Happy Birthday Jerry Seinfeld: Looking back at his incredible journey
Happy Birthday, Jerry Seinfeld! Born on April 29, 1954, he is considered one of the greatest American stand-up comedians and TV stars. His sitcom Seinfeld, which aired from 1989 to 1998, remains a true classic even to this day. In honor of his 67th birthday, let's take a look at his stellar career and relive some of his quirkiest moments.
His show 'Seinfeld' redefined sitcom genre like never before
The NBC show Seinfeld truly revolutionized TV history. The series saw nearly 75 million Americans glued to their TVs, watching the finale. Regarded as one of the most influential shows, it was such a success that NBC was willing to offer Seinfeld $5 million/episode for the 10th season. In comparison, all the F.R.I.E.N.D.S stars were offered $1 million at the peak of their careers.
He has earned 20 Emmy, 4 Grammys nominations
Seinfeld, a master of observational comedy, has won a lot of awards in his illustrious career. His shows Seinfeld and Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee have earned a total of 20 Primetime Emmy nominations. Surprisingly, he has also been nominated for four Grammy Awards for his comedy albums. Comedy Central even named him the 12th greatest stand-up comedian of all time in 2005.
He was the highest paid actor globally at one point
The entertainer's net worth is estimated to be at $950 million and deservedly so. Interestingly enough, most of his wealth came from the show's initial run. His popularity rose to such great heights that he was the highest-paid actor in 2014. He ranked ahead of some of the biggest stars in the world like Shah Rukh Khan, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp and others.
When Seinfeld said 'no thanks' to hug from Kesha
He retains his comedic streak in real life too. At the David Lynch Foundation's National Night of Laughter and Song in 2017, when Kesha tried to hug him, he refused! What's more crazy is, the Praying crooner asked for a hug not once, but thrice, and was denied every single time. When asked about it, Seinfeld responded, "I don't know who that was." Ouch!
