Traditionally, sitcoms have long relied on stunt casting some of Hollywood’s biggest superstars to drum up interest in televised laughs. For example, when Brad Pitt visited the cast of Friends for Thanksgiving dinner, or Raj sat next to Sarah Michelle Gellar at the Nobel Prize ceremony on The Big Bang Theory. And then there’s a show like Seinfeld, which somehow made the most out of its guest stars without many of them being superstars.
Big-name actors like Jon Voight, Courtney Cox, Lauren Graham, and many more all appeared on Seinfeld as guest stars at one point or another, but for the most part, the series’ most memorable bit roles were performed by relatively anonymous character actors who became an unforgettable part of the show and whose creations continue to live on in the memory of fans all across the globe. Here’s a list of the ten best girlfriends, boyfriends, mechanics, and colleagues who got roped into Jerry’s world.
Updated on September 19, 2024, by Arthur Goyaz: When it comes to sitcoms, few stand as tall as Seinfeld. Though the legendary television show focused on Jerry and his three friends, it became known for a star-studded supporting ensemble that grew throughout the seasons. As the show remains timely nearly 30 years later, fans continue discussing its characters at length. This list was updated to include more great Seinfeld supporting characters and to reflect CBR’s current formatting guidelines.
15 Danny Woodburn Was One of Kramer’s Most Hilarious Companions
First Appearance — Season 5, Episode 16: “The Stand-In”
Kramer would always show up with the most unlikely companions, and Mickey Abbott was among the funniest. Despite his small stature, Mickey was never afraid to stand up against those who annoyed him, Kramer included. The two had a hilarious frenemy relationship: they couldn’t stand one another, but they would always eventually need each other.
Kramer and Mickey met while acting together as stand-in actors in the All My Children TV series. The duo shared the same propensity to get into trouble, resulting in other memorable appearances from Mickey. The character’s dislike of the term “midget” reflects how Danny Woodburn deals with an industry that mostly wants to explore him rather than value him as an actor and comedian. He appeared in 5 Seinfeld episodes and went on to become a respected actor known for movies like Watchmen, Mirror Mirror, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
14 Len Lesser’s Uncle Leo Appeared in Eight Seasons of Seinfeld
Len Lesser stole the show for himself as Uncle Leo in Seinfeld, standing out as one of the most recurring guest stars of the show with 14 appearances. He made his debut in the sitcom’s second season and appeared in at least one episode of every other season to come. Being Jerry’s uncle is pretty much Uncle Leo’s personality, and he’s not unhappy with it. One recurring joke in Seinfeld is that “uncle” is Leo’s first name.
Uncle Leo’s purpose in the show is to represent that one relative who’s funny and all but still is the kind of person one prefers not to bump into. He’s always bragging about his son’s accomplishments or involved in a mess like shoplifting, and Jerry simply can’t seem to get away from him. Before his career-defining role as a memorable Seinfeld guest star, Lesser had already appeared in multiple TV shows, making his onscreen debut in 1949 on the TV show Studio One.
13 Heidi Swedberg Was a Guest Star Turned Regular
Heidi Swedberg was a Seinfeld guest star promoted to regular in the show’s seventh season when George recklessly decided to get married. Her character, Susan, was introduced in Season 4 as an NBC executive when Jerry and George were trying to pitch their show about nothing. She and George got romantically involved in what seemed like another of the many Seinfeld relationships that go nowhere. To everyone’s surprise, she became a regular character in Season 7 as George’s fiancée.
It’s likely that Swedberg would’ve stayed much longer in Seinfeld if the cast got along with her. The show’s co-writer Larry David loved George and Susan together, but when it became clear that Jason Alexander and the other actors couldn’t stand working with Swedberg, he decided to write her off the show. Despite Susan’s tragic fate in Seinfeld, she was a memorable character who stood out as a genuinely kind-hearted person among the worst possible people. She evolved from a typical guest star to an integral part of the show.
First Appearance — Season 6, Episode 7: “The Soup”
The foundation of Seinfeld is how a comedian draws inspiration from the frivolities of life for his jokes. Jerry is at the center of it, and while viewers get to see segments of his stand-up performances on the show, there’s little focus on Jerry’s life as a comedian. It’s only when the inconvenient Kenny Bania is around that fans get to learn more about Jerry’s professional life.
Kenny is a fellow comedian who lacks talent but is constantly in touch with New York’s comedy scene. He’s always trying to impress Jerry and is completely oblivious to Jerry’s dislike of him, never failing to bring about a few laughs with his “The best, Jerry! The best!” catchphrase. Played by Steve Hytner, the actor certainly made an impression on the Seinfeld cast: he was asked to join the lead actors and other memorable guest stars in the seventh season of Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm for a Seinfeld reunion.
11 Sandy Baron’s Jack Klompus Was Frequently the Highlight of the Retirement Condominium Episodes
First Appearance — Season 3, Episodes 3: “The Pen”
Every once in a while, Jerry would go all the way to the Pines of Mar Gables in Florida to visit his parents, eventually getting in confusion with the retired community. Jack Klompus was one of the residents who Jerry’s father, Morty, disliked the most. In his first appearance, Jerry compliments his pen, which Jack gifts to him but later regrets, igniting a heated discussion that takes violent proportions.
Whenever Jerry showed up in the Pines of Mar Gables, Jack gave him a hard time. Sandy Baron was one of the many obscure actors who absolutely nailed their guest star roles in Seinfeld, generating interest for episodes that lacked the familiar New York setting and its characters. Thanks to Jack and his erratic relationship with Jerry’s parents, the Florida episodes were usually a delight.
10 Brad Garrett’s Tony Abado Starred in a Two-Episode Special
First Appearance — Season 7, Episodes 21 & 22: “The Bottle Deposit”
It’s always challenging to find a trustworthy mechanic, as Jerry learned when he ran into Brad Garrett’s Tony Abado during Season 7’s hour-long episode “The Bottle Deposit.” Tony was, perhaps, a bit too overzealous and car crazy, and after determining that Jerry wasn’t taking good enough care of his Saab convertible, he decided to take it off his hands.
Unfortunately for Jerry (and the Seinfeld audience), Tony was never heard from again. Instead, he drove off into the Ohioan sunset in Jerry’s car, keeping it under 60 mph and making as many left turns as he had right ones. As for Brad Garrett, it wouldn’t be long before he returned to television for the long haul, starring as Robert Barrone in Everyone Loves Raymond, where he’d continue to keep audiences laughing for years.
9 Philip Baker Hall’s Lt. Joe Bookman Diligently Guards the Local Library
First Appearance — Season 5, Episode 22: “The Library”
Philip Baker Hall is an underappreciated dark horse for best Seinfeld guest star as Lt. Joe Bookman. No, he wasn’t a police officer. He wasn’t even in the military. Instead, Lt. Joe Bookman’s beat was Jerry’s local library, whose return policy he enforced with absolute relish. Especially once he finally got his hands on Jerry, who had been escaping retribution for failing to return Tropic of Cancer since he borrowed it in 1971.
There were numerous impressive monologues throughout Seinfeld’s time on the air, but few are as memorable as Philip Baker Hall’s confrontation with Jerry regarding his overdue library book. Hall’s deadpan delivery in Season 3’s “The Library” was such the perfect mix of all-business and curmudgeon that he was brought for a momentary return in the series finale, where Lt. Bookman finally threw the book at Jerry and his friends.
8 Byran Cranston’s Dr. Tim Whatley Predates The Actor’s Rise to Stardom
First Appearance — Season 6, Episode 8: “The Mom and Pop Store”
Long before he was Walter White, Bryan Cranston became one of Seinfeld’s longest-running guest stars, featuring in five episodes as Dr. Tim Whatley, the “Dentist to the Stars.” His first appearance was in Season 6’s “The Mom and Pop Store,” where he may (or may not) have refused to invite Jerry to his house party while dating Elaine. Whether he did or did not invite Jerry, one thing is abundantly clear about Dr. Tim Whatley: he’s a regifter.
Social niceties might not be Tim Whatley’s forte, but things are even worse in his dentist’s office. Not only does he have Penthouse magazine lying around for his clients’ light reading, but he was determined to convert to Judaism for the jokes. Shortly after Seinfeld wrapped up, Cranston’s work on this series helped him land the role of the father on Malcolm in the Middle, firmly establishing him as one of television’s best actors. From there, he went on to star as one of the most infamous television characters of all time, but there’s a very good chance there might never have been a Walter White without Tim Whatley.
7 Marisa Tomei Is Among the Few Seinfeld Guest Stars to Play Themselves
First Appearance — Season 7, Episode 15: “The Cadillac, Part 2”
Guest stars on Seinfeld rarely performed as themselves unless their name happened to be Keith Hernandez or, as in the case of this entry, Marisa Tomei. During a conversation with Elaine in the Season 7 two-parter “The Cadillac,” George Costanza becomes obsessed with the idea of dating the world-famous actress when he learns that Marisa has an affinity for “short quirky bald men.” Upon hearing that, not even his engagement to Susan will stop him from meeting Marisa for a date.
Lucky for George, he and Marisa hit it off almost immediately. Less fortunate for George, the truth about his conniving ways eventually comes to light, and he gets his comeuppance from both women with a couple of righteous hits to the face. When George attempts to reconvene with Marisa in the immediate aftermath of Susan’s death, he gets hung up on for his efforts.
6 Reni Santoni’s Poppi Owns a Restaurant that Appears in Multiple Episodes
First Appearance — Season 5, Episode 15: “The Pie”
When Jerry first met Poppie, played by Reni Santoni, he was introduced to him as the father of his girlfriend, Audrey, in Season 5’s “The Pie.” That night, Jerry watched in horror as Poppie failed to wash his hands after using the washroom and setting off to make Jerry a hand-made pizza pie. Of course, when the moment of truth arrived, Jerry refused to sample the dish, resulting in the health department temporarily shutting down Poppie’s Italian restaurant. The worst was still yet to come.
In Season 6’s “The Couch,” Jerry purposefully starts an argument between Poppie and Elaine on the subject of abortion to avoid eating at Poppie’s restaurant. From there, things continue to escalate until Poppie gets his revenge by peeing on Jerry’s couch. Reni Santoni accrued more than 100 credits to his name before passing in 2020, including the original Dirty Harry, but he’ll always be best remembered for starring in two of the most memorable moments in all of Seinfeld.
5 Brian George’s Babu Bhatt Generated Plenty of Laughs at The Dream Cafe
First Appearance — Season 3, Episode 7: “The Cafe”
From one tragic guest star character to another, actor Brian George starred as Babu in three episodes, starting with Season 3’s “The Cafe.” Babu, an immigrant from Pakistan, failed to draw in any clientele when he opened The Dream Cafe. Feeling sorry for him, Jerry and his friend stopped by for a meal and offered some friendly advice. Instead of serving American food, Babu should focus on serving dishes from his native Pakistan. Unfortunately, Jerry’s idea only serves to send Babu further into debt.
In the Season 4 episode “The Visa,” Jerry again tries his best to help Babu when the latter’s immigration Visa is sent to Jerry’s address by mistake. Unfortunately, his best intentions wind up with Babu getting deported back to Pakistan. At least, Babu eventually got his revenge when he testified against Jerry and his friends in the Seinfeld finale, revealing once and for all that Seinfeld was a “very, very bad man.”
4 Patrick Warburton’s David Puddy Provided a Glimpse of the Actor’s Comedic Talents
First Appearance — Season 6, Episode 21: “The Fusilli Jerry”
Easily one of Elaine’s most recognizable boyfriends, Patrick Warburton, with his one-of-a-kind voice, starred in several episodes of Seinfeld as David Puddy, a mechanic, eventual Saab salesman, and die-hard New Jersey Devils fan. First appearing in Season 6’s “The Fusilli Jerry,” Puddy’s most memorable moments revolve around his on-and-off-again relationship with Elaine, which can break apart and reconvene at little more than a moment’s notice or, say, a bureau that needs moving.
Patrick Warburton’s pervasive squint, deep voice, and monotone delivery made him one of Seinfeld’s most popular guest stars, and he returned to star in ten episodes. Unfortunately, Puddy’s obsession with painting his face for hockey games (and his belief in an afterlife) would result in the final termination of his relationship with Elaine. Afterward, Warburton starred in the lead role of several notable sitcoms, including Rules of Engagement and The Tick. To most television audiences, however, he’ll always be known simply as Puddy.
3 Terri Hatcher’s Sidra Holland Made the Most of Her Screentime
First Appearance — Season 4, Episode 19: “The Implant”
In what might be the most minor role on this list, Terri Hatcher’s presence as Sidra Holland had one of the most significant impacts of any Seinfeld guest star, delivering one of the series most quotable lines. First introduced in Season 4’s “The Implant” as Jerry Seinfeld’s newest girlfriend, Sidra (and Terri) left her indelible mark on the series when Elaine convinced Jerry that Sidra’s breasts were fake, only for Elaine to discover during an accidental fall at a sauna that they were anything but.
When Jerry tries to make amends with Sidra for dumping her following Elaine’s revelation, things don’t work out for him, leading to the infamous line, “And by the way, they’re real, and they’re spectacular.” Unfortunately for Jerry, he never got to find out for himself. As for Terri, she was already firmly established as a television actress during her time on Seinfeld thanks to Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and her career continued in that vein when she became one of the lead stars of the popular television drama, Desperate Housewives, where, presumably, no one once questioned the veracity of her figure.
2 Phil Morris’s Jackie Chiles Was One of Seinfeld’s Most Popular Recurring Characters
First Appearance — Season 7, Episode 3: “The Maestro”
Jerry might not have wound up with Sidra Holland at the end of Seinfeld; however, one of New York City’s most inventive lawyers, Jackie Chiles, did. Performed by actor Phil Morris, Jackie Chiles became one of Seinfeld’s most popular secondary characters after appearing in the Season 7 episode, “The Maestro,” as the only lawyer willing to take on Kramer’s scalding hot coffee lawsuit. An obvious (and pitch-perfect) parody of famed real-life attorney Johnnie Cochran, Morris wonderfully emulated Cochran’s method of speech to significant comedic effect.
Jackie Chiles proved such a hit that he’d reappear on Seinfeld nearly half a dozen times throughout the series’ final three seasons, each time trying to get the gang out of progressively deeper waters until he fails to exonerate them for breaking the Good Samaritan law in the series finale. As for Phil Morris, he had already earned his television stripes starring in numerous episodes of Marblehead Manor and Mission: Impossible. He’s continued to work mainly in television and most recently was seen playing Cyborg’s dad, Silas Stone, on Doom Patrol.
1 Larry Thomas’s Yev Kassem Is Seinfeld’s Best Guest Star
First Appearance — Season 7, Episode 6: “The Soup Nazi”
“Sponge-worthy,” “man hands,” “close talker,” throughout its nine seasons on television, Seinfeld came up with an endless number of some of the best one-liners on television. The most infamous line of all has got to be the declaration barked out by one of the series’ most popular recurring characters, Yev Kassem, who ruled his local delicatessen with an iron hand and the immutable command: “No soup for you!”
Inspired by the real-life owner of a Manhattan soup restaurant called Soup Kitchen International, actor Larry Thomas infamously brought Yev Kassem to life with his gruff demeanor and commanding presence. Sure, he was pretty easily disposed of when Elaine uncovered the recipes to his soups, but Yev Kassem gets the last laugh when he’s present for the gang’s criminal conviction. It was the most significant moment of Larry Thomas’ career. He even earned himself an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, firmly establishing him as one of Seinfeld’s greatest guest stars, if not the greatest.