# Jason Alexander - real life personality? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 16, 2010, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166 "2010-02-16T04:28:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2016, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166/41 "2016-04-04T14:02:49Z")
I’ve been watching Sienfeld’s _Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee_. I could not get through more than a few minutes of the Jason Alexander episode. Jason seemed to be doing his Costanza personality, and it was flat as hell. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166/42 "2016-04-04T14:14:25Z")
William Shatner had that show Raw Nerve where he interviewed some random ass celebrities, I wish the show had lasted a little longer. Anyway on the show he inter viewed Jason Alexander, he seems like a nice enough guy but there is something under the surface that irks me like he always seems to be annoyed in his tone when he talks to other people, like he doesn’t want to really be bothered, that’s my perception maybe it’s just something about his voice and demeanor that he can’t control. I don’t know who would be worse to be stuck in an elevator with Alexander or Shatner. ---
**Author:** ![funky\_little\_lee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@funky\_little\_lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funky_little_lee)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2016, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166/43 "2016-04-04T14:26:00Z")
Several years ago I saw him on a group interview program on Shalom TV. He seemed to be down-to-earth and not conceited, and knowledgeable about Judaism. The main thing I remember him saying is that any excuses for the “I thank God for not having made me a woman” prayer (that traditional Jewish men say every morning) were bullshit. He also came out with some funny witticisms, seemed like a likable guy. (Incidentally, the funniest remark of the show was from Kyra Sedgwick, who had only recently found out she was Jewish. Someone asked her if her husband was Jewish, and she said wryly, “No, Kevin BACON is not Jewish.”) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2016, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166/44 "2016-04-04T15:52:04Z")
Dammit didn’t know this was a zombie when I started to reply. > [@Wheelz](#): > > I’d have to disagree with that assessment. Actors who play themselves on CYE are playing fictionalized versions of themselves (as is Larry himself), which may or may not mirror their own personalities, or sometimes highlight a public perception of them for comedic value. Christian Slater, for example, played “himself” as an insufferable asshole. > It’s no secret that the George character was mostly based on the real-life Larry David. Hence, I thought it was a clever choice on CYE to give Jason some of Larry’s more unlikeable traits, and for the two of them to not get along. > > I don’t think he’s really like that. Yeah anyone who thinks people are playing themselves on CYA is missing the point and probably most of the jokes. They play fictionalization versions of themselves often in a bad light. I recently started a thread trying to find out if any show before Larry Sanders did this. Certainly CYA, Extras, Episodes and a few other shows have made this a large part of the show. > [@McGeek](#): > > I have to go off-topic for 1 sec to say Shatner is way cute in this! There’s another cafe society thread going on about whether you still find your childhood celebrity crushes attractive, and I have to admit Capt. Kirk was one of my crushes (I was 6 when ST:TOS first aired). He is a big goofball but I still find him totally entertaining. > > OK, about Jason Alexander, I heard him interviewed by Terry Gross on NPR during the peak of Seinfeld. He was definitely very nice and self-effacing. One remark I remember was he described himself something like “Hamlet in Falstaff’s body”, or maybe it was Romeo in Falstaff’s body, but anyway point being that he had the heart of a hero, but not the looks and he knew it. He made fun of his own performance in early episodes of Seinfeld, saying it was like a lame Woody Allen impression until he got the hang of what he was doing. > He also said right out that George was supposed to be Larry David, that at times Alexander & other Seinfeld cast members would question some of the mishaps written for George to get into, and Larry David would say, Well actually that really did happen to me. I heard him say the Falstaff quote on a recent podcast. Maybe it was The Nerdist. It was his acting teacher who told him that. It was practical advice that he was never going to be the leading man type. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2016, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166/45 "2016-04-04T16:00:11Z")
[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hSr2aylfDIA](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hSr2aylfDIA) Forgot to post the link to William Shatner interviewing Jason Alexander. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2016, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166/46 "2016-04-04T16:46:41Z")
I know nothing about him other than from watching him play George in Seinfeld. But this I do know. There is absolutely no way you could judge a person’s character reliably from watching him play himself in CYE. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166/47 "2016-04-04T17:36:23Z")
Well, Larry David, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Michael Richards graciously consented to interviews on Jerry’s hit web series _Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee._ They were wonderful, insightful interviews. Jason Alexander did a coffee shop scene in character as George Costanza. Seems very odd he wouldn’t do a real interview with an old friend. Seinfeld never asks intrusive or deeply personal questions. He’s interviewed some big names in the comedy business. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166/48 "2016-04-04T17:55:40Z")
When I’ve seen him on talk shows his speech and mannerisms are just like George Costanza’s. His attitude was very different though, he was a happy, jovial man, no surprise as the interviews all followed the success of Seinfeld. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166/49 "2016-04-04T19:02:54Z")
He was playing a character that was an exaggerated version of the real life Larry David. I’ve read that of all of the Seinfeld characters, he is the most different in real life than his character. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2016, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166/50 "2016-04-05T16:05:01Z")
> [@phreesh](#): > > Re: JA not getting work, his Seinfeld money allows him to work as much or as little as he wants. I wouldn’t put much stock in him not being able to get a job because he’s a dick. He showed up briefly in the live action Fairly Odd Parents movie playing Cosmo. Maybe he did for laughs, but the first I thought was “poor guy.” ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2016, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166/51 "2016-04-05T19:16:11Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Well, Larry David, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Michael Richards graciously consented to interviews on Jerry’s hit web series _Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee._ They were wonderful, insightful interviews. > > Jason Alexander did a coffee shop scene in character as George Costanza. Seems very odd he wouldn’t do a real interview with an old friend. > > Seinfeld never asks intrusive or deeply personal questions. He’s interviewed some big names in the comedy business. The Seinfeld/Costanza episode was a tie in with an ad that aired during the [Superbowl](http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/2/5372326/jerry-seinfeld-teases-new-episode-of-comedians-in-cars-getting-coffee). In other words it was a publicity stunt to get more viewers to see Comedians in Cars. That’s why he was in character. Not because he is a diva that wouldn’t appear as himself. The guy recently spent an hour talking about his career with Chris Hardwick and seemed very affable. It’s not like he shys away from interviews. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2016, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166/52 "2016-04-05T19:21:48Z")
This proves nothing in itself but he has been married to the same woman for 34 years. She’s a pleasant enough looking woman but you would think if he were a complete jackass he would have traded her in for a younger model with all his Seinfeld money. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166/53 "2016-04-06T00:04:53Z")
Speaking of Jason Alexander. He was on the local talkie on my drive home today. He was promoting a live show he is doing with a symphony. Apparently it’s about him and his days when he was doing theater and musical theater before Seinfeld. He’s doing the show in my neck of the woods this weekend so he was doing the rounds promoting it. He came off very genial and said his first love will always be theater and in his show he will directly interact with the audience and how much fun it has been so far. I was going to link to the event on his website but I couldn’t find a website. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166/54 "2016-04-07T13:23:27Z")
I’ve heard nothing bad about his real-world personality. He’s a huge Trekker, as it happens, and appeared in an episode of _Star Trek: Voyager_ as a very un-Georgelike character: http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Kurros And I love him for doing this: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM8eRnWqY7o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM8eRnWqY7o) > [@Loach](#): > > …Yeah anyone who thinks people are playing themselves on CYA is missing the point and probably most of the jokes. They play fictionalization versions of themselves often in a bad light. I recently started a thread trying to find out if any show before Larry Sanders did this. Certainly CYA, Extras, Episodes and a few other shows have made this a large part of the show… Are you just covering your ass about _Curb Your Enthusiasm_? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166/55 "2016-04-07T14:35:35Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > This proves nothing in itself but he has been married to the same woman for 34 years. She’s a pleasant enough looking woman but you would think if he were a complete jackass he would have traded her in for a younger model with all his Seinfeld money. Wow. She looks to be at least 6 inches taller than him. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166/56 "2016-04-07T16:38:31Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > And I love him for doing this: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM8eRnWqY7o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM8eRnWqY7o) I’m really into 2 Broke Girls right now and love the girls. I will forever love Jason for doing that. I will love him, and pet him, and call him George. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166/57 "2016-04-07T16:54:30Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > The Seinfeld/Costanza episode was a tie in with an ad that aired during the [Superbowl](http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/2/5372326/jerry-seinfeld-teases-new-episode-of-comedians-in-cars-getting-coffee). In other words it was a publicity stunt to get more viewers to see Comedians in Cars. That’s why he was in character. Not because he is a diva that wouldn’t appear as himself. The guy recently spent an hour talking about his career with Chris Hardwick and seemed very affable. It’s not like he shys away from interviews. I didn’t know about the Super Bowl ad tie in. That explains a lot. It was confusing because the other comics have done real interviews. The interview with Julia Louis-Dreyfus is my favorite of the series. I guess theres always a chance Jason will come back as himself for a real interview. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166/58 "2016-04-07T19:30:22Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I didn’t know about the Super Bowl ad tie in. That explains a lot. It was confusing because the other comics have done real interviews. The interview with Julia Louis-Dreyfus is my favorite of the series. > > I guess theres always a chance Jason will come back as himself for a real interview. I remember there was a lot of speculation around it because there were pictures leaked of the two of them at Tom’s Diner. Then there was the Super Bowl commercial which was basically a long ad for the web show. Here is the [actual commercial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhbQ7SScnmA)as it aired. An interview with Jason Alexander would not have gotten any publicity. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166/59 "2016-04-08T01:38:48Z")
> [@HISSNLISSN](#): > > I thought the George Costanza character in \*Seinfeld \*was a thinly veiled Larry David? Not even veiled, really. When I binged on the whole series, I watched some of the extra features too. In one of his, he said he originally based his character on Woody Allen. But then at one point he told Larry David “This thing that happens to my character here … no-one in the world would ever react the way you have George reacting!”. To which David replied “Wadda ya mean? That happened to me, and that’s exactly how I reacted!”. At which point he realises that his character IS Larry David, and he played him that way for the rest of the series. And I have to say, he seemed a perfectly reasonable chap in those extra features - VERY different from George. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166/60 "2016-04-08T04:35:01Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > I’m really into 2 Broke Girls right now and love the girls. I will forever love Jason for doing that. I will love him, and pet him, and call him George. “Believe it or not, his name isn’t George…” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jason-alexander-real-life-personality/529166.md?page=4)