Seinfeld's Other Gerry Published by SURFACE, 2012

et al.: Seinfeld's other Gerry Published by SURFACE, 2012 1 Syracuse University Magazine, Vol. 14, Iss. 2 [2012], Art. 9 Other ••••••••••••••••••• e y JERRY STILLER '50 HAS BROUGHT AMERICA SOME OF ITS MOST UNLIKELY LIVING•ROOM HEROES, FROM HERSHEY HOROWITZ TO FRANK COSTANZA. So WHY IS HE SO SURPRISED THAT THE WORK KEEPS COMING? BY NANcy CHAMBERS here there's comedy, there's biography. Or at if he is still married to his beloved Anne in real life. To W least a best-selling joke book. There's Leading day he plays Costa nza. Yes, Costanza: George's father With My Chin by Jay Leno, J/lfy Point And I on the top-rated sitcom Seinfe!d, now in its ninth season. Do Ha"e One by Ellen D eGeneres, Pri~Jate PartJ by That's Frank Costanza, the religious-icon importer who Howard Stern, and Jerry Seinfeld's Seinfangua.9e. modeled the first "mansierre," a bra for men. Stiller was Carson. Cosby. Sullivan. Letterman. R eiser. Rivers. introduced as George's dad in season five, replacing actor Rock. O'Donnell. They all have 'em. If it's not by them, John Randolph, w ho was deemed too tall for the short, it's about them, or a collection of their greatest hits. But pudgy Costanza genes (Seinfe!d fanatics take note: In a no matter how thoroughly you search the web and the nearly unprecedented TV repair job, Stiller now appears card catalogs, you won't find memoir, unauthorized in Randolph's scenes from season four). But after nearly trash, or publi shed schtick about one of the most re five Seitz{e!d seasons, Stiller still doesn't get one thing: 'Tm nowned husband-a nd-w ife comedy duos since George absolutely enthralled by the fact that people can relate to and Gracie. Publishers take note: There is a n opening this guy." It's true that Frank and Estell e Costanza a re for one more tome in the annals of American comedy. over-the-top and cloyingly insane, but even Jason Alex J erry Stiller and Anne Meara w ere first introduced to ander, who plays son G eorge, has said, "They shou ld do a Ed Sullivan, and thus the world, w hile working the club spin-off." And billions of N ielsen watchers agree, unable circuit in the I950s. This was their bit: She was a tall, to get enough of Frank Costanza's crazed outbu rsts and Irish Catholic redhead; he, a short, dark, Jewish Romeo. wild schemes. It is J erry Stiller- not Seinfeld - who pro They were known as Mary E lizabeth Doyle and H ershey vides us with the insight as to why George is the way he Horowitz, the computer-dating dream team. "Turns out is: unlovably lovable. they're not ideally suited," Stiller explains from his vaca W ithout q uestion, though, the most lovable aspect of tion home on Nantucket isla nd in Massachusetts. "The Frank Costanza is that the role earned Stiller an Emmy computer screws up. The only thing they have in com nomination in 1997. "It was wonderful to be nominated be mon is they came from the same street." cause the characters we p lay are call ed recurring charac The couple's wily, quickfire dialogue of dating catastro ters a nd before then there was never a category for them. phes was a perennial crowd-pleaser. Stiller and M eara So for the years that Estelle Ha rris and I were playing might step on Sullivan's stage after a plate-spinner a nd George's parents, we were never allowed to be nominated ." lead into the Maguire Sisters. In later years the star Meara has won a Writer's G uild Award, been nom crossed-lover gag appealed to the same audience that inated five times for an Emmy and once for a Tony, a nd cheered the Rolling Stones. "It became something of a had roles in mainstream movies like AwalceningJ a nd trademark for us," Stiller says. "And E d Sullivan liked it Fame. And Stiller g lories devoted ly in her every success. very much. H e kept us around almost for the rest of his No husband could be prouder. But until the 1997 Emmys, life. H e popularized us. H e had faith in that material his own 4 0-odd years of work had gone conspicuously when no one else did." In a ll , they would make 36 ap unrecognized. "This was a big moment in my life be pearances on the landmark variety show. cause it was the first time anybody ever nominated me But J erry Still er doesn't play Horowitz any more, even for a nything," he says. "After that, the next step was 'Am 33 WINTER 1997/98 https://surface.syr.edu/sumagazine/vol14/iss2/9 2 The Takinget al.: Seinfeld's of other GerryPelham One-Two-Three • I going to win?'" Even though Stiller didn't win the Emmy for guys and the guys with the girls an,d the guys drinking beer" E Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, he admits to only tbe smallest were all laughing at his shows regularly. twinge of disappointment because he truly had received his "I was wonderful," Stiller remembers. "I come out and say, "best wish in life." "I was up against Sid Caesar (ff!ad About 'What did you think?' And Professor Falk says, 'You've got You), David Duchovny (The Larry Sa11derJ Show), James Earl to get out of here.' I say, 'Whaddaya mean?' And he says, Jones (FraJier), and Mel Brooks (who won for Mad About 'You've got bad habits. Bad habits."' Despite those tics, the You). All those people are really gifted, and you say, 'Well, I'm following Monday Falk assigned Stiller to produce, cast, one of the best."' direct, and run a student review. He called it Lo1~9 L[,,e Love. But this isn't even close to demonstrating Stiller's endear Stiller describes the experience as a "travail" involving a de ing humility. Jerry Stiller-a man frequently listed as a staple bilitating cast mutiny and his own academic probation. He of American comedy, a man who omits more than ha lf his ca failed every class that year, but the show turned a profit for reer's achievements to fit his life on a two-page bio-sincerely the University and helped Stiller not only redeem himself in believes he must add this overdue Emmy accolade to his re the eyes of the University, but land his first postgrad role sume. Granted, he doesn't carry the star power or audience of, with, no kidding, Burgess Meredith. The show was SiLver say, Matthew McConaughey, but WhiJtle at a playhouse in Watkins Glen, New York. Stiller he is almost surprised that he attributes those early breaks to Falk, and to a bachelor's de is so much more than our gree in speech and dramatic art from Syracuse, Class of 1950. favorite "Must-See TV" character actor. tiller met his better half in the quintessential actor's Shangout: an agent's office. It was a transitional, ex erald Stiller perimental time for comedy and he and Meara embraced G was born in it. They studied the new "cerebral" comedy and the New York City modernized comnudia r)eLL arte, which involved character on June 8, 1927. development and improvisational techniques. They The son of a were superb and lifted the comedic dating/sex struggle bus driver, he to a new level - a level that, with themes of harass moved 13 times ment, computer matching, and intra-office dating, is in 11 years. Like as timely now as it was 40 years ago. At that time, get many perform ting in front of any audience was a break, Stiller says. ers, he always Meara describes it as "a series of crumbles" instead of wanted to be an one big break. actor. At 18, "before The couple toured the bomb dropped," for years, even after he joined the Army. H e they started a family . was supposed to be trained "Then we had to as a Japanese translator. After start thinking of set the bomb, though, translators weren't tling down," Stiller quite so necessary, and he served in Italy in remembers, "though stead -playing football, running a film ex we did take our chil change, and getting into trouble. When here dren, Amy and Ben, turned to the states, he was too afraid to learn with us to Las Vegas, acting in the clubs and play houses, so he where t hey saw a lot decided to learn it at Syracuse University on of TV and sat in green the G.I. Bill. rooms and watched Since campus housing was crammed fu ll, their parents make he lived near the State Fairgrounds, working fools of themselves." as a "soda jerk on Salina Street" and selling The fact is, Stiller beer at the old MacArthur Stadium to get by. and Meara perfected His weekends were dedicated to making audi the art of being a ences laug h, even if it killed him. If there was husband-and-wife a club in town, Stiller would take his turn at duo and built a n en the mike. After a few initial bad nights, he Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara performed their star-crossed lovers routine terprise a round it. eventually developed a following. Feeling on The Ed Sullivan Show. Today, Stiller plays the volatile Frank Costanza They used their in brave, he invited his most respected drama (above) on the popular sitcom Seinfeld.

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