Julia Louis-Dreyfus One Of The Greatest Comediennes Of All-Time
Playing the role of an eccentric entrepreneur came naturally to John O’Hurley, given his words alongside Today. However, the actor confessed that he was nervous at the start to take on the role of J. Peterman.
The nerves would eventually go away, and a major reason was the talented cast. O’Hurley had praise for the show, though he singled out Julia Louis-Dreyfus in particular, speaking highly of the actresses contributions.
He reveals, “I think she is one of the great television comediennes of all time, one of the most courageous actresses. She would always go down with the ship for the laugh. No matter what it was, she would embarrass herself à la Elaine’s famous dance. But whatever it was, she would find the laugh in the scene. One of the smartest actors I’ve worked with, and certainly one of the most enjoyable people I know.”
The actor went on to credit the show for its different approach to comedy. It was real, and identified with the New York lifestyle. On paper, the actor revealed that the show wasn’t funny but when all the elements were brought together, it just all worked out.
John O’Hurley Was Also Fascinated By Michael Richards’ Process Behind The Scenes On Seinfeld
Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld are usually credited as the brains behind Seinfeld, and a major reason for the show’s success. However, O’Hurley had major praise for the other stars. Not only was he respectful of Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ role, but he also noticed Michael Richards’ brilliance as Kramer.
O’Hurley called one of his most memorable moments on the show just watching Richards during his process behind the scenes.
“The things that I was privy to because it was right next door to the apartment set … I would watch Michael Richards practice his skid stops every time he came into the office or every time he came onto the set. He would have a different move, and it was never the same.
He continues, “And he always practiced those like Baryshnikov. It was just fascinating to watch him, because he is one of the great physical comedians. I mean, you have to go back to Dick Van Dyke, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin to find people that had that kind of genius in them in physical comedy.”
As for John O’Hurley’s career nowadays, it remains extremely busy with several upcoming projects. The actor also does lots of voiceover work. Among his most recent notable roles includes a cameo on NCIS: Los Angeles, and voice work in the SpongeBob video game, The Cosmic Shake. The actor is doing particularly well financially as well, sitting on a net worth of $12 million.
Source: NewsFinale
