Michael Richards: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|American actor and comedian (born 1949)}} |
{{short description|American actor and comedian (born 1949)}} |
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| birth_name = Michael Anthony Richards |
| birth_name = Michael Anthony Richards |
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|7|24|mf=y}} |
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|7|24|mf=y}} |
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| birth_place = [[Culver City, California]], U.S.<ref name=quit>{{cite news|last=McDermid|first=Charles|title=Richards finds solace in Cambodia|date=July 13, 2007|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url= |
| birth_place = [[Culver City, California]], U.S.<ref name=quit>{{cite news|last=McDermid|first=Charles|title=Richards finds solace in Cambodia|date=July 13, 2007|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-jul-13-et-richards13-story.html|access-date=January 25, 2015}}</ref> |
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| occupation = Actor, comedian |
| occupation = Actor, comedian |
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| years_active = 1979–2007 |
| years_active = 1979–2007 (Stand up)<br> 1980–present (Acting) |
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| alma_mater = [[California Institute of the Arts]]<br>[[Evergreen State College]] [[Bachelor of Arts|(BA)]] |
| alma_mater = [[Los Angeles Valley College]]<br>[[California Institute of the Arts]]<br>[[Evergreen State College]] [[Bachelor of Arts|(BA)]] |
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| spouse = {{ubl|{{marriage|Cathleen Lyons|1974|1993|end=divorced}}<ref name="People"/><ref name=pp>{{cite magazine|last=Lipton|first=Michael A.|title=Man Overboard!|date=March 8, 1993|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20109913,00.html|access-date=July 14, 2015}}</ref>|{{marriage|Beth Skipp|2010}}<ref name=year>{{cite news|last=Lacher|first=Irene|title=Michael Richards goes for a drive|date=December 1, 2013|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url= |
| spouse = {{ubl|{{marriage|Cathleen Lyons|1974|1993|end=divorced}}<ref name="People"/><ref name=pp>{{cite magazine|last=Lipton|first=Michael A.|title=Man Overboard!|date=March 8, 1993|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20109913,00.html|access-date=July 14, 2015}}</ref>|{{marriage|Beth Skipp|2010}}<ref name=year>{{cite news|last=Lacher|first=Irene|title=Michael Richards goes for a drive|date=December 1, 2013|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-mn-michael-richards-conversation-20131201-story.html|access-date=July 11, 2015}}</ref><ref name=child>{{cite web|last=Falls|first=Michelle|title=First Look at Michael Richards' Adorable Son Antonio—See the Precious Pics!|publisher=[[E!]]|date=December 6, 2013|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/488381/first-look-at-michael-richards-adorable-son-antonio-see-the-precious-pics|access-date=January 2, 2015}}</ref>}} |
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| children = 2 |
| children = 2 |
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| module = {{Infobox military person |
| module = {{Infobox military person |
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| embed = yes |
| embed = yes |
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| allegiance = {{USA}} |
| allegiance = {{USA}} |
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From 1989 to 1998, he played Cosmo Kramer on ''Seinfeld'', three times receiving the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series]]. During the run of ''Seinfeld'', he made a guest appearance in ''[[Mad About You]]'', reprising his role as Kramer. Richards also made numerous guest appearances on a variety of television shows, such as ''[[Cheers]]''. His film credits include ''[[So I Married an Axe Murderer]]'', ''[[Airheads]]'', ''[[Young Doctors in Love]]'', ''[[Problem Child (1990 film)|Problem Child]]'', ''[[Coneheads (film)|Coneheads]]'', ''[[UHF (film)|UHF]]'', and ''[[Trial and Error (1997 film)|Trial and Error]]'', one of his few starring roles. In 2000, he starred in his own sitcom, ''[[The Michael Richards Show]]'', which was canceled after only two months. |
From 1989 to 1998, he played Cosmo Kramer on ''Seinfeld'', three times receiving the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series]]. During the run of ''Seinfeld'', he made a guest appearance in ''[[Mad About You]]'', reprising his role as Kramer. Richards also made numerous guest appearances on a variety of television shows, such as ''[[Cheers]]''. His film credits include ''[[So I Married an Axe Murderer]]'', ''[[Airheads]]'', ''[[Young Doctors in Love]]'', ''[[Problem Child (1990 film)|Problem Child]]'', ''[[Coneheads (film)|Coneheads]]'', ''[[UHF (film)|UHF]]'', and ''[[Trial and Error (1997 film)|Trial and Error]]'', one of his few starring roles. In 2000, he starred in his own sitcom, ''[[The Michael Richards Show]]'', which was canceled after only two months. |
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Afterwards, Richards returned to stand-up. In 2006, he was filmed going on a racist tirade against hecklers while performing at the [[Laugh Factory]] in [[California]]. After the tape was obtained and released by [[TMZ]],<ref name="TMZ-2006">{{cite web|url=http://www.tmz.com/2006/11/20/kramers-racist-tirade-caught-on-tape|title="Kramer's" Racist Tirade – Caught on Tape|access-date=November 20, 2006|publisher=TMZ.com|year=2006|author=TMZ Staff|work=In The Zone}}</ref> significant backlash and media coverage led to Richards retiring from stand-up in early 2007. In 2009, he appeared as himself in the [[Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 7|seventh season]] of ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]'' alongside his fellow ''Seinfeld'' cast members for the first time since the show’s [[The Finale (Seinfeld)|finale]]. In 2013, he portrayed Frank in the sitcom ''[[Kirstie (TV series)|Kirstie]]'', which was canceled after one season.<ref name=HollywoodReporter>{{cite web | last = Goldberg | first = Lesely | date = February 15, 2013 | url = http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-land-orders-kirstie-alley-421870|title=TV Land Orders Kirstie Alley-Michael Richards Comedy to Series| work = [[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref> He most recently played Daddy Hogwood in the 2019 romantic comedy ''[[Faith, Hope & Love]]''. |
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==Early life== |
==Early life== |
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[[File:Michael Richards HS Yearbook.jpeg|thumb|left|165px|Richards as a senior at [[Thousand Oaks High School]] in [[Thousand Oaks, California]] (1967)]] |
[[File:Michael Richards HS Yearbook.jpeg|thumb|left|165px|Richards as a senior at [[Thousand Oaks High School]] in [[Thousand Oaks, California]] (1967)]] |
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Richards was born in [[Culver City, California]], to a [[Catholic]] family.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/martin-lewis/michael-richards-is-not-j_b_34772.html |title = Michael Richards is not Jewish (Not that there's anything wrong with that)| website=[[HuffPost]] |date = November 23, 2006}}</ref> He is the son of Phyllis (née Nardozzi), a [[medical record]]s librarian |
Richards was born in [[Culver City, California]], to a [[Catholic]] family.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/martin-lewis/michael-richards-is-not-j_b_34772.html |title = Michael Richards is not Jewish (Not that there's anything wrong with that)| website=[[HuffPost]] |date = November 23, 2006}}</ref> He is the son of Phyllis (née Nardozzi), a [[medical record]]s librarian. As a child Richards was told his father was William Richards, an [[Engineer's degree|electrical engineer]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/97/Michael-Richards.html |title=Michael Richards Biography (1949?-) |publisher=Filmreference.com |access-date=October 12, 2010}}</ref> who died in a car crash when Michael was two.<ref name="People">{{cite news |title = Michael Richards Tv's Top Jive-talking Hipster-doofus Fell for His Audience, and Vice Versa. Farewell, Cosmo, and Giddyup!|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|date=May 14, 1998|url = http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20063576,00.html |access-date = December 27, 2012}}</ref> He later learned his mother's pregnancy was the result of a sexual assault, and she had considered abortion and adoption before deciding to raise him as a single mom. Richards was also raised by a grandmother who suffered from [[schizophrenia]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Jack | last=Hobbs | url=https://nypost.com/2023/11/09/entertainment/seinfelds-michael-richards-book-to-detail-2006-racist-outburst/ | title=Seinfeld's Michael Richards book to detail 2006 racist outburst | work=[[New York Post]] |date=November 9, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Gillian|last=Telling|url=https://people.com/michael-richards-recalls-learning-he-was-the-result-of-a-sexual-assault-8653050|title=Michael Richards Recalls Learning He Was the Result of a Sexual Assault: 'I Had to Come to Terms with My Conception'|website=[[People (magazine)|People]]|date=May 25, 2024}}</ref> |
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Richards graduated from [[Thousand Oaks High School]]. In 1968, he appeared as a contestant on ''[[The Dating Game]]'', but was not chosen for the date. He was [[Conscription in the United States|drafted]] into the [[United States Army]] in 1970. He trained as a medic and was stationed in [[West Germany]] where he was a member of a theatrical group called The Training Road Show.<ref>{{cite news|author=Barbara DeMarco Barrett|title=The Spaz at Home|publisher=Orange Coat Magazine|page=34|date=June 1997}}</ref> He became interested in performing after taking a theatrical class in seventh grade.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-28 |title=Michael Richards Net Worth (Updated 2023), Height, Income Source And Biography - NetWorthDekho |url=https://networthdekho.com/michael-richards-net-worth/ |access-date=2022-12-29 |language=en-US}}</ref> |
Richards graduated from [[Thousand Oaks High School]]. In 1968, he appeared as a contestant on ''[[The Dating Game]]'', but was not chosen for the date. He was [[Conscription in the United States|drafted]] into the [[United States Army]] in 1970. He trained as a medic and was stationed in [[West Germany]] where he was a member of a theatrical group called The Training Road Show.<ref>{{cite news|author=Barbara DeMarco Barrett|title=The Spaz at Home|publisher=Orange Coat Magazine|page=34|date=June 1997}}</ref> He became interested in performing after taking a theatrical class in seventh grade.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-28 |title=Michael Richards Net Worth (Updated 2023), Height, Income Source And Biography - NetWorthDekho |url=https://networthdekho.com/michael-richards-net-worth/ |access-date=2022-12-29 |language=en-US}}</ref> |
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After being honorably discharged, |
After being honorably discharged, Richards used the benefits of the [[G.I. Bill]] to enroll in the [[California Institute of the Arts]] and earned a [[Bachelor of Arts]] in drama from [[the Evergreen State College]] in 1975.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=TNTB&d_place=TNTB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F11B7CD33E36831&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM | title=NewsLibrary.com – newspaper archive, clipping service – newspapers and other news sources | date=April 30, 1995}}</ref> He also had a short-lived [[Improvisational comedy|improv]] act with [[Ed Begley Jr.]] During this period, he enrolled at [[Los Angeles Valley College]] and continued to appear in student productions. |
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==Career== |
==Career== |
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=== 1979–1989: |
=== 1979–1989: Early career === |
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[[File:MichaelRichards1983.jpg|thumb|180px|Richards in 1983]] |
[[File:MichaelRichards1983.jpg|thumb|180px|Richards in 1983]] |
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Richards got his big TV break in 1979, appearing in [[Billy Crystal]]'s first cable TV special. In 1980, he began as one of the cast members on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC's]] ''[[Fridays (TV series)|Fridays]]'' television show, where [[Larry David]] was a fellow cast member and writer. It included a famous instance |
Richards got his big TV break in 1979, appearing in [[Billy Crystal]]'s first cable TV special. In 1980, he began as one of the cast members on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC's]] ''[[Fridays (TV series)|Fridays]]'' television show, where [[Larry David]] was a fellow cast member and writer. It included [[Fridays (TV series)#Andy Kaufman incident|a famous instance]] in which [[Andy Kaufman]] refused to deliver his scripted lines, leading Richards to bring the [[cue card]]s on screen to Kaufman, who responded by throwing his drink into Richards' face, causing a small riot (Richards later claimed he was in on the joke).<ref name="fac">[http://archive.firstamendmentcenter.org/about.aspx?id=12083 Michael Richards 'Speaking Freely' transcript] via [[First Amendment Center]], Recorded February 28, 2002, in Aspen, Colorado {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331131924/http://archive.firstamendmentcenter.org/about.aspx?id=12083 |date=March 31, 2012 }}</ref> The film ''[[Man on the Moon (film)|Man on the Moon]]'' featured a re-enactment of the [[Fridays (TV series)#Andy Kaufman incident|Andy Kaufman incident]] where Richards was portrayed by actor [[Norm Macdonald]].<ref>{{cite video|url=http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/544255131b|title=Andy Kaufman on Fridays from FridaysFan|publisher=Funnyordie.com|date=February 11, 2008|access-date=February 10, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/michael-richards-2|title=Michael Richards – First Amendment Center – news, commentary, analysis on free speech, press, religion, assembly, petition|access-date=August 29, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808113050/http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/michael-richards-2|archive-date=August 8, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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In 1981, in the episode "Desperate Hours" |
In 1981, he appeared in the ''[[It's a Living]]'' episode "Desperate Hours".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWCgW7IhXDo&list=ELy7GJXS4poVrMUPbh4x0pUg | title=Desperate Hours | website=[[YouTube]] | date=April 20, 2023 }}</ref> In 1986, Richards had a minor role in the cult satirical TV miniseries ''[[Fresno (miniseries)|Fresno]]'', playing one of a pair of inept criminal henchmen. That same year he auditioned to play [[Al Bundy]] in the TV series ''[[Married... with Children]]'', but he was passed over for [[Ed O'Neill]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Michael Richards |url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/michael-richards/bio/3030192136/ |access-date=2023-01-13 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}}</ref> In 1989, Richards had a supporting role in [["Weird Al" Yankovic]]'s comedy film ''[[UHF (film)|UHF]]'' as janitor Stanley Spadowski. On television, he appeared in ''[[Miami Vice]]'' as an unscrupulous [[bookie]]; in ''[[St. Elsewhere]]'' as a television producer making a documentary about Dr. Mark Craig; in ''[[Cheers]]'' as a character trying to collect on an old bet with [[Sam Malone]]; and made several guest appearances with [[Jay Leno]] as an accident-prone fitness expert. |
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According to an interview with executive producer David Hoberman, ABC first conceived the series ''[[Monk (TV series)|Monk]]'' as a procedural police comedy with an [[Inspector Clouseau]]-like character suffering from [[obsessive–compulsive disorder|obsessive-compulsive disorder]]. Hoberman said ABC wanted Richards to play [[Adrian Monk]], but he turned it down.<ref>from "Mr Monk and His Origins," a special feature packaged with the Season One DVDs.</ref> |
According to an interview with executive producer David Hoberman, ABC first conceived the series ''[[Monk (TV series)|Monk]]'' as a procedural police comedy with an [[Inspector Clouseau]]-like character suffering from [[obsessive–compulsive disorder|obsessive-compulsive disorder]]. Hoberman said ABC wanted Richards to play [[Adrian Monk]], but he turned it down.<ref>from "Mr Monk and His Origins," a special feature packaged with the Season One DVDs.</ref> |
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[[File:Michael Richards Jerry Seinfeld.jpg|thumb|Richards with [[Jerry Seinfeld]] at the [[44th Primetime Emmy Awards]] in 1992]] |
[[File:Michael Richards Jerry Seinfeld.jpg|thumb|Richards with [[Jerry Seinfeld]] at the [[44th Primetime Emmy Awards]] in 1992]] |
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In 1989, Richards was cast as [[Cosmo Kramer]] in the [[NBC]] television series ''[[Seinfeld]]'', created by fellow ''Fridays'' cast member [[Larry David]] and comedian [[Jerry Seinfeld]]. Although it got off to a slow start, by the mid-1990s it had become one of the most popular [[Situation comedy|sitcoms]] in television history. It ended its nine-year run in 1998 at No. 1 in the [[Nielsen ratings]]. In ''Seinfeld'', Kramer is the across the hall |
In 1989, Richards was cast as [[Cosmo Kramer]] in the [[NBC]] television series ''[[Seinfeld]]'', created by fellow ''Fridays'' cast member [[Larry David]] and comedian [[Jerry Seinfeld]]. Although it got off to a slow start, by the mid-1990s it had become one of the most popular [[Situation comedy|sitcoms]] in television history. It ended its nine-year run in 1998 at No. 1 in the [[Nielsen ratings]]. In ''Seinfeld'', Kramer is the neighbor across the hall of the show's [[Jerry Seinfeld (character)|eponymous character]], and is usually referred to only by his last name. His first name, Cosmo, was revealed in the sixth-season episode "[[The Switch (Seinfeld)|The Switch]]". |
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Richards won more Emmys than any other ''Seinfeld'' cast member, taking home the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1993, 1994, and 1997 for his role as Kramer. When referring to speculation that he would launch a [[Spin-off (media)|spin-off]] to ''Seinfeld'' about Kramer, Richards said he was not interested in doing so.<ref name="background">Davis, Ivor (May 30, 1997). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/ventura-county-star-fame-is-a-trial-fo/138203047/ Fame is a 'Trial' for Michael Richards]. ''Ventura County Star''.</ref> During the run of ''Seinfeld'', Richards made cameo appearances in several TV shows; he played himself in Episode{{nbsp}}2 of Season{{nbsp}}1 "The Flirt Episode" (1992) of the [[HBO]] series ''[[The Larry Sanders Show]]''. He also had a [[cameo role]] in the comedy thriller film ''[[So I Married an Axe Murderer]]'', credited as "insensitive man". In 1996, Richards made a cameo in Epcot's [[Universe of Energy#Ellen's Energy Adventure (1996–2017)|Ellen's Energy Adventure]], where he portrayed a caveman discovering fire. He played radio station employee Doug Beech in ''[[Airheads]]'', and co-starred with [[Jeff Daniels]] as an actor pretending to be a lawyer in 1997's ''[[Trial and Error (1997 film)|Trial and Error]]''. He also made guest appearances on ''[[Miami Vice]]'', ''[[Night Court]]'' and ''[[Cheers]]''. |
Richards won more Emmys than any other ''Seinfeld'' cast member, taking home the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1993, 1994, and 1997 for his role as Kramer. When referring to speculation that he would launch a [[Spin-off (media)|spin-off]] to ''Seinfeld'' about Kramer, Richards said he was not interested in doing so.<ref name="background">Davis, Ivor (May 30, 1997). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/ventura-county-star-fame-is-a-trial-fo/138203047/ Fame is a 'Trial' for Michael Richards]. ''Ventura County Star''.</ref> During the run of ''Seinfeld'', Richards made cameo appearances in several TV shows; he played himself in Episode{{nbsp}}2 of Season{{nbsp}}1 "The Flirt Episode" (1992) of the [[HBO]] series ''[[The Larry Sanders Show]]''. He also had a [[cameo role]] in the comedy thriller film ''[[So I Married an Axe Murderer]]'', credited as "insensitive man". In 1996, Richards made a cameo in Epcot's [[Universe of Energy#Ellen's Energy Adventure (1996–2017)|Ellen's Energy Adventure]], where he portrayed a caveman discovering fire. He played radio station employee Doug Beech in ''[[Airheads]]'', and co-starred with [[Jeff Daniels]] as an actor pretending to be a lawyer in 1997's ''[[Trial and Error (1997 film)|Trial and Error]]''. He also made guest appearances on ''[[Miami Vice]]'', ''[[Night Court]]'' and ''[[Cheers]]''. |
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=== 2006–2012: Laugh Factory incident and aftermath=== |
=== 2006–2012: Laugh Factory incident and aftermath=== |
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During a performance on November 17, 2006, at the [[Laugh Factory]] in Hollywood, California, Richards launched into a racist rant in response to repeated heckling and interruptions from a small group of Black and Hispanic audience members. Richards was recorded shouting "He's a [[nigger]]!" several times and making references to [[Lynching in the United States|lynching]] and the [[Jim Crow laws]].<ref name="TMZ-2006"/><ref name="Vibe">{{cite web|url=http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2006/11/comedian_michael_kramer_richards_goes_into_racial_tirade/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061231201005/http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2006/11/comedian_michael_kramer_richards_goes_into_racial_tirade/|archive-date=December 31, 2006|title=Comedian Michael "Kramer" Richards Goes into Racial Tirade, Banned From Laugh Factory|access-date=November 21, 2006|publisher=[[VIBE]].com|year=2006|author=Mariel Concepción|work=News wire}}</ref><ref name="washingtonpost.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/21/AR2006112100242.html |title="Seinfeld" Comic Richards Apologizes for Racial Rant |work= |
During a performance on November 17, 2006, at the [[Laugh Factory]] in Hollywood, California, Richards launched into a racist rant in response to repeated heckling and interruptions from a small group of Black and Hispanic audience members. Richards was recorded shouting "He's a [[nigger]]!" several times and making references to [[Lynching in the United States|lynching]] and the [[Jim Crow laws]].<ref name="TMZ-2006"/><ref name="Vibe">{{cite web|url=http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2006/11/comedian_michael_kramer_richards_goes_into_racial_tirade/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061231201005/http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2006/11/comedian_michael_kramer_richards_goes_into_racial_tirade/|archive-date=December 31, 2006|title=Comedian Michael "Kramer" Richards Goes into Racial Tirade, Banned From Laugh Factory|access-date=November 21, 2006|publisher=[[VIBE]].com|year=2006|author=Mariel Concepción|work=News wire}}</ref><ref name="washingtonpost.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/21/AR2006112100242.html |title="Seinfeld" Comic Richards Apologizes for Racial Rant |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date= November 21, 2006|access-date=October 12, 2010}}</ref><ref name="Canadian Broadcasting Corporation">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/richards-deeply-deeply-sorry-for-racial-slurs-1.618610|title=Richards 'deeply, deeply sorry' for racial slurs|access-date=November 20, 2006|publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]|work=CBC arts | date=November 20, 2006}}</ref><ref name="Reuters-2006">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-richards-idUSN2041340020061120|title="Seinfeld" Star Richards Under Fire For Racial Outburst|access-date=June 28, 2013|publisher=Reuters|work=News wire|date=November 20, 2006}}</ref> <!-- NOTE TO EDITORS: SEE REMARKS ABOVE THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH ABOUT CONSENSUS ON THE LAUGH FACTORY INCIDENT, AS IN TALK ARCHIVE 2. CONSENSUS SECTION CONTINUES BELOW -->Kyle Doss, a member of the group that Richards addressed, said the group had arrived in the middle of the performance and were "being a little loud." According to Doss: |
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{{Blockquote|text=[Richards] said, "Look at the stupid Mexicans and blacks being loud up there." That's the first thing he said. And then he kept on with his bit. And, then, after a while, I told him, "My friend doesn't think you're funny." And then when I told him that, that's when he flipped me off and said, "F-you N-word." And that's how it all started.|sign=Kyle Doss|source=Interview on ''[[The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer|The Situation Room]]''<ref name="CNN-transcripts"/>|title=}}<!-- END OF CONSENSUS SECTION, WHICH COVERS THE LAUGH FACTORY INCIDENT. SEE TALK ARCHIVE 2. NEW DEVELOPMENTS SINCE FEBRUARY 2007 MAY BE ADDED AFTER HERE --> |
{{Blockquote|text=[Richards] said, "Look at the stupid Mexicans and blacks being loud up there." That's the first thing he said. And then he kept on with his bit. And, then, after a while, I told him, "My friend doesn't think you're funny." And then when I told him that, that's when he flipped me off and said, "F-you N-word." And that's how it all started.|sign=Kyle Doss|source=Interview on ''[[The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer|The Situation Room]]''<ref name="CNN-transcripts"/>|title=}}<!-- END OF CONSENSUS SECTION, WHICH COVERS THE LAUGH FACTORY INCIDENT. SEE TALK ARCHIVE 2. NEW DEVELOPMENTS SINCE FEBRUARY 2007 MAY BE ADDED AFTER HERE --> |
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The incident remained unknown for three days until a [[cellphone]] video filmed by a member of the audience was obtained and released by [[TMZ]]. On November 20, after the video made rounds around the news, [[Jerry Seinfeld]] invited Richards via satellite during a broadcast of the ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'', where Richards was recorded saying: "For me to be at a comedy club and to flip out and say this crap, I'm deeply, deeply sorry. I'm not a racist, that's what's so insane about this."<ref name="CNN-transcripts2">{{cite news|url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0611/21/cnr.01.html|title=CNN Newsroom|access-date=February 16, 2007|publisher=[[CNN]].com|year=2006}}</ref> Many studio audience members laughed as Richards began his unscripted explanation and apology, thinking it was a [[Bit (comedy)|bit]], leading Seinfeld to reprimand them, saying: "Stop laughing. It's not funny." Richards said he had been trying to defuse the heckling by being even more outrageous, but it had backfired. He later called civil rights leaders [[Al Sharpton]] and [[Jesse Jackson]] to apologize.<ref name="CNN-transcripts">{{cite news|url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0611/22/sitroom.03.html|title=''The Situation Room'' transcript|access-date=December 4, 2006|publisher=CNN|year=2006|work=[[The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer|The Situation Room]]}}</ref><ref name="CNN-article">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/22/sharpton.richard/index.html|title= Sharpton: Comedian's apology not enough|access-date=April 22, 2007|work=[[CNN]] |date=November 23, 2006 }}</ref> He also appeared as a guest on Jackson's syndicated radio show.<ref name="CBS-2007">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/25/entertainment/main2208718.shtml?source=RSSattr=U.S._2208718|title=Jesse Jackson Talks To Michael Richards: Jackson Says Apology For Actor's Racist Rant Is Only A Beginning Before Healing|access-date=April 23, 2007|publisher=CBS|work=News wire | date=November 25, 2006}}</ref> Doss stated that he did not accept Richards's apology, saying: "If he wanted to apologize, he could have contacted ... one of us out of the group. But, he didn't. He apologized on camera just because the tape got out."<ref name="CNN-article"/><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VFGv0mdckM Kyle Doss wants reparations for Kramer calling him a nigger] at YouTube</ref> |
The incident remained unknown to the larger public for three days until a [[cellphone]] video filmed by a member of the audience was obtained and released by [[TMZ]]. On November 20, after the video made rounds around the news, [[Jerry Seinfeld]] invited Richards via satellite during a broadcast of the ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'', where Richards was recorded saying: "For me to be at a comedy club and to flip out and say this crap, I'm deeply, deeply sorry. I'm not a racist, that's what's so insane about this."<ref name="CNN-transcripts2">{{cite news|url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0611/21/cnr.01.html|title=CNN Newsroom|access-date=February 16, 2007|publisher=[[CNN]].com|year=2006}}</ref> Many studio audience members laughed as Richards began his unscripted explanation and apology, thinking it was a [[Bit (comedy)|bit]], leading Seinfeld to reprimand them, saying: "Stop laughing. It's not funny." Richards said he had been trying to defuse the heckling by being even more outrageous, but it had backfired. He later called civil rights leaders [[Al Sharpton]] and [[Jesse Jackson]] to apologize.<ref name="CNN-transcripts">{{cite news|url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0611/22/sitroom.03.html|title=''The Situation Room'' transcript|access-date=December 4, 2006|publisher=CNN|year=2006|work=[[The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer|The Situation Room]]}}</ref><ref name="CNN-article">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/22/sharpton.richard/index.html|title= Sharpton: Comedian's apology not enough|access-date=April 22, 2007|work=[[CNN]] |date=November 23, 2006 }}</ref> He also appeared as a guest on Jackson's syndicated radio show.<ref name="CBS-2007">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/25/entertainment/main2208718.shtml?source=RSSattr=U.S._2208718|title=Jesse Jackson Talks To Michael Richards: Jackson Says Apology For Actor's Racist Rant Is Only A Beginning Before Healing|access-date=April 23, 2007|publisher=CBS|work=News wire | date=November 25, 2006}}</ref> Doss stated that he did not accept Richards's apology, saying: "If he wanted to apologize, he could have contacted ... one of us out of the group. But, he didn't. He apologized on camera just because the tape got out."<ref name="CNN-article"/><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VFGv0mdckM Kyle Doss wants reparations for Kramer calling him a nigger] at YouTube</ref> |
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A [[Gallup Inc.|Gallup]] poll conducted in late November found that Richards was then the most unpopular ''Seinfeld'' cast member, with just 41 percent viewing him positively; by contrast, other ''Seinfeld'' cast members' favorability ratings were in the 60s and 70s.<ref name="poll">Newport, Frank (December 1, 2006). [https://news.gallup.com/poll/25657/Gauging-Impact-Michael-Richards-Incident.aspx Gauging the Impact of the Michael Richards Incident]. ''[[Gallup Inc.]]''.</ref> The same poll also found that 45 percent of non-whites expressed a negative view of Richards due to the incident.<ref name="poll"/> The incident was parodied on several TV shows, including ''[[Mad TV]]'', ''[[Family Guy]]'', ''[[With Apologies to Jesse Jackson|South Park]]'', ''[[Extras (TV series)#US and UK version differences|Extras]]'', and ''[[WWE Raw|Monday Night Raw]]''. In |
A [[Gallup Inc.|Gallup]] poll conducted in late November found that Richards was then the most unpopular ''Seinfeld'' cast member, with just 41 percent viewing him positively; by contrast, other ''Seinfeld'' cast members' favorability ratings were in the 60s and 70s.<ref name="poll">Newport, Frank (December 1, 2006). [https://news.gallup.com/poll/25657/Gauging-Impact-Michael-Richards-Incident.aspx Gauging the Impact of the Michael Richards Incident]. ''[[Gallup Inc.]]''.</ref> The same poll also found that 45 percent of non-whites expressed a negative view of Richards due to the incident.<ref name="poll"/> The incident was parodied on several TV shows, including ''[[Mad TV]]'', ''[[Family Guy]]'', ''[[With Apologies to Jesse Jackson|South Park]]'', ''[[Extras (TV series)#US and UK version differences|Extras]]'', and ''[[WWE Raw|Monday Night Raw]]''. In the ninth episode of the seventh season of ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]'', Richards appeared as himself and poked fun at the incident. In 2008, rapper [[Wale (rapper)|Wale]] referenced the incident and used recordings of the incident, as well as Richard's apology, in the song "The Kramer" on ''[[The Mixtape About Nothing]]'' album. |
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One year following the incident, Richards voiced character Bud Ditchwater in the animated film ''[[Bee Movie]]'', which starred and was produced by [[Jerry Seinfeld]]. In 2009, Richards and the other main ''Seinfeld'' cast members appeared in the seventh season of ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-seinfeld-cast-curb-your-enthusiasm,0,1065194.story |title='Curb Your Enthusiasm' hosts a 'Seinfeld' reunion |date=March 6, 2009 |publisher=Zap2It.com |access-date=July 23, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090714021730/http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-seinfeld-cast-curb-your-enthusiasm%2C0%2C1065194.story |archive-date=July 14, 2009 }}</ref> In 2012, he appeared in the comedy web series ''[[Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee]]'', hosted by Seinfeld, in which he remarked on the 2006 incident.<ref>{{cite web|title=Richards appears on ''Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee|url=http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/michael-richards-its-bubbly-time-jerry/ |
One year following the incident, Richards voiced character Bud Ditchwater in the animated film ''[[Bee Movie]]'', which starred and was produced by [[Jerry Seinfeld]]. In 2009, Richards and the other main ''Seinfeld'' cast members appeared in the seventh season of ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-seinfeld-cast-curb-your-enthusiasm,0,1065194.story |title='Curb Your Enthusiasm' hosts a 'Seinfeld' reunion |date=March 6, 2009 |publisher=Zap2It.com |access-date=July 23, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090714021730/http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-seinfeld-cast-curb-your-enthusiasm%2C0%2C1065194.story |archive-date=July 14, 2009 }}</ref> In 2012, he appeared in the comedy web series ''[[Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee]]'', hosted by Seinfeld, in which he remarked on the 2006 incident.<ref>{{cite web |title=Richards appears on ''Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee'' |url=http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/michael-richards-its-bubbly-time-jerry/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002001805/http://www.comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/michael-richards-its-bubbly-time-jerry/ |archive-date=October 2, 2012 |access-date=October 7, 2012}}</ref> In the episode, Richards explained that the outburst still haunted him, and was a major reason for his retirement from stand-up.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/michael-richards-its-bubbly-time-jerry |title=Michael Richards It's Bubbly Time, Jerry – Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee by Jerry Seinfeld |publisher=Comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com |access-date=May 13, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140511134913/http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/michael-richards-its-bubbly-time-jerry/ |archive-date=May 11, 2014}}</ref> |
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===2013–present: Recent years=== |
===2013–present: Recent years=== |
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In 2013, Richards was cast to play Frank in the sitcom ''[[Kirstie (TV series)|Kirstie]]'', costarring [[Kirstie Alley]] and [[Rhea Perlman]]. It premiered on [[TV Land]] on December 4, 2013<ref name=HollywoodReporter/> and was canceled after one season.<ref>{{cite web|title=TV Land cancels 'Kirstie'|url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/07/29/kirstie-canceled-tv-land/|publisher= Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc.|access-date=July 30, 2014}}</ref> In 2014, Richards appeared as the president of Crackle in a trailer for Season{{nbsp}}5 of ''Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee''. Seinfeld said the trailer's storyline would be expanded on in one of the episodes. In the comedy book ''SuperMega Saves the Troops'' written by [[Matt Watson (YouTuber)|Matt Watson]] and Ryan Magee, |
In 2013, Richards was cast to play Frank in the sitcom ''[[Kirstie (TV series)|Kirstie]]'', costarring [[Kirstie Alley]] and [[Rhea Perlman]]. It premiered on [[TV Land]] on December 4, 2013<ref name=HollywoodReporter/> and was canceled after one season.<ref>{{cite web|title=TV Land cancels 'Kirstie'|url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/07/29/kirstie-canceled-tv-land/|publisher= Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc.|access-date=July 30, 2014}}</ref> In 2014, Richards appeared as the president of Crackle in a trailer for Season{{nbsp}}5 of ''Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee''. Seinfeld said the trailer's storyline would be expanded on in one of the episodes. In the comedy book ''SuperMega Saves the Troops'' written by [[Matt Watson (YouTuber)|Matt Watson]] and Ryan Magee, Richards is a key character as an undercover spy.{{cn|date=June 2024}} |
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In 2019, Richards played Daddy Hogwood in the romantic comedy ''[[Faith, Hope & Love]]'' starring [[Peta Murgatroyd]] and Robert Krantz.<ref>{{cite web |title=Seinfeld's Kramer (Michael Richards) meets @DancingABC's @PetaMurgatroyd ! It's all laughs behind the scenes of Faith, Hope, & Love. Follow us to stay updated! #fhlmovie |url=https://twitter.com/fhl_movie/status/941456554380922880?lang=en |website=twitter.com}}</ref> |
In 2019, Richards played Daddy Hogwood in the romantic comedy ''[[Faith, Hope & Love]]'' starring [[Peta Murgatroyd]] and Robert Krantz.<ref>{{cite web |title=Seinfeld's Kramer (Michael Richards) meets @DancingABC's @PetaMurgatroyd ! It's all laughs behind the scenes of Faith, Hope, & Love. Follow us to stay updated! #fhlmovie |url=https://twitter.com/fhl_movie/status/941456554380922880?lang=en |website=twitter.com}}</ref> |
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In November 2023, Richards announced he would be releasing a memoir entitled |
In November 2023, Richards announced he would be releasing a memoir entitled ''Entrances and Exits''.<ref>{{cite web |title='Seinfeld' star Michael Richards addresses outburst that led to 'lifelong spiritual quest' |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/seinfeld-star-michael-richards-addresses-outburst-led-lifelong-spiritual-quest |website=www.foxnews.com|date=November 7, 2023 }}</ref> The memoir was released in June 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=Seinfeld's Michael Richards to Release New Memoir in 2024 (Exclusive) |url=https://people.com/seinfeld-michael-richards-new-memoir-exclusive-8387338 |website=people.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Seinfeld star Michael Richards to release memoir |url=https://www.gjsentinel.com/lifestyle/entertainment/seinfeld-star-michael-richards-to-release-memoir/article_470a5b46-4068-5352-9d13-b4a6f339c814.html |website=www.gjsentinel.com}}</ref> |
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==Personal life== |
==Personal life== |
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Richards was married to Cathleen Lyons, a family [[Therapy|therapist]], for 18 years. They have one daughter, Sophia. They separated in 1992 and divorced the following year.<ref name="People" /><ref name="pp" /> |
Richards was married to Cathleen Lyons, a family [[Therapy|therapist]], for 18 years. They have one daughter, Sophia. They separated in 1992 and divorced the following year.<ref name="People" /><ref name="pp" /> |
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In 2010, Richards married his girlfriend Beth Skipp. They have been together since 2002 and have one son.<ref name="year" /> |
In 2010, Richards married his girlfriend Beth Skipp. They have been together since 2002 and have one son, Antonio.<ref name="year" /> |
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Richards is a [[Freemason]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.masonrytoday.com/index.php?new_month=7&new_day=24&new_year=2017|title = Today in Masonic History - Michael Anthony Richards is Born}}</ref> |
Richards is a [[Freemason]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.masonrytoday.com/index.php?new_month=7&new_day=24&new_year=2017|title = Today in Masonic History - Michael Anthony Richards is Born}}</ref> |
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Richards revealed in his 2024 memoir ''Entrances and Exits'' that he survived stage 1 prostate cancer in 2018 via a surgical removal of his entire prostate.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Tenreyro|first=Tatiana|title= Michael Richards Opens Up About Prostate Cancer Battle: “I Probably Would Have Been Dead in About Eight Months”|date=May 23, 2024|magazine=The Hollywood Reporter|url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/michael-richards-prostate-cancer-1235907196/|accessdate=July 10, 2024}}</ref> |
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==Filmography== |
==Filmography== |
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| Line 117: | Line 118: | ||
| 1994 || ''[[Airheads]]'' || Doug Beech || |
| 1994 || ''[[Airheads]]'' || Doug Beech || |
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| 1995 || ''[[Unstrung Heroes]]'' || Danny Lidz || |
| 1995 || ''[[Unstrung Heroes]]'' || Danny Lidz || |
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|rowspan=2| 1997 || ''[[Redux Riding Hood]]'' || [[Big Bad Wolf|The Wolf]] || Voice<br/>Short film |
|rowspan=2| 1997 || ''[[Redux Riding Hood]]'' || [[Big Bad Wolf|The Wolf]] || Voice<br/>Short film |
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| Line 178: | Line 179: | ||
| 1989 || ''[[Camp MTV]]'' || Stanley Spadowski || Television film |
| 1989 || ''[[Camp MTV]]'' || Stanley Spadowski || Television film |
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| 1989–1998 || ''[[Seinfeld]]'' || [[Cosmo Kramer]] || Main role; 178 episodes|178 episodes |
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| 1989–1998 || ''[[Seinfeld]]'' || [[Cosmo Kramer]] || {{ubl|178 episodes|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series]] <small>(1993–94, 1997)</small>|[[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series]] <small>(1995, 1997–98)</small>|Nominated—[[American Comedy Award|American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Male in a Television Series]]|Nominated—[[American Comedy Award|American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Male in a Television Series]] <small>(shared with [[Jason Alexander]])</small>|Nominated—[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series]] <small>(1995–96)</small>|Nominated—[[Satellite Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy]]|Nominated—[[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series]]|Nominated—[[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series]] <small>(1996–98)</small>}} |
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|rowspan=3| 1992 || ''[[Dinosaurs (TV series)|Dinosaurs]]'' || Director || Voice<br/>Episode: "Wesayso Knows Best" |
|rowspan=3| 1992 || ''[[Dinosaurs (TV series)|Dinosaurs]]'' || Director || Voice<br/>Episode: "Wesayso Knows Best" |
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| Line 188: | Line 189: | ||
| 1996 || ''[[London Suite (film)|London Suite]]'' || Mark Ferris || Television film |
| 1996 || ''[[London Suite (film)|London Suite]]'' || Mark Ferris || Television film |
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|rowspan=2| 2000 || ''[[David Copperfield (2000 film)|David Copperfield]]'' || Mr. Wilkins Micawber |
|rowspan=2| 2000 || ''[[David Copperfield (2000 film)|David Copperfield]]'' || [[Wilkins Micawber|Mr. Wilkins Micawber]]|| Television film |
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| ''[[The Michael Richards Show]]'' || Vic Nardozza || 7 episodes; also co-creator and executive producer |
| ''[[The Michael Richards Show]]'' || Vic Nardozza || 7 episodes; also co-creator, writer, and executive producer |
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| 2009 || ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]'' || Michael Richards || 3 episodes<ref>{{cite web |title='Curb Your Enthusiasm' EP Says He Hasn't Heard Anything About a 'Seinfeld' Revival, Says 'We Did It in Season 7 of 'Curb" |url=https://www.thewrap.com/seinfeld-revival-reunion-curb-your-enthusiasm-jeff-schaffer/ |website=www.thewrap.com|date=February 12, 2024 }}</ref> |
| 2009 || ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]'' || Michael Richards || 3 episodes<ref>{{cite web |title='Curb Your Enthusiasm' EP Says He Hasn't Heard Anything About a 'Seinfeld' Revival, Says 'We Did It in Season 7 of 'Curb" |url=https://www.thewrap.com/seinfeld-revival-reunion-curb-your-enthusiasm-jeff-schaffer/ |website=www.thewrap.com|date=February 12, 2024 }}</ref> |
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| 2012–2014 || ''[[Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee]]'' || Himself / Dick Corcoran || 4 episodes |
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| 2013–2014 || ''[[Kirstie (TV series)|Kirstie]]'' || Frank || 12 episodes |
| 2013–2014 || ''[[Kirstie (TV series)|Kirstie]]'' || Frank || 12 episodes |
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== Awards and nominations == |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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! Association |
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! Category |
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! Result |
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! class=unsortable|{{Abbreviation|Ref.|References}} |
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|1995 || rowspan=3|[[American Comedy Awards]] || [[American Comedy Award|Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture]] || ''[[Unstrung Heroes]]'' || {{nom}} || <ref name="awards">{{cite web |title= Michael Richards - Awards|url= https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0724245/awards/?ref_=nm_awd|access-date= June 8, 2024|publisher= [[IMDB]]}}</ref> |
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|1995 || [[American Comedy Award|Funniest Supporting Male in a Television Series]] || rowspan=2|''Seinfeld'' || {{nom}} || <ref name="awards" /> |
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|1996 || Funniest Supporting Male in a Television Series || {{nom}} || <ref name="awards" /> |
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|[[45th Primetime Emmy Awards|1993]] || rowspan=5|[[Primetime Emmy Awards]] || [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series|Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series]] || ''[[Seinfeld]]'' <small> (episode: "[[The Junior Mint]]" + "[[The Watch (Seinfeld)|The Watch]]") </small> || {{won}} || <ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1993|title= Nominees / Winners 1993 Emmy Awards|website= Television Academy|accessdate= June 8, 2024}}</ref> |
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|[[46th Primetime Emmy Awards|1994]] || Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series || ''[[Seinfeld]]'' <small> (episode: "[[The Sniffing Accountant]]" + "[[The Opposite (Seinfeld)|The Opposite]]") </small> || {{won}} || <ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1994|title= Nominees / Winners 1994 Emmy Awards|website= Television Academy|accessdate= June 8, 2024}}</ref> |
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|[[47th Primetime Emmy Awards|1995]] || Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series || ''[[Seinfeld]]'' <small> (episode: "[[The Jimmy]]" + "[[The Fusilli Jerry]]") </small> || {{nom}} || <ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1995|title= Nominees / Winners 1995 Emmy Awards|website= Television Academy|accessdate= June 8, 2024}}</ref> |
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|[[48th Primetime Emmy Awards|1996]] || Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series || ''[[Seinfeld]]'' <small> (episode: "[[The Pool Guy (Seinfeld)|The Pool Guy]]" + "[[The Wait Out]]") </small> || {{nom}} || <ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1996|title= Nominees / Winners 1996 Emmy Awards|website= Television Academy|accessdate= June 8, 2024}}</ref> |
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|[[49th Primetime Emmy Awards|1997]] || Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series || ''[[Seinfeld]]'' <small> (episode: "[[The Chicken Roaster]]") </small> || {{won}} || <ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1997|title= Nominees / Winners 1997 Emmy Awards|website= Television Academy|accessdate= June 8, 2024}}</ref> |
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|1997 || [[Satellite Award]] || [[Satellite Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy|Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy]] || ''[[Seinfeld]]'' || {{nom}} || <ref name="awards" /> |
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| [[1st Screen Actors Guild Awards|1994]] || rowspan=7|[[Screen Actors Guild Awards]] || [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series|Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series]] || ''[[Seinfeld]]'' <small> ([[Seinfeld season 6|season 6]]) </small> || {{won}} || <ref>{{cite web|url= https://sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/inaugural-screen-actors-guild-awards|title= 1st Screen Actors Guild Awards|website= [[Screen Actors Guild Awards|sagawards.org]]|accessdate= June 8, 2024}}</ref> |
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| rowspan=2| [[2nd Screen Actors Guild Awards|1995]] || Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series || rowspan=2|''[[Seinfeld]]'' <small> ([[Seinfeld season 7|season 7]]) </small> || {{nom}} || rowspan=2| <ref>{{cite web|url= https://sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/2nd-screen-actors-guild-awards|title= 2nd Screen Actors Guild Awards|website= [[Screen Actors Guild Awards|sagawards.org]]|accessdate= June 8, 2024}}</ref> |
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| [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series|Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series]] || {{nom}} |
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| rowspan=2| [[3rd Screen Actors Guild Awards|1996]] || Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series || rowspan=2|''[[Seinfeld]]'' <small> ([[Seinfeld season 8|season 8]]) </small> || {{nom}} || rowspan=2|<ref>{{cite web|url= https://sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/3rd-screen-actors-guild-awards|title= 3rd Screen Actors Guild Awards|website= [[Screen Actors Guild Awards|sagawards.org]]|accessdate= June 8, 2024}}</ref> |
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| Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series || {{nom}} |
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| rowspan=2| [[4th Screen Actors Guild Awards|1997]] || Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series || rowspan=2|''[[Seinfeld]]'' <small> ([[Seinfeld season 9|season 9]]) </small> || {{won}} || rowspan=2|<ref>{{cite web|url= https://sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/4th-screen-actors-guild-awards|title= 4th Screen Actors Guild Awards|website= [[Screen Actors Guild Awards|sagawards.org]]|accessdate= June 8, 2024}}</ref> |
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== Bibliography == |
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* Richards, Michael (June 4, 2024). ''Entrances and Exits''. Permuted Press. {{ISBN|978-1637589137}}. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 08:05, 15 August 2024
Michael Richards | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Richards at the 45th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 19, 1993 | |
| Born | Michael Anthony Richards July 24, 1949 |
| Alma mater | Los Angeles Valley College California Institute of the Arts Evergreen State College (BA) |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, comedian |
| Years active | 1979–2007 (Stand up) 1980–present (Acting) |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |  U.S. Army |
| Years of service | 1970–1972 |
Michael Anthony Richards (born July 24, 1949) is an American actor and former stand-up comedian. He achieved global recognition for starring as Cosmo Kramer on the NBC television sitcom Seinfeld from 1989 to 1998. He began his career as a stand-up comedian, first entering the national spotlight when he was featured on Billy Crystal's first cable TV special, and went on to become a series regular on ABC's Fridays.
From 1989 to 1998, he played Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld, three times receiving the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. During the run of Seinfeld, he made a guest appearance in Mad About You, reprising his role as Kramer. Richards also made numerous guest appearances on a variety of television shows, such as Cheers. His film credits include So I Married an Axe Murderer, Airheads, Young Doctors in Love, Problem Child, Coneheads, UHF, and Trial and Error, one of his few starring roles. In 2000, he starred in his own sitcom, The Michael Richards Show, which was canceled after only two months.
Afterwards, Richards returned to stand-up. In 2006, he was filmed going on a racist tirade against hecklers while performing at the Laugh Factory in California. After the tape was obtained and released by TMZ,[6] significant backlash and media coverage led to Richards retiring from stand-up in early 2007. In 2009, he appeared as himself in the seventh season of Curb Your Enthusiasm alongside his fellow Seinfeld cast members for the first time since the show’s finale. In 2013, he portrayed Frank in the sitcom Kirstie, which was canceled after one season.[7] He most recently played Daddy Hogwood in the 2019 romantic comedy Faith, Hope & Love.
Early life
Richards was born in Culver City, California, to a Catholic family.[8] He is the son of Phyllis (née Nardozzi), a medical records librarian. As a child Richards was told his father was William Richards, an electrical engineer,[9] who died in a car crash when Michael was two.[2] He later learned his mother's pregnancy was the result of a sexual assault, and she had considered abortion and adoption before deciding to raise him as a single mom. Richards was also raised by a grandmother who suffered from schizophrenia.[10][11]
Richards graduated from Thousand Oaks High School. In 1968, he appeared as a contestant on The Dating Game, but was not chosen for the date. He was drafted into the United States Army in 1970. He trained as a medic and was stationed in West Germany where he was a member of a theatrical group called The Training Road Show.[12] He became interested in performing after taking a theatrical class in seventh grade.[13]
After being honorably discharged, Richards used the benefits of the G.I. Bill to enroll in the California Institute of the Arts and earned a Bachelor of Arts in drama from the Evergreen State College in 1975.[14] He also had a short-lived improv act with Ed Begley Jr. During this period, he enrolled at Los Angeles Valley College and continued to appear in student productions.
Career
1979–1989: Early career
Richards got his big TV break in 1979, appearing in Billy Crystal's first cable TV special. In 1980, he began as one of the cast members on ABC's Fridays television show, where Larry David was a fellow cast member and writer. It included a famous instance in which Andy Kaufman refused to deliver his scripted lines, leading Richards to bring the cue cards on screen to Kaufman, who responded by throwing his drink into Richards' face, causing a small riot (Richards later claimed he was in on the joke).[15] The film Man on the Moon featured a re-enactment of the Andy Kaufman incident where Richards was portrayed by actor Norm Macdonald.[16][17]
In 1981, he appeared in the It's a Living episode "Desperate Hours".[18] In 1986, Richards had a minor role in the cult satirical TV miniseries Fresno, playing one of a pair of inept criminal henchmen. That same year he auditioned to play Al Bundy in the TV series Married... with Children, but he was passed over for Ed O'Neill.[19] In 1989, Richards had a supporting role in "Weird Al" Yankovic's comedy film UHF as janitor Stanley Spadowski. On television, he appeared in Miami Vice as an unscrupulous bookie; in St. Elsewhere as a television producer making a documentary about Dr. Mark Craig; in Cheers as a character trying to collect on an old bet with Sam Malone; and made several guest appearances with Jay Leno as an accident-prone fitness expert.
According to an interview with executive producer David Hoberman, ABC first conceived the series Monk as a procedural police comedy with an Inspector Clouseau-like character suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Hoberman said ABC wanted Richards to play Adrian Monk, but he turned it down.[20]
1989–2005: Seinfeld and rise to prominence
In 1989, Richards was cast as Cosmo Kramer in the NBC television series Seinfeld, created by fellow Fridays cast member Larry David and comedian Jerry Seinfeld. Although it got off to a slow start, by the mid-1990s it had become one of the most popular sitcoms in television history. It ended its nine-year run in 1998 at No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings. In Seinfeld, Kramer is the neighbor across the hall of the show's eponymous character, and is usually referred to only by his last name. His first name, Cosmo, was revealed in the sixth-season episode "The Switch".
Richards won more Emmys than any other Seinfeld cast member, taking home the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1993, 1994, and 1997 for his role as Kramer. When referring to speculation that he would launch a spin-off to Seinfeld about Kramer, Richards said he was not interested in doing so.[21] During the run of Seinfeld, Richards made cameo appearances in several TV shows; he played himself in Episode 2 of Season 1 "The Flirt Episode" (1992) of the HBO series The Larry Sanders Show. He also had a cameo role in the comedy thriller film So I Married an Axe Murderer, credited as "insensitive man". In 1996, Richards made a cameo in Epcot's Ellen's Energy Adventure, where he portrayed a caveman discovering fire. He played radio station employee Doug Beech in Airheads, and co-starred with Jeff Daniels as an actor pretending to be a lawyer in 1997's Trial and Error. He also made guest appearances on Miami Vice, Night Court and Cheers.
In 2000, two years after the end of Seinfeld, Richards began work on a new series for NBC, his first major project since Seinfeld's finale. The Michael Richards Show, for which Richards received co-writer and co-executive producer credits, was conceived as a comedy/mystery starring Richards as a bumbling private investigator. When the first pilot failed with test audiences, NBC ordered that the show be retooled into a more conventional, office-based sitcom before its premiere. After a few weeks of poor ratings and negative reviews, it was canceled. Critics said the show was too "Kramer-esque" and Richards invoked the so-called "Seinfeld curse" as to why the show failed.[21]
Starting in 2004, he and his fellow Seinfeld cast members provided interviews and audio commentaries for the Seinfeld DVDs. Richards stepped down from providing audio commentary after Season 5, though he continued to provide interviews.
2006–2012: Laugh Factory incident and aftermath
During a performance on November 17, 2006, at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood, California, Richards launched into a racist rant in response to repeated heckling and interruptions from a small group of Black and Hispanic audience members. Richards was recorded shouting "He's a nigger!" several times and making references to lynching and the Jim Crow laws.[6][22][23][24][25] Kyle Doss, a member of the group that Richards addressed, said the group had arrived in the middle of the performance and were "being a little loud." According to Doss:
[Richards] said, "Look at the stupid Mexicans and blacks being loud up there." That's the first thing he said. And then he kept on with his bit. And, then, after a while, I told him, "My friend doesn't think you're funny." And then when I told him that, that's when he flipped me off and said, "F-you N-word." And that's how it all started.
— Kyle Doss, Interview on The Situation Room[26]
The incident remained unknown to the larger public for three days until a cellphone video filmed by a member of the audience was obtained and released by TMZ. On November 20, after the video made rounds around the news, Jerry Seinfeld invited Richards via satellite during a broadcast of the Late Show with David Letterman, where Richards was recorded saying: "For me to be at a comedy club and to flip out and say this crap, I'm deeply, deeply sorry. I'm not a racist, that's what's so insane about this."[27] Many studio audience members laughed as Richards began his unscripted explanation and apology, thinking it was a bit, leading Seinfeld to reprimand them, saying: "Stop laughing. It's not funny." Richards said he had been trying to defuse the heckling by being even more outrageous, but it had backfired. He later called civil rights leaders Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson to apologize.[26][28] He also appeared as a guest on Jackson's syndicated radio show.[29] Doss stated that he did not accept Richards's apology, saying: "If he wanted to apologize, he could have contacted ... one of us out of the group. But, he didn't. He apologized on camera just because the tape got out."[28][30]
A Gallup poll conducted in late November found that Richards was then the most unpopular Seinfeld cast member, with just 41 percent viewing him positively; by contrast, other Seinfeld cast members' favorability ratings were in the 60s and 70s.[31] The same poll also found that 45 percent of non-whites expressed a negative view of Richards due to the incident.[31] The incident was parodied on several TV shows, including Mad TV, Family Guy, South Park, Extras, and Monday Night Raw. In the ninth episode of the seventh season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Richards appeared as himself and poked fun at the incident. In 2008, rapper Wale referenced the incident and used recordings of the incident, as well as Richard's apology, in the song "The Kramer" on The Mixtape About Nothing album.
One year following the incident, Richards voiced character Bud Ditchwater in the animated film Bee Movie, which starred and was produced by Jerry Seinfeld. In 2009, Richards and the other main Seinfeld cast members appeared in the seventh season of Curb Your Enthusiasm.[32] In 2012, he appeared in the comedy web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, hosted by Seinfeld, in which he remarked on the 2006 incident.[33] In the episode, Richards explained that the outburst still haunted him, and was a major reason for his retirement from stand-up.[34]
2013–present: Recent years
In 2013, Richards was cast to play Frank in the sitcom Kirstie, costarring Kirstie Alley and Rhea Perlman. It premiered on TV Land on December 4, 2013[7] and was canceled after one season.[35] In 2014, Richards appeared as the president of Crackle in a trailer for Season 5 of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Seinfeld said the trailer's storyline would be expanded on in one of the episodes. In the comedy book SuperMega Saves the Troops written by Matt Watson and Ryan Magee, Richards is a key character as an undercover spy.[citation needed]
In 2019, Richards played Daddy Hogwood in the romantic comedy Faith, Hope & Love starring Peta Murgatroyd and Robert Krantz.[36]
In November 2023, Richards announced he would be releasing a memoir entitled Entrances and Exits.[37] The memoir was released in June 2024.[38][39]
Personal life
Richards was married to Cathleen Lyons, a family therapist, for 18 years. They have one daughter, Sophia. They separated in 1992 and divorced the following year.[2][3]
In 2010, Richards married his girlfriend Beth Skipp. They have been together since 2002 and have one son, Antonio.[4]
Richards revealed in his 2024 memoir Entrances and Exits that he survived stage 1 prostate cancer in 2018 via a surgical removal of his entire prostate.[41]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Young Doctors in Love | Malamud Callahan | |
| 1984 | The House of God | Dr. Pinkus | |
| The Ratings Game | Sal | ||
| 1985 | Transylvania 6-5000 | Fejos | |
| 1986 | Whoops Apocalypse | Lacrobat | |
| 1987 | Choice Chance and Control | Victor Loudon | Driver's Ed video |
| 1989 | UHF | Stanley Spadowski | |
| 1990 | Problem Child | Martin Beck | |
| 1993 | Coneheads | Motel Clerk | |
| So I Married an Axe Murderer | Insensitive Man | ||
| 1994 | Airheads | Doug Beech | |
| 1995 | Unstrung Heroes | Danny Lidz | |
| 1997 | Redux Riding Hood | The Wolf | Voice Short film |
| Trial and Error | Richard "Ricky" Rietti | ||
| 2007 | Bee Movie | Bud Ditchwater | Voice[42] |
| 2013 | Walk the Light | Lester | Short film |
| 2019 | Faith, Hope & Love | Daddy Hogwood |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980–1982 | Fridays | Various roles | 54 episodes; also writer |
| 1982 | Faerie Tale Theatre | King Geoffeey | Episode: "The Tale of the Frog Prince" |
| 1983 | Herndon | Dr. Herndon P. Stool | Television film |
| 1984 | Faerie Tale Theatre | Vince | Episode: "Pinocchio" |
| At Your Service | Rick the gardener | Television film | |
| Night Court | Eugene Sleighbough | Episode: "Take My Wife, Please" | |
| The Ratings Game | Sal | Television film | |
| 1984–1985 | St. Elsewhere | Bill Wolf | 5 episodes |
| 1985 | Tall Tales & Legends | Sneaky Pete | Episode: "My Darlin' Clementine" |
| Cheers | Eddie Gordon | Episode: "Bar Bet" | |
| Scarecrow and Mrs. King | Petronus | Episode: "Car Wars" | |
| Slickers | Mike Blade | Television film | |
| It's a Living | Hager | Episode: "Desperate Hours" | |
| Hill Street Blues | Special Agent Durpe | Episode: "An Oy for an Oy" | |
| 1986 | Miami Vice | Pagone | Episode: "The Fix" |
| A Year in the Life | Ronnie | 3 episodes | |
| Fresno | 2nd henchman | 5 episodes | |
| 1987 | Jonathan Winters: On the Ledge | Various roles | Television special |
| 1987–1988 | Marblehead Manor | Rick | 11 episodes |
| 1989 | Camp MTV | Stanley Spadowski | Television film |
| 1989–1998 | Seinfeld | Cosmo Kramer | 178 episodes |
| 1992 | Dinosaurs | Director | Voice Episode: "Wesayso Knows Best" |
| Mad About You | Cosmo Kramer | Episode: "The Apartment" | |
| The Larry Sanders Show | Himself | Episode: "The Flirt Episode" | |
| 1996 | London Suite | Mark Ferris | Television film |
| 2000 | David Copperfield | Mr. Wilkins Micawber | Television film |
| The Michael Richards Show | Vic Nardozza | 7 episodes; also co-creator, writer, and executive producer | |
| 2009 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Michael Richards | 3 episodes[43] |
| 2012–2014 | Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee | Himself / Dick Corcoran | 4 episodes |
| 2013–2014 | Kirstie | Frank | 12 episodes |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Performance | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | American Comedy Awards | Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture | Unstrung Heroes | Nominated | [44] |
| 1995 | Funniest Supporting Male in a Television Series | Seinfeld | Nominated | [44] | |
| 1996 | Funniest Supporting Male in a Television Series | Nominated | [44] | ||
| 1993 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Seinfeld (episode: "The Junior Mint" + "The Watch") | Won | [45] |
| 1994 | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Seinfeld (episode: "The Sniffing Accountant" + "The Opposite") | Won | [46] | |
| 1995 | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Seinfeld (episode: "The Jimmy" + "The Fusilli Jerry") | Nominated | [47] | |
| 1996 | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Seinfeld (episode: "The Pool Guy" + "The Wait Out") | Nominated | [48] | |
| 1997 | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Seinfeld (episode: "The Chicken Roaster") | Won | [49] | |
| 1997 | Satellite Award | Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy | Seinfeld | Nominated | [44] |
| 1994 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Seinfeld (season 6) | Won | [50] |
| 1995 | Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Seinfeld (season 7) | Nominated | [51] | |
| Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||||
| 1996 | Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Seinfeld (season 8) | Nominated | [52] | |
| Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||||
| 1997 | Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Seinfeld (season 9) | Won | [53] | |
| Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated |
Bibliography
- Richards, Michael (June 4, 2024). Entrances and Exits. Permuted Press. ISBN 978-1637589137.
References
- ^ McDermid, Charles (July 13, 2007). "Richards finds solace in Cambodia". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Michael Richards Tv's Top Jive-talking Hipster-doofus Fell for His Audience, and Vice Versa. Farewell, Cosmo, and Giddyup!". People. May 14, 1998. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
- ^ a b Lipton, Michael A. (March 8, 1993). "Man Overboard!". People. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
- ^ a b Lacher, Irene (December 1, 2013). "Michael Richards goes for a drive". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
- ^ Falls, Michelle (December 6, 2013). "First Look at Michael Richards' Adorable Son Antonio—See the Precious Pics!". E!. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
- ^ a b TMZ Staff (2006). ""Kramer's" Racist Tirade – Caught on Tape". In The Zone. TMZ.com. Retrieved November 20, 2006.
- ^ a b Goldberg, Lesely (February 15, 2013). "TV Land Orders Kirstie Alley-Michael Richards Comedy to Series". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ "Michael Richards is not Jewish (Not that there's anything wrong with that)". HuffPost. November 23, 2006.
- ^ "Michael Richards Biography (1949?-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
- ^ Hobbs, Jack (November 9, 2023). "Seinfeld's Michael Richards book to detail 2006 racist outburst". New York Post.
- ^ Telling, Gillian (May 25, 2024). "Michael Richards Recalls Learning He Was the Result of a Sexual Assault: 'I Had to Come to Terms with My Conception'". People.
- ^ Barbara DeMarco Barrett (June 1997). "The Spaz at Home". Orange Coat Magazine. p. 34.
- ^ "Michael Richards Net Worth (Updated 2023), Height, Income Source And Biography - NetWorthDekho". September 28, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
- ^ "NewsLibrary.com – newspaper archive, clipping service – newspapers and other news sources". April 30, 1995.
- ^ Michael Richards 'Speaking Freely' transcript via First Amendment Center, Recorded February 28, 2002, in Aspen, Colorado Archived March 31, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Andy Kaufman on Fridays from FridaysFan. Funnyordie.com. February 11, 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
- ^ "Michael Richards – First Amendment Center – news, commentary, analysis on free speech, press, religion, assembly, petition". Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
- ^ "Desperate Hours". YouTube. April 20, 2023.
- ^ "Michael Richards". TVGuide.com. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ from "Mr Monk and His Origins," a special feature packaged with the Season One DVDs.
- ^ a b Davis, Ivor (May 30, 1997). Fame is a 'Trial' for Michael Richards. Ventura County Star.
- ^ Mariel Concepción (2006). "Comedian Michael "Kramer" Richards Goes into Racial Tirade, Banned From Laugh Factory". News wire. VIBE.com. Archived from the original on December 31, 2006. Retrieved November 21, 2006.
- ^ ""Seinfeld" Comic Richards Apologizes for Racial Rant". The Washington Post. November 21, 2006. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
- ^ "Richards 'deeply, deeply sorry' for racial slurs". CBC arts. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. November 20, 2006. Retrieved November 20, 2006.
- ^ ""Seinfeld" Star Richards Under Fire For Racial Outburst". News wire. Reuters. November 20, 2006. Retrieved June 28, 2013.
- ^ a b "The Situation Room transcript". The Situation Room. CNN. 2006. Retrieved December 4, 2006.
- ^ "CNN Newsroom". CNN.com. 2006. Retrieved February 16, 2007.
- ^ a b "Sharpton: Comedian's apology not enough". CNN. November 23, 2006. Retrieved April 22, 2007.
- ^ "Jesse Jackson Talks To Michael Richards: Jackson Says Apology For Actor's Racist Rant Is Only A Beginning Before Healing". News wire. CBS. November 25, 2006. Retrieved April 23, 2007.
- ^ Kyle Doss wants reparations for Kramer calling him a nigger at YouTube
- ^ a b Newport, Frank (December 1, 2006). Gauging the Impact of the Michael Richards Incident. Gallup Inc..
- ^ "'Curb Your Enthusiasm' hosts a 'Seinfeld' reunion". Zap2It.com. March 6, 2009. Archived from the original on July 14, 2009. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
- ^ "Richards appears on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee". Archived from the original on October 2, 2012. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
- ^ "Michael Richards It's Bubbly Time, Jerry – Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee by Jerry Seinfeld". Comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2014. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
- ^ "TV Land cancels 'Kirstie'". Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
- ^ "Seinfeld's Kramer (Michael Richards) meets @DancingABC's @PetaMurgatroyd ! It's all laughs behind the scenes of Faith, Hope, & Love. Follow us to stay updated! #fhlmovie". twitter.com.
- ^ "'Seinfeld' star Michael Richards addresses outburst that led to 'lifelong spiritual quest'". www.foxnews.com. November 7, 2023.
- ^ "Seinfeld's Michael Richards to Release New Memoir in 2024 (Exclusive)". people.com.
- ^ "Seinfeld star Michael Richards to release memoir". www.gjsentinel.com.
- ^ "Today in Masonic History - Michael Anthony Richards is Born".
- ^ Tenreyro, Tatiana (May 23, 2024). "Michael Richards Opens Up About Prostate Cancer Battle: "I Probably Would Have Been Dead in About Eight Months"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
- ^ "Jerry Seinfeld Might Have Been The Only Person Who Stood By Michael Richards After His Outburst". www.thethings.com. September 16, 2023.
- ^ "'Curb Your Enthusiasm' EP Says He Hasn't Heard Anything About a 'Seinfeld' Revival, Says 'We Did It in Season 7 of 'Curb"". www.thewrap.com. February 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Michael Richards - Awards". IMDB. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ "Nominees / Winners 1993 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ "Nominees / Winners 1994 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ "Nominees / Winners 1995 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ "Nominees / Winners 1996 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ "Nominees / Winners 1997 Emmy Awards". Television Academy. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ "1st Screen Actors Guild Awards". sagawards.org. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ "2nd Screen Actors Guild Awards". sagawards.org. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ "3rd Screen Actors Guild Awards". sagawards.org. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ "4th Screen Actors Guild Awards". sagawards.org. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
External links
Wikiquote has quotations related to Michael Richards.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Michael Richards.
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