Early Roles III

 

"Making your way in the world today, takes everything you've got...".  Who in this world doesn't know the theme song to "Cheers"???  Well, actually, probably quite a few, but I digress.  Along with my earlier posts for "Seinfeld" and "M*A*S*H", I decided to look at some early performances on "Cheers", and here's what I found...

Keenan Ivory Wayans - SSN. 1, EP. 2 - "Sam's Women" 10/7/1982

If you blink, you'll miss him, but he's there!  He was credited as "customer #1" and it was only his second time appearing on television, followed closely with a role on "CHiPs" which aired later in the same week.  Of course, Wayans would go on to have huge success, along with his brothers, first with the TV variety show "In Living Color" and then in the theatres with his irreverent sense of humour.

Fred Dryer - SSN. 1, EP. 4 - "Sam At Eleven" 10/21/1982

After a 13 year career in the NFL from 1969 to 1981 as a defensive end, Fred Dryer started a career in TV and film, first appearing on "Laverne And Shirley" in 1980.  A couple of other guest spots came and went and then the role of Dave Richards came up on "Cheers".  Dryer would play the sportscaster three more times on the show through the years.  Soon he would play renegade cop Rick Hunter on the show "Hunter", a fan and critical favourite that lasted 8 seasons.  Not bad for a football player.

Harry Anderson - SSN. 1, EP. 4 - "Sam At Eleven" 10/21/1982

He only appeared in a couple of movies before landing the role of Harry "The Hat" Gittes, the conman that always gets the best of Sam.  Anderson appeared 6 times as Harry, but his first was in the same episode as Fred Dryer's first.  A couple of big TV shows would follow; "Night Court" playing Judge Harry T. Stone for 193 episodes from 1984 to 1992, and "Dave's World" as newspaper columnist Dave Barry for 98 episodes from 1993 to 1997.  For his role on "Night Court", Anderson was nominated for 3 Emmy awards, but won none.  

Allyce Beasley - SSN. 1, EP. 5 - "The Coach's Daughter" 10/28/1982

If you watched a lot of TV in the 1980's, you know who Allyce Beasley is.  She showed up on the occasional TV show and you always knew her by her unique voice.  Her appearance on "Cheers" was just her fifth TV role, playing Coach's daughter.  In a couple of years, she would be a part of one of the most popular shows on television when she played the role of Agnes DiPesto on "Moonlighting".  She was on that show for 66 episodes, then moved on to many voice work projects.

Christopher McDonald - SSN. 1, EP. 10 - "Endless Slumper" 12/2/1982

The name may not be familiar, but you've seen him on countless TV shows and movies.  McDonald had been in about half a dozen things before showing up on "Cheers" as Rick Walker, a slumping Red Sox pitcher.  He would go on to be seen in over 230 movies and TV shows in a career that is still going strong.  You've seen him in movies such as Thelma And Louise, Dutch, Grumpy Old Men, Quiz Show, Requiem For A Dream, and so many others.  Just last year he was nominated for his first Emmy Award for his role on "Hacks".

Kelsey Grammer - SSN 3, EP. 1 - "Rebound: Part I" 9/27/1984

Frasier??  Why would you include Frasier on your list??  Simple, he wasn't one of the original cast members and when Kelsey Grammar started playing the lovable psychiatrist on "Cheers" he had only appeared in a handful of other shows.  He showed up on a couple of soap operas, "Ryan's Hope" and "Another World", in a six-part miniseries about John F. Kennedy that was quite popular, and an episode of "Kate And Allie".  He'd go on to appear in 202 episodes of "Cheers" and, of course, had his own spinoff show "Frasier" that lasted for another 263 episodes.  Grammar has received 13 Emmy nominations for playing Dr. Frasier Crane over three shows (once as a guest on "Wings") and won four times.  I'd say he was born to play that role, wouldn't you??

Woody Harrelson - SSN 4, EP. 1 - "Birth, Death, Love And Rice" 9/26/1985

Just like Kelsey Grammar, one of Woody Harrelson's first roles was on "Cheers", and he stuck around for a while as well.  In fact, except for a role as an extra on "Harper Valley P.T.A.", this WAS Harrelson's first role!  His first movie role came soon after in Wildcats from 1986, but there is no doubt he became a huge star because of his role as Woody Boyd, the new bartender of "Cheers".  Harrelson would have much more success in the movies than Kelsey Grammar did, appearing in fan favourites like White Men Can't Jump, Natural Born Killers, Kingpin, and even going on to receive three Oscar nominations; The People Vs. Larry Flynt, The Messenger and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Sherilyn Fenn - SSN 4, EP. 4 - "The Groom Wore Clearasil" 10/24/1985

She had appeared in four movies before making her way on to the small screen on "Cheers", but nobody really knew who Sherilyn Fenn was yet.  She appeared as Gabrielle, a young girl who comes in near the end of the episode.  She was only 20 years old and didn't look too much like she did in the role that made her a household name, that of Audrey Horne on 30 episodes of "Twin Peaks", a role that garnered her an Emmy nomination.  Fenn has appeared in over 100 films and TV shows in her career and is still going strong.

Bebe Neuwirth - SSN 4, EP. 17 - "Second Time Around" 2/6/1986

Another actor that made many appearances on "Cheers", 80 in fact, pretty much started out on the show.  She had appeared in "Simon And Simon" on the same day she made her debut on "Cheers", but that was it for TV or film roles at the time.  She was a big presence on stage before that though, starting singing and dancing on Broadway in 1980.  But the world would know her now as Frasier's girlfriend Lilith Sternin, a role she'd come back to in 12 episodes of "Frasier".  Neuwirth won 2 Emmy Awards playing the female counterpart to Frasier, and became one of my favourite characters on the show.

Brenda Strong - SSN 5, EP. 2 - "The Cape Cad" 10/2/1986

She made a few appearances on TV before showing up on "Cheers" as Vicki, Sam's date on Cape Cod to make Diane jealous.  Strong would go on to appear in more than 120 movies and TV shows through the years, but made her biggest splash as Mary Alice Young in 180 episodes of "Desperate Housewives" from 2004 to 2012.  She was nominated for 2 Emmy Awards for that role, and continues to show up on the small screen to this day, most recently in "Supergirl".

Willie Garson - SSN 5, EP. 2 - "The Cape Cad" 10/2/1986

Yup, on the same episode as Brenda Strong, playing the waiter at the Cape, is Willie Garson.  It was his third appearance on TV, just a few months after being on "Family Ties".  And look, he has hair and no glasses!!  Garson would go on to have a very successful career, probably being most recognized as Stanford Blatch in 27 episodes of "Sex And The City" and appearing in both film versions of the show.  Sadly, Garson passed away just last year at the age of 57.

Richard Schiff - SSN 7, EP. 4 - "One Happy Chappy In A Snappy Serape" 11/17/1988

He's in the episode so briefly that I can't even find a photo of him on "Cheers" on the Internet.  Schiff was named "tourist" in this episode, and it was his first TV role, although uncredited.  He would definitely become more recognizable in films and TV shows through the years, especially in 145 episodes of "The West Wing" as Toby Ziegler, the White House Communications Director, and most recently as Dr. Aaron Glassman in over 100 episodes of the currently airing "The Good Doctor".  Schiff has received three Emmy nominations for his portrayal of Ziegler on "The West Wing", winning once in the year 2000.

Thomas Haden Church - SSN 8, EP. 7 - "Death Takes A Holiday On Ice" 11/9/1989

It was only his third time appearing on television, playing Gordie Brown, the man who's life is saved by Carla's husband Eddie.  Church would become much more recognizable a year later when he got a role on "Wings" in 1990 playing the lovable Lowell Mather in 123 episodes.  Church would show up in many other shows and films through the years, receiving an Oscar nomination for his role in the movie Sideways and winning an Emmy Award for his part in a miniseries called "Broken Trail" in 2007.

Lisa Kudrow - SSN 8, EP. 9 - "Two Girls For Every Boyd" 11/23/1989

Kudrow was making just her third appearance on television as well when she played Emily, Woody's acting partner who was trying to coax a romantic performance out of him.  And look, she had dark hair!  Kudrow would of course become one of the biggest stars on TV in a few years playing Phoebe on "Friends" for 235 episodes.  She would go on to be nominated for 14 Emmy Awards, six times for her role as Phoebe and a few times as the executive producer of the reality show "Who Do You Think You Are?".  

Diedrich Bader - SSN 8, EP. 13 - "Sammy And The Professor" 1/4/1990

He appeared in a couple of shows and a couple of TV movies before landing the role of "waiter" in this episode of "Cheers".  But Bader has now appeared in over 200 movies and TV shows.  You may remember him from Office Space as Lawrence with that great moustache, or from "The Drew Carey Show" where he appeared in 233 episodes, or his many voice acting roles for which he has been nominated for many awards.  But it all started, kinda, as "waiter".

Kevin Sorbo - SSN 10, EP. 18 - "License To Hill" 2/13/1992

Another early appearance that I couldn't find a picture for on the Internet, Sorbo showed up on "Cheers" as an uncredited "bar patron".  He had been seen in two other TV shows before "Cheers", very briefly.  But soon enough he would star in a few TV movies about Hercules, which became so popular it garnered it's own series starting in 1995 and going 111 episodes.  There was even a popular spin-off from the show, "Xena: Warrior Princess".  Another huge series would follow, "Andromeda", for another 110 episodes.  Sorbo is still working hard, with no less than 10 shows and films in production as of this writing!

Ok, there's some of the early roles of celebrities with regards to "Cheers".  Next, I think I'm going to lose my mind and try something regarding all the guest appearances on "The Love Boat".  This may take me down a very dark hole.....stay tuned.

Early Roles II

So after finding all those actors who got their start, or close to their start, on "Seinfeld", I started thinking of other shows where I remember young actors before they became famous.  The two that jumped out in my mind were "Cheers" (which I'll detail in Early Roles III) and the following...

M*A*S*H

Bruno Kirby - S1, Ep1 "Pilot" 9/17/1972

In June of 1972, Kirby began starring in a sitcom called "The Super".  It only lasted 10 episodes.  A few months after the first episode of that failed series, he appeared as Pvt. Lorenzo Boone on the very first television episode of "M*A*S*H".  Of course, Kirby would go on to much more fame and fortune, getting an important role in The Godfather, Part II, a tiny but memorable role in This Is Spinal Tap, and most recognizably as Billy Crystal's buddy in When Harry Met Sally and City Slickers.  Unfortunately Bruno Kirby's life was cut short in 2006, at the age of 57, due to complications from leukemia.

Marcia Strassman - S1, Ep3 "Requiem For A Lightweight" 10/1/1972

She appeared in a few TV shows before "M*A*S*H", but Marica Strassman became recognizable after landing a recurring role as Nurse Margie Cutler on the show, her first episode being the third of the show's existence.  If you're a fan of '70's television at all, you'll know Strassman went on to play Julie Kotter for more than 90 episodes of the extremely popular "Welcome Back, Kotter" opposite Gabe Kaplan beginning in 1975.  In 1989, she showed up as the mom in the successful Honey, I Shrunk The Kids movie.

William Katt - S1, Ep12 "Dear Dad" 12/17/1972

He was only about 20 years old, and appeared in a TV movie or in uncredited roles here or there (including "Emergency"...I loved "Emergency"!), but nobody knew he'd become a huge star about 9 years later when he landed the lead on TV's "The Greatest American Hero".  Katt would carve out a very successful acting career, appearing in more than 130 shows and movies through the years.  In this episode, Katt plays a private who is trying to console his dying friend when Hawkeye, played by Alan Alda, shows up in a Santa Claus outfit to help out.

Burt Young - S2, Ep7 "L.I.P. (Local Indigenous Personnel) 10/27/1973

He was just starting to make a name for himself, appearing in small roles in a couple movies, but everybody would know Burt Young in a few short years.  In 1976 he was cast as Paulie in a little movie called Rocky, and continued to play that role through all the incarnations of that film.  And he's still going to this day, playing roles in just about anything that's offered to him.  In this episode, he plays Lt. Willis who investigating some wrong doing at the 4077th.

John Ritter - S2, Ep13 "Deal Me Out" 12/8/1973

Like Burt Young above, John Ritter was just starting to make a name for himself in show business when his "M*A*S*H" episode aired.  He had been in a few TV movies and bit roles in the cinema, but nobody knew who he was.  In another 3 years, EVERYBODY would know!  Being cast as one of the leads in one of the most popular sitcoms of all-time, Ritter would win awards for his portrayal of Jack Tripper on "Three's Company".  In this episode, he plays Pvt. Carter who is taunted by Frank Burns and decides to do something about it.  

Mary Kay Place - S3, Ep6 "Springtime" 10/15/1974

It was only her third role, but Mary Kay Place would go on to appear in more than 100 movies and TV shows in her career.  Most notably, she was one of the baby-boomers in The Big Chill, appeared in 42 episodes of "Big Love", and gained critical acclaim for her work in the independent film Diane just a few years ago.  She was also an Emmy winner for her role on "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" in 1977.  In this episode she plays Lt. Louise Simmons, the object of Radar's affections.

Michael O'Keefe - S3, Ep13 "Mad Dogs And Servicemen" 12/10/1974

Before we knew him as the fast-thinking caddy Danny Noonan in 1980's Caddyshack, one of Michael O'Keefe very first TV roles was on "M*A*S*H".  In fact, he came back a few years later playing an entirely different character.  In this episode he plays Corporal Richard Travis, the lone survivor of a tank battle who is suffering from hysterical paralysis.  O'Keefe went on to be nominated for an Oscar in 1981 for his part in The Great Santini opposite Robert Duvall and continues to show up in many TV shows to this day.

Brian Dennehy - S5, Ep22 "Souvenirs" 3/1/1977

It was a busy year for Brian Dennehy in 1977 as he appeared in no less than 14 movies and TV shows, his first year in the business.  One of those shows was "M*A*S*H", playing M.P. Ernie Connors who tries to get to the bottom of some possibly stolen goods.  Dennehy would go on to have a great career in TV and film, appearing in fan favourites like First Blood, Cocoon, Silverado, F/X and dozens more.  He was nominated for 6 Emmy awards for his television work, mostly playing in miniseries such as "Death Of A Salesman" and "Our Fathers".

Peter Riegert - S6, E4 "War Of Nerves" 10/11/1977

Once again, the name may not be familiar, but within a year he'd become pretty famous for sharing at the screen with one of the biggest stars of the day, John Belushi.  In 1978, fans would see Riegert play Donald "Boon" Schoenstein in National Lampoon's Animal House.  He would have a very steady career in TV and film, most recently appearing in top shows like "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt", "Dads", "The Good Wife" and "One Tree Hill".  In this episode, and one other one, he takes over the role of Cpl. Igor Straminsky, normally played by Jeff Maxwell.

Shelley Long - S8, Ep16 "Bottle Fatigue" 1/7/1980

Did I mention "Cheers" above??  Weird, I didn't even realize Shelley Long would be part of the "M*A*S*H" list, but here we are.  Obviously, Long would go on to become hugely popular a couple years later when she won the role of Diane Chambers on "Cheers", a role for which she'd earn 6 Emmy nominations, winning once in 1983.  She was in a handful of TV movies and shows before showing up on "M*A*S*H" where she played Lt. Mendenhall, a date for the recently dried out Hawkeye Pierce.

Patrick Swayze - S9, Ep18 "Blood Brothers" 4/6/1981

It was only his third role in Hollywood, but Patrick Swayze would go on to become a mega-star after starring as Johnny Castle in 1987's Dirty Dancing.  Of course he'd become a very familiar face in many other films including The Outsiders, Red Dawn, Road House, Point Break and Ghost.  In this episode he plays Pvt. Gary Sturgis who wants to donate blood to his wounded friend, but is told he can't because he has leukaemia.  Unfortunately this story would become somewhat prophetic, as Swayze passed away at the age of 57 from cancer.

Andrew Dice Clay - S11, Ep2 "Trick Or Treatment" 11/1/1982

Although he had been known on the stand-up circuit for a few years, Andrew Dice Clay hadn't done much on TV or in the movies.  In fact, he appeared only a week before this appearance on "Diff'rent Strokes" and that was about all.  He'd go on to make a huge name for himself as the crude and rude comic of the late '80's/early '90's.  Most recently he's shown up on episodes of his own show "Dice" and the mini-series "Pam And Tommy" showing he actually does have some acting chops.  On "M*A*S*H" he played Corp. Hrabosky, one of the injured men at the 4077th annual Halloween party.  George Wendt made an early appearance on this episode as well, but he was already starring on "Cheers" at the time.

As I was researching different "M*A*S*H" episodes for this post, I realized there were other stars that appeared on the show, maybe not as early as the ones listed above, but early enough.  Here's a few I saw along the way;

Ron Howard was already a known name because of his days as a kid actor.  He started way back in 1959 when he was only 5 years old.  At the ripe old age of 6 he'd land the role of Opie on "The Andy Griffith Show", a role he'd play until 1968.  Of course his fame would only continue starring in "Happy Days" as Richie Cunningham for 11 years and directing some big box office successes like Splash, Cocoon, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind and many, many more.  He appeared on episode 17 of the first season in 1973.

Joan Van Ark had already appeared in many TV shows before making her appearance in season 2, episode 3 of "M*A*S*H".  She was seen on "Bonanza", "Gunsmoke", "Days Of Our Lives", "Hawaii Five-O", "The Odd Couple" and others.  It would be another few years before she landed the role of Valene on "Dallas" in 1978, which led to 15 years playing that character on "Knots Landing". 

Teri Garr, if you were unaware, appeared in many Elvis Presley movies in her youth as a background dancer.  You can see her in Fun In Acapulco, Viva Las Vegas, Kissing' Cousins, and Roustabout.  That would lead to small roles on TV and in movies; "Batman", "Star Trek", "That Girl".  She appeared on "M*A*S*H" in season 2, episode 10 in 1973, a year before her role in Young Frankenstein, and she'd go on to appear in Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, Tootsie, After Hours, and Mr. Mom to name a few.

Blythe Danner had been in about a dozen or so TV movies and shows before showing up on "M*A*S*H" in episode 22 of season 4 in 1976. She had 13-episode run on "Adam's Rib" in 1973 playing opposite Ken Howard, and had starred opposite Anthony Perkins and Beau Bridges in 1974's Lovin' Molly as Molly.  She'd go on to be nominated for 5 Emmy awards, winning 2, and starring in dozens of films.  And doesn't she look almost exactly like her daughter Gwyneth here??

James Cromwell has appeared in almost 200 movies and shows in his long career.  He first got started in 1974 when he appeared on three episodes of "All In The Family" and an episode of "The Rockford Files".  In 1977, after making more TV appearances and having a role in the movie Murder By Death, he showed up as Leo Bardonaro on episode 3 of season 6 of "M*A*S*H", the practical joking friend of BJ's.  Cromwell would go on to be nominated for 6 Emmy awards, winning one, and one Oscar for his role in Babe, my favourite movie about a pig.

Philip Baker Hall, who I have always enjoyed in every movie I've seen him in, appeared on "M*A*S*H" in 1977, season 6 episode 6, and he looked so different than the actor we all know from Magnolia, Boogie Nights, Hard Eight, or his stints on "Seinfeld" or "Modern Family".  He got his start in Hollywood only seven years prior to this episode, appearing in a few movies and a few TV shows including "Good Times" and the first episode of "Man From Atlantis".  Hall sadly passed away earlier in the year at the age of 90.

Ed Begley Jr. may be the hardest working man in Hollywood.  He has appeared in more than 300 TV episodes and movies in his long career and has been nominated for seven Emmy awards, mostly for his work on "St. Elsewhere" in the 1980's.  He had made one-off appearances in a ton of TV shows from the 1970's before showing up on "M*A*S*H" in 1979; "Adam-12", "The FBI", "Mannix", "Maude", "Ironside" and "Happy Days" to name just a few.  In his "M*A*S*H" appearance he played a klutz of a private who saved some of his buddies on the battlefield on episode one of season eight.

Joe Pantoliano had been working sporadically as a screen actor for about seven years before appearing on "M*A*S*H".  His big break came in 1979 when he played the role of Pvt. Maggio in the TV version of From Here To Eternity, the role Frank Sinatra played in the movie.  A couple of years later he had his bit role as a G.I. who swapped dog tags with a buddy of his on episode 2 of season 10 of "M*A*S*H".  He'd go on to appear in over 100 more movies and TV shows including some of my faves; The Matrix, Midnight Run and Bound.

Rita Wilson, a few years before marrying Tom Hanks, made a couple of appearances on "M*A*S*H" as Nurse Lacey in season 10.  She had already been around the Hollywood scene since 1972 when she briefly appeared on "The Brady Bunch" as a teenager.  Many other bit roles would follow on some of the most popular shows of the 1970's; "Lou Grant", "CHiPs", "Hawaii Five-0" and, where I assume she first met her husband to be, "Bosom Buddies".  She's still working to this day and has appeared in about 80 movies and shows in her career.

Laurence Fishburn had made a name for himself at a very young age when he appeared in Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now in 1979 at the ripe old age of 17.  He actually appeared in a bunch of episodes of "One Life To Live" even before that.  It wasn't until 1982 when we saw him in episode 14 of season 10 of "M*A*S*H".  Still a youngster at the time, all of 21 years old, he would obviously go on to bigger and better things through the years.  The Cotton Club, The Colour Purple, Boyz N The Hood, all The Matrix movies, and nominated for an Academy Award for What's Love Got To Do With It.

Jeffrey Tambor has shown up in literally hundreds of TV shows and movies in the last 45 years.  I remember first seeing him in the "Three's Company" spinoff "The Ropers" that premiered in 1979.  But he had already been on "Kojak", "Starsky And Hutch" and "Taxi" before that.  He showed up on episode 3 of season 11 of "M*A*S*H" in 1982.  He'd go on to be nominated for 9 Emmy awards, winning 2 of them for his fabulous role in "Transparent".  But now, for me, he'll always be the patriarch of the Bluth family on "Arrested Development".  

Ok, that's "M*A*S*H".  next will be a look back at some of the popular folks that had early appearances on "Cheers".  Stay tuned...

  

 

 

Early Roles

So I was watching an episode of "Seinfeld" the other day and I realized one of the actresses playing a bit part was none other than Debra Messing from "Will And Grace" fame.  Obviously, this was a few years before her own sitcom became a huge hit, but it got me wondering; how many times have I seen a big name star, either from television or film, that made an appearance on a show I liked before they got their big break??  Many stars got their starts in commercials or television, so I was pretty sure it happened quite often.  I decided to find out, but I wanted to try and find these stars-before-they-were-stars by going through each and every episode of TV shows I loved, ones I've seen multiple times and come back for more.  I thought I'd start with the show that inspired these thoughts....

SEINFELD

Kevin Dunn -  Season One, Episode 4 "Male Unbonding" 6/14/1990

From his name, maybe you don't recognize him.  But if you watched one of the funniest shows ever put on TV, you definitely know who he is!  I'm talking about that multi-award winning satire "Veep" which aired from 2013 to 2019, and Kevin Dunn played Ben Cafferty, White House Chief Of Staff, in 54 hilarious episodes.  Now sure, he's not the biggest name that'll be on this list, but he was one of my very favourite characters on "Veep", so I felt I needed to mention him.  Anyway, he played Joel Horneck in this episode of "Seinfeld", a childhood friend of Jerry's that wants to meet up, but Jerry just wants him to leave him alone.  Dunn had appeared in about a dozen TV shows before he appeared on "Seinfeld", and has gone on to appear in more than 100 more shows and movies.

Siobhan Fallon - Season Two, Episode 9 "The Deal" 5/2/1991

Now known as Siobhan Fallon Hogan, you may remember her as a regular on "Saturday Night Live" in the early '90's.  Well she appeared on "Seinfeld" first, only by a few months, but still.  In this episode she played Elaine's weird friend Tina that gives her bad advice on just about everything.  She's really a non-entity in the episode, stuck there for some comic relief, but it earned her two other appearances on the show.  Fallon would go on to be a regular on "SNL" for about 20 episodes in 1991 and 1992, but went on to appear in more than 70 shows and movies in her career, including getting critical praise for her role in the Bjork vehicle Dancer In The Dark from 2000.

Michael Chiklis - Season Three, Episode 10 "The Stranded" 11/27/1991

Although his new TV show "The Commish" aired a couple of months before this episode of "Seinfeld", Chiklis was still relatively unknown.  He wouldn't be nominated for any major awards for another decade or so when he played Vic Mackey in "The Shield", a role he'd have for seven years and 89 episodes.  And look, he still had hair!  In this episode, Chiklis plays Steve Pocatello, one of George's co-workers who throws a party on Long Island, one that all the regulars try to escape.

Maggie Wheeler - Season Three, Episode 16 "The Fix Up" 2/5/1992

Credited at the time as Maggie Jakobson, she was mostly "known" for being on a failed sketch comedy show called "The New Show" and as a voice artist on a cartoon called "Silverhawks".  In a couple of years EVERYBODY would know her as Chandler's on-again/off-again girlfriend Janice on a little show called "Friends" that was somewhat successful.  On her "Seinfeld" episode she plays Cynthia, a friend of Elaine's set up to date George.  The outrageously annoying voice is not present.

Peter Krauss - Season Three, Episode 18 "The Limo" 2/26/1992

Is the name familiar?  It should be; Peter Krauss has been nominated and won many awards since his brief stint on "Seinfeld" - Emmys, Golden Globes, SAGs.  Maybe you remember him from his 23 episodes on "Cybill" between 1995 and 1997.  Or how about his 45 episodes on "Sports Night" from 1998 to 2000?  If not those, how about his starring role on 63 episodes of the multi-award winning "Six Feet Under" as Nate Fisher which ran from 2001 to 2005??  This was Krauss' third acting gig and he definitely went on to bigger things.  Oh yeah, 103 episodes of "Parenthood"...and 79 episodes of 9-1-1...and..

Catherine Keener - Season Three, Episode 20 "The Letter" 3/25/1992

She has become one of my very favourite actresses, and she had about a dozen professional TV and film gigs before her appearance on the show, but nobody really knew who she was.  Soon she'd star in a bunch of great films like Out Of Sight, Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Capote, and dozens more.  Nominated for 2 Academy Awards and 2 Golden Globes, she became one of the most sought after actresses in Hollywood.  In her one appearance on "Seinfeld" she played Nina West, an artist girlfriend of Jerry's, who goes on to paint the ultra-popular portrait of Kramer that we all know and love.

Denise Richards - Season Four, Episode 16 "The Shoes" 2/4/1993

She had appeared on about 7 shows before making an appearance on this episode of "Seinfeld" playing a young woman with cleavage you could stare at...well, at least George could stare at.  Although she was playing a teenager, Richards (credited as Denise Lee Richards) was already in her 20's.  She had a very successful career as the sexy comic relief in many films and TV shows afterward, including "Spin City", "Two And A Half Men", and Drop Dead Gorgeous.  She recently completed a 195-episode stretch on the soap opera "The Bold And The Beautiful".  In this memorable episode, she plays the daughter of the producer that Jerry and George need to impress with their script about nothing.  George kind of ruins things.

Lisa Edelstein - Season Five, Episode 1 "The Mango" 9/16/1993

Another actor whose name you may not recognize, but her face should be very familiar.  From "Seinfeld" she would go on to play in many TV shows and movies before becoming a breakout star on TV's "House M.D." as Dr. Lisa Cuddy.  She starred on that hugely popular show for 153 episodes between 2004 and 2011.  More recently she has received rave reviews for her role as Phoebe on "The Kaminsky Method" on Netflix.  In this episode she plays Karen, George's new girlfriend who is not sure he can please sexually...until his newest favourite fruit  helps him gain some confidence.

Anna Gunn - Season Five, Episode 3 "The Glasses" 9/30/1993

She had just completed a two-year stint on a sitcom I have never heard of, "Down The Shore"(it was tied for 122nd of 138 shows in 1992) before making her appearance on "Seinfeld".  Afterwards she bounced around from TV show to TV show, getting some recurring roles on "The Practice" and "Deadwood".  Then came 2008 and Anna Gunn would become a major star, starring as Skyler White in the best show ever created, "Breaking Bad".  In this episode she played Amy, Jerry's latest girlfriend who finds his apartment too warm.  Hilarity ensues.

Jennifer Coolidge - Season Five, Episode 9 "The Masseuse" 11/18/1993

This one is kinda cool because she doesn't look very much like the actress we all know today.  It was her first job for television and from there we all got to know Jennifer Coolidge mostly as Stiffler's Mom in the American Pie movies.  She became very sought after at that time, appearing in big movies like Best In Show, Legally Blonde, A Mighty Wind, Click, and a whole bunch of those awful satire flicks that came out every month or so.  But it all started here when she played Jerry's girlfriend who's a masseuse but won't give him a massage.

Jon Favreau - Season Five, Episode 20 "The Fire" 5/5/1994

Although people may have recognized him from the cult film PCU that was released just about a month before this episode, Jon Favreau was still a relative newcomer to the Hollywood scene.  It would still be a couple of years before his movie Swingers was released, which would make him a much more famous.  After other TV appearances and fairly successful films, Favreau went on to be a pretty huge director, helming giant hits like Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Th Jungle Book and The Lion King.  In his "Seinfeld" appearance, he was great as the angry clown that witnesses George push kids out of his way to save himself when he thinks a fire has broken out.  Very funny stuff.

French Stewart - Season Five, Episode 22 "The Opposite" 5/19/1994

Coming off a recurring role on "The New WKRP In Cincinnati", which nobody watched, Stewart got a role on this episode of "Seinfeld" playing the manager of the movie theatre who has to tell Elaine that her boyfriend was in a car accident.  Of course he'd go on to much more fame and fortune when he landed the role of Harry Solomon for 139 episodes of "3rd Rock From The Sun" and more recently as the very funny Chef Rudy on "Mom".

Patton Oswalt - Season Six, Episode 5 "The Couch" 10/27/1994

He started as a stand-up comedian and writer before making his television debut on "Seinfeld" as the clerk of the video store George goes to.  From here he went on to star in dozens of TV shows and movies.  He has become a very prolific voice actor appearing on many animated shows and notably as the narrator for the show "The Goldbergs" which has had a pretty good 10 year run.  His stand-up specials have always been successful as well, winning an Emmy for one of them back in 2016.

Ana Gasteyer - Season Seven, Episode Six "The Soup Nazi" 11/2/1995

How lucky do you have to be to get your first TV acting gig in one of the most talked about episodes of a sitcom ever??  Well Miss Gasteyer made her debut opposite the the Soup Nazi and then went on to star on "Saturday Night Live" for seven years.  She's had other spot roles on TV and in movies, but her great comedic timing and characters are what we remember most.  That and getting yelled at by the freakin' Soup Nazi!!

Debra Messing - Season Seven, Episode 21 "The Wait Out" 5/9/1996

The episode that got me on this adventure, Debra Messing had appeared in a few TV shows before this episode aired, but nobody knew "who" she was yet, although her popularity was on the rise with a season of "Ned And Stacey" in the can.  Of course she'd go on to be one of the leads in one of the most successful sitcoms of all time, "Will And Grace", earning 5 Emmy nominations (winning once) and 7 Golden Globe nominations for her role as Grace Adler.  In her first "Seinfeld" episode (she'd come back in the "Yada Yada" episode a couple years later) she plays a woman that George convinces could have done better than her current husband, played by Cary Elwes.

Kyle Gass - Season Eight, Episode 9 "The Abstinence" 11/21/1996

He had some small roles in a few films before his a appearance on "Seinfeld", but Kyle Gass would become much better known in about half a year's time when he teamed up with his pal Jack Black for the "Tenacious D" series.  The music duo became so popular that they made a feature film in 2006 which is a big guilty pleasure of mine.  In this episode, Gass is credited as "Smoker", one of the men that Kramer recruits to start a smoking den in his apartment.

Chris Parnell - Season Nine, Episode 1 "The Butter Shave" 9/25/1997

In about a year, Chris Parnell would become a bit player on "Saturday Night Live", and end up staying there for about nine years!  He made a couple of appearances on screen just before this episode of "Seinfeld" aired, but nothing of importance.  These days you can hear his voice in just about every cartoon, commercial or narration put on TV.  Parnell played an NBC executive in this episode, perhaps foreshadowing his long stay at SNL.

That turned out to be more than I thought.  I was going to continue listing other shows on this post, but I'll have to dedicate a new post for those.  Hope y'all enjoyed this trip down memory lane.