World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Jerry Seinfeld

ジェリー・サインフェルド

Jerry Seinfeld

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1954-04-29 （Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Religion
Judaism
Residence History
Massapequa, New York (raised) → New York City (residence) → Amagansett, New York (vacation home)

Career

Occupations
Stand-up comedian, Actor, Writer, Filmmaker, Television producer
Active Years
1976-
Influenced By
Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Don Rickles, Jean Shepherd, Monty Python, Jerry Lewis
Influenced
John Mulaney, Ellen DeGeneres, Jim Gaffigan, Judd Apatow, Issa Rae

Education

State University of New York at Oswego (SUNY Oswego)
Period: 在籍（後に転校）
Country: United States
Attended two years before transferring to Queens College
Queens College, City University of New York
Communications and Theatre
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Period: 1974–1976（転校後の卒業）
Year of Graduation: 1976
Country: United States
Graduated with a BA in communications and theater

Awards

Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy
1995
Work: TV series Seinfeld
Organization: Hollywood Foreign Press Association (Golden Globes)
Result: Winner
Primetime Emmy Award
Organization: Emmy Awards
Result: Winner
Screen Actors Guild Award
Organization: Screen Actors Guild (SAG)
Result: Winner (複数回)
Webby Awards
Work: Web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
Organization: The Webby Awards
Result: Winner (複数回)

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

SeinLanguage

1993 Comedy / Stand-up material collection

A book collecting Jerry Seinfeld's stand-up material, featuring routines from his rise to prominence in the early 1990s.

Everyday lifeHuman behaviorObservational humor

Halloween

2002 Children's book

A children's picture book about Halloween, written in a humorous tone.

ChildrenSeasonal celebration

Is This Anything?

2020 Comedy / Collection of material

A retrospective collection compiling Seinfeld's best comedic bits from across his career.

Comedy historyEvolution of routines

Seinfeld (TV series)

1989 Sitcom

A sitcom co-created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, focusing on the minutiae of everyday life; one of the most acclaimed and popular sitcoms.

Observational detailSocial awkwardnessPop culture
Adaptations
  • [Television (reunion cameo)] Curb Your Enthusiasm (fictional Seinfeld reunion) (2009)

Bee Movie

2007 Animated comedy film

An animated comedy film co-written, produced and voiced by Seinfeld; a satirical story about bees.

SatireLabor and rights

Bibliography

  • SeinLanguage (1993)
  • Halloween (2002)
  • Is This Anything? (2020)

Adaptations

  • Syndication and related media adaptations of the TV series Seinfeld
  • Web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee moving from Crackle to Netflix

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Observational comedyClean comedyDeadpanSurreal humor
Recurring Motifs
Trivial aspects of daily lifeSocial awkwardnessGender differencesPop-culture references

Legacy

A major influence in stand-up comedy and sitcom television. Seinfeld's TV series remains a landmark in TV history and he has influenced many contemporary comedians; he continues to work in streaming and film.

Museums

  • National Museum of American History (donation: the 'puffy shirt') Washington, D.C., United States

Archives

  • Personal archives at JerrySeinfeld.com

In Popular Culture

  • Long-term impact on sitcom culture (characters and catchphrases entering popular usage)
  • Influence on modern comedians (spread of observational humor)

Quotes

  • It's very important to know what you don't like. A big part of innovation is saying, 'You know what I'm really sick of?'
    Source: Interview (Harvard Business Review / public interview) (2017)

Trivia

  • Has practiced Transcendental Meditation for decades.
  • Automobile enthusiast; owns a collection of roughly 150 cars.
  • Married to author and philanthropist Jessica Seinfeld; has three children.
  • Declared a billionaire by Bloomberg in 2024.