1990 SEINFELD
THE FUNNY SHOW ABOUT NOTHING LAUNCHED THE CAREERS OF THESE STARS
JASON ALEXANDER, 58 George Costanza
THEN: By mid-1989, Alexander, then 29, had a few minor TV credits but was a Tony-winning stage actor. NOW: He recently guested in Young Sheldon and lent his voice to doco The Gettysburg Address.
MICHAEL RICHARDS, 69 Cosmo Kramer
THEN: A few weeks shy of 40 when Seinfeld premiered, Richards had been a regular in live comedy shows and guested on St. Elsewhere and Cheers. NOW: He recently shot the film Faith, Hope & Love.
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS, 57 Elaine Benes
THEN: Coming off sitcom Day by Day, the 28-year-old actress had also been a member of the Saturday Night Live team. NOW: Record-holder (tied with Cloris Leachman) for the most Emmy acting awards, Louis-dreyfus is the star of Veep.
JERRY SEINFELD, 64 Jerry Seinfeld
THEN: Aged 35 when the pilot aired in the US in July 1989 (it was repeated in 1990), the comedian had an HBO special and late-night TV slots to his name. NOW: Seinfeld is the creator of Netflix series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
WAYNE KNIGHT, 63 Newman
THEN: First appearing in 1992’s Season 3 (the first season to air in Australia), 36-yearold Knight had small parts in films like Dirty Dancing (1987) and Basic Instinct (1992). NOW: Supporting roles in film Blindspotting (2018) and series Law & Order: SVU.
JERRY STILLER, 91 Frank Costanza
THEN: George’s father, Frank, was played by the 65-year-old comedy veteran, who’d worked alongside wife Anne Meara on American TV for decades. NOW: Stiller was most recently seen in 2016 movie Zoolander 2 alongside son Ben.
ESTELLE HARRIS, 90 Estelle Costanza
THEN: Making her first appearance (in Season 4’s “The Contest”) slightly earlier than her on-screen husband was the 64-year-old actress. NOW: We’ll hear Harris’s distinctive voice again in the upcoming fourth Toy Story film.