View source for George Costanza

{{Short description|Fictional character in the American television sitcom "Seinfeld"}}
{{about||the Massachusetts politician|George Costanza (politician)}}
{{redirect|Vandelay|Vandelay Technologies|Hi-Fi Rush{{!}}''Hi-Fi Rush''}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox character
| name = George Costanza
| series = [[Seinfeld]]
| image = George Costanza.jpg
| first = "[[The Seinfeld Chronicles]]" (1989)
| last = "[[Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee#Season 3 (2014)|The Over-Cheer]]" (2014)
| gender = Male
| alias = Art Vandelay<br>Donald O'Brien<br>Biff<br>Bodysuit Man<br>T-Bone<br>Koko<br>Gammy
| religion = [[Catholic]] (by upbringing)<br/>[[Latvian Orthodox Church]]
| occupation = {{ubl|Assistant to the Traveling Secretary for the [[New York Yankees]] (seasons 6–8)|Real estate agent (seasons 1–2)|Representative for Kruger Industrial Smoothing (season 9)|Screenwriter (season 4)}}
| family = {{ubl|[[Frank Costanza]] (father)|[[Estelle Costanza]] (mother)|Unnamed brother}}
| relatives = Shelly (cousin)<br>
Rhisa (cousin)
| significant_other = Susan Biddle Ross (fiancée, deceased)
| portrayer = [[Jason Alexander]]
| creator = [[Jerry Seinfeld]]<br>[[Larry David]]
| based_on = [[Larry David]]
}}
'''George Louis Costanza''' is a fictional character in the American [[Television program|television]] [[sitcom]] ''[[Seinfeld]]'' (1989–1998), played by [[Jason Alexander]]. He is a short, stocky, balding man who struggles with numerous insecurities, often dooming his romantic relationships through his own fear of being dumped. He is also relatively lazy; during periods of unemployment he actively avoids getting a job, and while employed he often finds ingenious ways to conceal idleness from his bosses. He is friends with [[Jerry Seinfeld (character)|Jerry Seinfeld]], [[Cosmo Kramer]], and [[Elaine Benes]]. George and Jerry were junior high school friends (although in "[[The Betrayal]]", Season 9, Episode 8, George says the two have been friends since fourth grade) and remained friends afterward.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rickygervais.com/uncut.php|title=Ricky Gervais' Top 10 TV Sitcoms |work=rickygervais.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/diary/story/0,3604,1378410,00.html|title=Marina Hyde's diary|author=Marina Hyde|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=December 22, 2004 }}</ref> George appears in every episode except "[[The Pen]]" (third season).

The character was based on Seinfeld co-creator [[Larry David]] but is surnamed after [[Jerry Seinfeld]]'s real-life New York friend, Michael Costanza. Alexander reprised his role in an episode of ''[[Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee]]'', reuniting with Jerry Seinfeld and [[Wayne Knight]] (also reprising their roles as Jerry and [[Newman (Seinfeld)|Newman]], respectively).

==Early life and family==
George is a son of [[Frank Costanza|Frank]], an [[Italian American]], and [[Estelle Costanza]], who is [[American Jews|Jewish]]. George twice mentions that he has a brother. [[Lloyd Braun (Seinfeld)|Lloyd Braun]] is a childhood nemesis who George feels was the son his parents always wanted.<ref>{{cite episode|title=The Parking Space|episode-link=The_Parking_Space|series=Seinfeld |series-link=Seinfeld|airdate=April 22, 1992|credits=Writer: Daniels, Greg; David, Larry; Director: Cherones, Tom|network=[[NBC]]|season=3|number=22}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode |title=The Suicide|episode-link=The Suicide (Seinfeld)|series=Seinfeld|series-link=Seinfeld |airdate=January 29, 1992|credits=Writer: Leopold, Tom; Director: Cherones, Tom|network=[[NBC]]|season=3|number=15}}</ref> George's best friend [[Jerry Seinfeld (character)|Jerry Seinfeld]] described Frank and Estelle as "[[psychopath]]s",<ref>{{cite episode|title=The Puffy Shirt|episode-link=The_Puffy_Shirt|series=Seinfeld|series-link=Seinfeld |airdate=September 23, 1993|credits=Writer: David, Larry; Director: Cherones, Tom|network=[[NBC]]|season=5|number=2}}</ref> and said in "[[The Chinese Woman]]" that, if they had divorced when George was young, he "could have been normal".<ref>{{cite episode |title=The Chinese Woman |episode-link=The_Chinese_Woman |series=Seinfeld |series-link=Seinfeld |airdate=October 13, 1994 |credits=Writer: Mehlman, Peter; Director: Ackerman, Andy |network=[[NBC]] |season=6 |number=4}}</ref>

In "[[The Junior Mint]]", George states he grew up in [[Brooklyn, New York]], where he went to a public school.<ref>{{cite episode|title=The Junior Mint|episode-link=The_Junior_Mint |series=Seinfeld|series-link=Seinfeld|airdate=March 18, 1993|credits=Writer: Robin, Andy; Director: Cherones, Tom|network=[[NBC]]|season=4|number=20}}</ref> In a previous episode he mentions he went to high school on [[Long Island]].<ref>{{cite episode|title=The Nose Job|episode-link=The_Nose_Job|series=Seinfeld|series-link=Seinfeld|airdate=November 21, 1991|credits=Writer: Mehlman, Peter; Director: Cherones, Tom|network=[[NBC]]|season=3 |number=9}}</ref> He met Jerry during his youth, and they remained friends from that point on.<ref>{{cite episode|title=The Betrayal|episode-link=The_Betrayal|series=Seinfeld|series-link=Seinfeld|airdate=February 11, 1993|credits=Writer: Charles, Larry; Director: Cherones, Tom|network=[[NBC]]|season=9|number=8}}</ref> George and Jerry both attended John F. Kennedy High School, class of 1971.<ref>{{cite news|title=What 'Seinfeld' fans have been waiting for|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|location=Chicago, Illinois|author=Germain, David|date=November 6, 2007|page=42}}</ref> During their high school years, George and Jerry frequently hung out at a [[pizzeria]] called Mario's Pizzas, where the former, having the highest score "GLC", would play ''[[Frogger]]''<ref>{{cite episode|title=The Frogger |episode-link=The_Frogger|series=Seinfeld|series-link=Seinfeld|airdate=April 23, 1998 |credits=Writer: Kavet, Gregg ; Robin, Andy; Koren, Steve; O'Keefe, Dan; Director: White, Joshua|network=[[NBC]]|season=9|number=18}}</ref> (although ''Frogger'' debuted in 1981, well after the pair's high school graduation in 1971). George was picked on by his gym teacher Mr. Heyman, who deliberately mispronounced his name as "can't stand ya" and gave him [[wedgie]]s.<ref>{{cite episode|title=The Library|episode-link=The_Library_(Seinfeld) |series=Seinfeld|series-link=Seinfeld|airdate=October 16, 1991|credits=Writer: Charles, Larry; Director: White, Joshua|network=[[NBC]]|season=3|number=5}}</ref> He and Jerry then attended [[Queens College]].<ref name=":0">{{cite episode |title=The Marine Biologist |episode-link=The_Marine_Biologist |series=Seinfeld |series-link=Seinfeld |airdate=February 10, 1994 |credits=Writer: Hauge, Ron; Rubin, Charlie; Director: Cherones, Tom |network=[[NBC]] |season=5 |number=14}}</ref>

Two of George's cousins appear on the show: Shelly, who briefly appears to visit Estelle in the hospital in "[[The Contest]]",<ref>{{cite episode|title=The Contest|episode-link=The_Contest|series=Seinfeld |series-link=Seinfeld|airdate=November 18, 1992|credits=Writer: David, Larry; Director: Cherones, Tom|network=[[NBC]]|season=4|number=11}}</ref> and Rhisa, whom George plans to date in order to shock his parents in "[[The Junk Mail]]".<ref>{{cite episode|title=The Junk Mail|episode-link=The_Junk_Mail|series=Seinfeld|series-link=Seinfeld|airdate=October 30, 1997|credits=Writer: Feresten, Spike; Director: Ackerman, Andy|network=[[NBC]]|season=9|number=5}}</ref> George talks to his parents about his family in "[[The Money]]", during which it is revealed that he had an "Uncle Moe", who "died a young man" and an "Aunt Baby", who died at the age of seven of internal problems.<ref name="Money">{{cite episode|title=The Money|episode-link=The_Money|series=Seinfeld|series-link=Seinfeld|airdate=January 16, 1997|credits=Writer: Mehlman, Peter; Director: Ackerman, Andy|network=[[NBC]]|season=8|number=12}}</ref> It is also revealed that his mother has a "Cousin Henny".<ref name="Money"/> In "[[The Doll (Seinfeld)|The Doll]]", it is revealed that Frank Costanza was born in Italy and has a cousin, Carlo, who still lives there.<ref>{{cite episode|title=The Doll|episode-link=The Doll (Seinfeld)|series=Seinfeld|series-link=Seinfeld|airdate=February 22, 1996|credits=Writer: Gammill, Tom; Pross, Max; Director: Ackerman, Andy|network=[[NBC]]|season=7|number=17}}</ref> As of "[[The Robbery]]", George had living grandparents whom he had recently visited, although it is never made clear whether these were his maternal or paternal grandparents.<ref>{{cite episode|title=The Robbery |episode-link=The_Robbery|series=Seinfeld|series-link=Seinfeld|airdate=June 7, 1990|credits=Writer: Goldman, Matt; Director: Cherones, Tom|network=[[NBC]]|season=1|number=3}}</ref>

==Personality==
George is [[neuroticism|neurotic]], self-loathing, mostly selfish, and dominated by his parents, yet also prone to occasional periods of overconfidence that invariably arise at the worst possible time. Throughout ''Seinfeld''{{'}}s early seasons, despite doing poorly on his SATs and being afraid of embarrassing himself on an IQ test (as depicted in "[[The Cafe (Seinfeld)|The Cafe]]"), George is depicted as moderately intelligent – he mentions interests in the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]<ref>{{cite episode |title=The Revenge |episode-link=The Revenge (Seinfeld) |series=Seinfeld |series-link=Seinfeld |airdate=April 18, 1991 |credits=Writer: David, Larry; Director: Cherones, Tom |network=[[NBC]] |season=2 |number=7}}</ref> and [[musical theatre]],<ref>{{cite episode |title=The Jacket |episode-link=The Jacket (Seinfeld) |series=Seinfeld |series-link=Seinfeld |airdate=February 6, 1991 |credits=Writer: David, Larry; Seinfeld, Jerry; Director: Cherones, Tom |network=[[NBC]] |season=2 |number=3}}</ref> and in some early episodes appears almost like a mentor to Jerry – but becomes less sophisticated, to the point of being too lazy even to read a 90-page book (''[[Breakfast at Tiffany's (novella)|Breakfast at Tiffany's]]''), preferring to watch [[Breakfast at Tiffany's (film)|the movie adaptation]] at a stranger's house instead. In "[[The Abstinence]]", it is discovered that George has what would appear to be genius-level intelligence but can never access it because his mind is always so completely focused on sex. One ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' reviewer noted that, despite all his shortcomings, George is "pretty content with himself".<ref>{{cite news|title=The 25 Greatest TV Characters of all Time|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=December 6, 1995|author1=Artner, Alan |author2=Bannon, Tim |author3=Caro, Mark |author4=Christiansen, Richard |author5=Griffin, Jean Latz |author6=Johnson, Steve |author7=May, Mitchell |author8=Nidetz, Steve |author9=Wood, Nancy Watkins |author10=Wilson, Terry |author11=Wiltz, Teresa |page=1}}</ref>

George exhibits several negative character traits, among them dishonesty, insecurity, [[anxiety]], and extreme frugality, many of which seem to stem from a dysfunctional childhood with his [[Eccentricity (behavior)|eccentric]] parents [[Frank Costanza|Frank]] and [[Estelle Costanza|Estelle]], and often form the basis of his involvement in various plots, schemes, and embarrassing social encounters. George's extremely narcissistic parents only accept things from George when events revolve around them, and George is blind to see that at the same time his parents treat him like a [[second grade]] child. Episode plots frequently feature George manufacturing elaborate deceptions at work or in his relationships to gain or maintain some slight or imagined advantage or (pretend) image of success. He is shown to have an intense fear of commitment. He had success in "[[The Opposite]]", where on Jerry's advice he starts to do the complete opposite of what his instincts tell him to do, which results in him getting a girlfriend and a job with the [[New York Yankees]]. His anxiety is also evident in "[[The Note (Seinfeld)|The Note]]", where he begins doubting his sexuality after he receives a massage from a male masseur.

George refers to himself in the third person (a habit known as [[illeism]]) when under extreme stress (e.g. "George is getting upset!"), after befriending a person with a similar trait in "[[The Jimmy]]".<ref>{{cite web|title=The 17 Best Running 'Seinfeld' Jokes, Gags, and Bits Ranked|url=https://www.indiewire.com/gallery/best-seinfeld-jokes/screen-shot-2023-07-31-at-3-18-40-pm-2/|website=[[IndieWire]]|date=August 3, 2023 }}</ref>

George flees a burning kitchen during his girlfriend's son's birthday party, knocking over several children and an old woman so he can escape first in "[[The Fire (Seinfeld episode)|The Fire]]". There are moments where George exhibits remarkable courage, but usually accidentally and often in support of inane lies he would rather not confess to. For instance, in "[[The Marine Biologist]]", he goes into the sea alone to save a beached whale because his date, a woman on whom he had a crush in college, thinks he is a marine biologist.<ref name=":0" />

George often takes impressive measures to build and maintain relationships with women. In "[[The Conversion (Seinfeld)|The Conversion]]," he goes through the process of converting to the [[Latvian Orthodox Church]] as his girlfriend's parents would not let her date somebody outside their religion. The one relationship he holds long-term, with his fiancée Susan, is the one about which he is seemingly least enthusiastic, as shown by his ongoing attempts to postpone, and later cancel, their wedding, and his rather nonchalant reaction when she dies.

He is interested in nice restrooms, and his personal bathroom habits border on obsession. In "[[The Revenge (Seinfeld)|The Revenge]]", he quits his real estate job solely because he is forbidden to use his boss's private bathroom. In "[[The Voice (Seinfeld)|The Voice]]", he admits that one of the reasons he is staying at a job his boss has asked that he resign from (for feigning a disability) is that it gives him "private access to one of the great handicapped toilets in the city". In "[[The Busboy]]", he claims to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the locations of the best public bathrooms in the city. He proves this in "[[The Bizarro Jerry]]", when he directs Kramer to "the best bathroom in midtown" at the offices of Brandt-Leland, even describing the layout, marble, high ceiling, and toilets that flush "like a jet engine". In "[[The Gymnast]]", he told Jerry that he always removes his shirt when using the bathroom because "it frees me up... no encumbrances". When working for the Yankees, he suggested having the bathroom stall doors stretched all the way to the ground (letting people's legs not be seen while in the stalls). The obsession even comes up in the Seinfeld reunion staged on ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]'': years after the series, George is said to have made a fortune on a smartphone app that directs its user to the nearest "acceptable" public toilet anywhere in the world (though he loses most, if not all, of his fortune to [[Bernie Madoff]]).

George and Jerry have been best friends since meeting in high school gym class. The extreme closeness of their friendship is occasionally mistaken for [[homosexuality]]; "[[The Outing]]" deals with a reporter from a [[New York University]] college paper mistaking George and Jerry for a gay couple, and, in "[[The Cartoon]]", George dates somebody who Kramer insists is merely a "female Jerry".

==Other information==

===Susan===
George becomes engaged to [[Susan Ross]], an executive at [[NBC]] who approved his and Jerry's show-within-a-show sitcom [[Television pilot|pilot]]. George and Susan date, during which time commitment-phobic George is constantly trying to find ways to end their relationship without actually having to initiate the breakup with her. In "[[The Engagement (Seinfeld)|The Engagement]]", he proposes to her, despite him not having dated her for years. George tries repeatedly to weasel out of his engagement. In "[[The Invitations]]", she dies from licking the [[toxic]] [[glue]] in their wedding invitations. When notified of her death at the hospital, George displays a combination of shock, apathy, and relief. A few moments after being notified of Susan's death, he says to Jerry, Kramer, and Elaine, "Well, let's go get some [[coffee]]." Susan's parents appoint him to the board of directors of the Susan Ross Foundation.

George is very bad at meeting women and even worse at maintaining his romantic relationships and, as a result, his relationships usually end badly.<ref>{{cite news|title=By George, it's Costanza's fault|page=2|author=Lavin, Cheryl|date=March 5, 2004|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|location=[[Chicago, Illinois]]}}</ref><ref name="likedavid">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/i-want-to-be-larry-david-415155.html|title=I want to be Larry David|date=September 10, 2006|work=[[The Independent]]|access-date=August 4, 2009}}</ref>

===Professional life===
George's professional life is unstable, and he is unable to remain in any job for any great length of time before making an embarrassing blunder and getting fired, and thus he is unemployed for a large amount of time throughout the series. 

His original job when the series starts is as a [[real estate]] agent; he ends up quitting and getting re-hired, but he is fired immediately afterward for drugging his boss. He always wanted to be an [[architect]] or least "pretend to be an architect". He first mentions this desire in "[[The Stake Out (Seinfeld)|The Stake Out]]", and claims in "[[The Race (Seinfeld)|The Race]]" that he had designed "the new addition to the [[Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum|Guggenheim]]".

Over the course of the series, he works for a real estate transaction services firm (Rick Barr Properties), a rest stop supply company (Sanalac), the [[New York Yankees]] as Assistant to the Travelling Secretary (his longest-running job), a playground-equipment company (Play Now), and an industrial smoothing company (Kruger Industrial Smoothing). He briefly works with Elaine at Pendant Publishing but is fired for having sex with the cleaning woman on his desk in "[[The Red Dot]]". He has a very successful interview to become a [[bra]] salesman but upon leaving the interview he rubs the fabric of a woman at the elevator who turns out to be head of the company and is immediately fired.

When seeking another job, the interview gets interrupted in the middle and George does not know if he is hired or not, so he decides just to show up anyway, and is soon asked to work on a "Pensky File" that he knows nothing about. 

At one point, George works briefly as a hand model in "[[The Puffy Shirt]]", and also for his father selling computers in "[[The Serenity Now]]".

During Season 4, George gains experience as a sitcom writer as he helps Jerry to write the pilot for the fictitious show ''Jerry''. While pitching the concept of a "show about nothing" to [[NBC]] executives, George begins dating NBC executive Susan Ross until "[[The Virgin (Seinfeld)|The Virgin]]", when she is fired. The ''Jerry'' pilot is never picked up.

===Fashion and hairstyle===
George has balding hair, which is less noticeable in "[[The Seinfeld Chronicles]]" or a flashback in "[[The Slicer]]", but gets thinner as the series progresses. At the end of  "[[The Scofflaw]]", he starts to wear a toupee, until Elaine throws it out the window in disgust in "[[The Beard]]". He also tries to restore his hair in "[[The Tape]]", in which he starts using a Chinese cream that is said to be a cure for baldness. His hair is rarely seen styled. His clothing is usually very plain. He frequently wears jeans and [[Nike Cortez]] sneakers. In "[[The Trip, Part 1]]", he mentions that his clothes are color-coded based on his mood. Several times throughout the show, George mentions a desire to "drape" himself in velvet, which he does in "[[The Doodle]]". In "[[The Bizarro Jerry]]", George can be seen styling his hair based on an [[Andy Sipowicz]] poster.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=710 |title=Seinfeld - NOW PLAYING |access-date=November 15, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130202210311/http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/seinfeld/episode_guide/?sl=episode&ep=710 |archive-date=February 2, 2013  }}</ref>

==Art Vandelay==
{{Redirect|Art Vandelay|the Short Stack album|Art Vandelay (album)}}

'''Art Vandelay''' is an alias first used by George in "[[The Stake Out (Seinfeld)|The Stake Out]]". To explain their presence in the lobby of an office building, Jerry and George come up with a cover story based around a man they plan to meet named Art Vandelay, an importer–exporter who works in the building. George frequently reuses the invented name as a [[running joke]]. In "[[The Red Dot]]", George tells Elaine's boss that he frequently reads books by Art Vandelay, who he describes as a "[[beatnik]], from [[Greenwich Village|the Village]]." In "[[The Boyfriend (Seinfeld)|The Boyfriend]]", George tells the [[unemployment]] office that he is close to getting a job at "Vandelay Industries", a [[latex]] manufacturer ostensibly located at Jerry's address. He later tells Susan that Art is Elaine's boyfriend as part of a cover story to prevent Susan from learning that he is secretly dating [[Marisa Tomei]] ("[[The Cadillac]]").  In "[[The Bizarro Jerry]]", George asks an office receptionist to see a "Mr. Art Vandelay" as part of a ruse to ask her on a date. In "[[The Serenity Now]]", George invents fake customers, one of whom is "Mr. Vandelay", to hide his lack of sales success. In "[[The Puerto Rican Day]]", George pretends to be Vandelay (Jerry pretends to be "Kel Varnsen", and Kramer is "H.E. Pennypacker") to take advantage of an open house to watch a [[Mets]] game on television. In "[[The Finale (Seinfeld)|The Finale]]", the name of the presiding judge is Arthur Vandelay, much to George's amazement.

==Development==
''Seinfeld'' co-creator [[Larry David]] based George largely on himself.<ref name="NAN – The Seinfeld Chronicles">{{cite video|title=Seinfeld Seasons 1 & 2: Notes about Nothing – 'The Seinfeld Chronicles'|medium=DVD|publisher=[[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2004/oct/16/comedy.television |work=The Guardian|author=Davies, Dan|title=Unhappy as Larry|date=October 16, 2004|quote=Spotters will know that Jason Alexander's character in Seinfeld, the stooge George Costanza, is largely based on the real Larry David|access-date=August 3, 2009}}</ref> Seinfeld and David created the character as a [[Foil (narrative)|foil]] to Seinfeld's character.<ref name="Docu">{{cite video|title=Seinfeld Seasons 1 & 2: How it Began: The Making of Seinfeld, Part 1|medium=DVD|publisher=[[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]]}}</ref> In the first draft of the show's pilot script, called ''Stand-Up'' at the time, George's name was "Bennett" and he, like Jerry, was a comedian.<ref name="NAN – The Seinfeld Chronicles"/> In that same draft, the scene in [[The Seinfeld Chronicles|the pilot]] in which George and Jerry discuss a woman Jerry met earlier, instead saw George and Jerry discussing their stand-up act.<ref name="NAN – The Seinfeld Chronicles"/> His name was changed to George, and he became a real estate broker instead.<ref name="NAN – The Seinfeld Chronicles"/> George's last name comes from Michael Costanza, a college classmate of Seinfeld.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/1998/05/04/1998-05-04_seinfeld_book_by_real_charac.html|title=Seinfeld Book by Real Character |work=[[New York Daily News]]|author=Tuma, Debbie|date=May 4, 1998|access-date=August 3, 2009}}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> "Louis", George's middle name, is a homage to [[Lou Costello]], whose 1950s television series ''[[The Abbott and Costello Show]]'' inspired ''Seinfeld''.<ref name="NAN – The Truth">{{cite video|title=Seinfeld Season 3: Notes about Nothing – "The Truth"|medium=DVD|publisher=[[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]]}}</ref> Although he is often asked whether he wanted to play the character, Larry David has said that he was only interested in writing the show, and doubted that NBC would have approved of his being cast.<ref name="Docu"/>

Casting director Marc Hirschfeld stated that, during casting for the character, "we saw every actor we could possibly see in [[Los Angeles]]", but they could not find the right actor for the part.<ref name="Docu"/> Among the auditionees were [[Nathan Lane]], [[David Alan Grier]], [[Brad Hall]] and [[Larry Miller (entertainer)|Larry Miller]].<ref name="NAN – The Seinfeld Chronicles"/><ref>{{cite news|title='Seinfeld' boxed sets: Much ado about 'nothing'|work=[[The Star-Ledger]]|date=November 22, 2004|author=Sepinwall, Alan}}</ref> A 2011 article by Bradford Evans in ''[[The Awl|Splitsider]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://splitsider.com/2011/04/the-lost-roles-of-seinfeld/|title=The Lost Roles of ''Seinfeld''|work=Splitsider|access-date=August 8, 2015|archive-date=August 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150820072113/http://splitsider.com/2011/04/the-lost-roles-of-seinfeld/|url-status=dead}}</ref> claims those considered for Costanza include [[Danny DeVito]] and [[Nathan Lane]], while Jason Alexander himself has noted that [[Steve Buscemi]], [[Paul Shaffer]] and [[Chris Rock]] were also considered for the role.<ref>Highfill, Samantha (June 3, 2015). [http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/03/jason-alexander-chris-rock-others-turned-down-my-seinfeld-role "Jason Alexander: Chris Rock, Others Turned Down my Seinfeld Role"]. ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''. Retrieved August 25, 2019.</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.eonline.com/news/663145/jason-alexander-reveals-danny-devito-turned-down-seinfeld-role | title=Jason Alexander Reveals Danny DeVito Turned Down Seinfeld Role | date=June 4, 2015 }}</ref> Rock stated he had discussions about the role.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.etonline.com/chris-rock-says-he-was-considered-for-friends-and-this-iconic-role-on-seinfeld-158888 | title=Chris Rock Says He Was Considered for 'Friends' and 'Seinfeld' Roles }}</ref> [[Robert Schimmel]] also auditioned.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://ew.com/article/1999/11/05/comics-trip/ | title=A Comic's Trip | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] }}</ref> 

On April 3, 1989, Hirschfeld sent a partial script to [[Jason Alexander]], who was in [[New York City]] at the time.<ref name="Docu"/> Hirschfeld had met Alexander when he was working on the [[CBS]] sitcom ''[[E/R]]''.<ref name="Docu"/> Alexander enjoyed the script and felt it read like a [[Woody Allen]] film; therefore, he did a Woody Allen impression on his audition tape and bought a pair of glasses to better resemble the actor.<ref name="Docu"/><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/article/1995/12/01/jason-alexander-takes-wing-bye-bye-birdie |title="Bye" George|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|author=Meyers, Kate|date=December 1, 1995|access-date=August 3, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425194433/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,299753,00.html |archive-date=April 25, 2009}}</ref> Though Alexander thought his audition was "a complete waste of time", both David and Seinfeld were impressed; Seinfeld stated "the second we saw him, like two lines out of his mouth, we went 'That's the guy.{{'"}}<ref name="Docu"/> On April 10, 1989, at 9:00&nbsp;a.m. Alexander did his first official audition and met David and Seinfeld.<ref name="NAN – The Seinfeld Chronicles"/> While in the waiting room for his final audition, Alexander saw that Larry Miller was also auditioning.<ref name="Docu"/> Alexander was aware that Miller and Seinfeld were very good friends, and so figured that he would not get the part. After his final audition, he returned to New York City, and when he landed he received a phone call informing him that he was hired.<ref name="Docu"/>

Many of George's predicaments were based on David's past real-life experiences. In "[[The Revenge (Seinfeld)|The Revenge]]", for example, when George quits his job in a fury only to realize he has made a mistake, he goes back the next day as if nothing happened; this mirrors David's actions while working as a writer for ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', when he quit and then returned to his job in the same manner.<ref name=Docu/> When David explained this to him, Alexander realized that the character was based on David, and changed his performance from the Woody Allen imitation to what he has called a "shameless imitation of Larry David."

In 1998, Michael Costanza sued the show for [[US$]]100,000,000, claiming that he never gave permission for his name to be used and that, because of the character's appearance and behavior, he was not treated with respect.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/202228.stm|publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation]] |title=Entertainment: No joke: Seinfeld sued by 'real-life Costanza'|date= October 27, 1998|access-date=August 3, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,15451,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201141424/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,15451,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 1, 2008|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |author-link=Stephen M. Silverman |author=Silverman, Stephen|date=October 27, 1998|title=Seinfeld Sued for $100 Million|access-date=August 3, 2009}}</ref> Costanza lost the suit, as the [[New York Supreme Court]] decided that Seinfeld and David "did not violate Michael Costanza's [[privacy rights]] when they created the character".<ref>{{cite news|title=Morning Report; Arts and Entertainment Reports from the Times, News Services and the Nation's Press|author=Margulies, Lee|date=January 6, 2001|page=F2|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>

==Reception==
In a list of the "50 Greatest Sidekicks" compiled by ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', George was placed third, behind [[Robin (comics)|Robin]] from the [[Batman (franchise)|''Batman'' franchise]] and ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]'' co-host [[Ed McMahon]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20041669_20041686_20041659_22,00.html|title=We're Number 2! The 50 Greatest Sidekicks: Nos. 25–1|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=August 3, 2009|archive-date=January 16, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116044755/http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20041669_20041686_20041659_22,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> On a ''[[Florida Times-Union]]'' list of the 50 greatest sitcom characters of all time, George was ranked third, behind [[Lucy Ricardo]] from ''[[I Love Lucy]]'' and [[Barney Fife]] from ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/021605/lif_sitcom.shtml|work=[[The Florida Times-Union|The Times-Union]]|title=The 50 greatest sitcom characters of ALL time |author=Bull, Roger|date=February 16, 2005|access-date=August 3, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090923140119/http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/021605/lif_sitcom.shtml|archive-date=September 23, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1999, ''[[TV Guide]]'' published a list of the 50 best characters in television history, on which George was ranked 10th.<ref>{{cite news|title=Idaho Falls, Idaho, Newspaper Picks Its 50 Favorite Sitcom Characters.|work=Knight Ridder Tribune |date=October 24, 1999}}</ref> ''[[The Sunday People|The People]]'' called George the greatest television character on a list of the 100 best television characters.<ref>{{cite news|author=Bushell, Gary|work=[[The Sunday People|The People]]|date=August 31, 2003|location=[[London, England]]|title=Bushell on the Box: 100 Greatest TV Characters}}</ref> British comedian [[Ricky Gervais]] and ''[[The Guardian|Guardian]]'' columnist [[Marina Hyde]] have both called George "arguably the greatest sitcom character of all time".<ref name="Gervais">{{cite web|author=Gervais, Ricky|publisher=[[Ricky Gervais]].com|url=http://www.rickygervais.com/uncut.php|title=Ricky Gervais' Top 10 TV Sitcoms |year=2004|access-date=August 3, 2009|author-link=Ricky Gervais}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/diary/story/0,3604,1378410,00.html|title=Diary|author=Hyde, Marina|work=The Guardian|date=December 21, 2004|access-date=August 3, 2009}}</ref>

For his performance as George, Alexander was nominated for various awards. In 1992, he received his first [[Primetime Emmy Award]] nomination in the category [[Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series]];<ref>{{cite news|title=NBC Tops Emmy List; Blizzard of Nominations for 'Northern Exposure'|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=July 17, 1992|page=C6}}</ref> however, he lost the award to [[Michael Jeter]] for ''[[Evening Shade]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/01/news/1992-emmy-winners.html|title=1992 Emmy Winners|date=September 1, 1992|author=<!--Not stated-->|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 4, 2009}}</ref> He received nominations in the same category the following six years,<ref>{{cite news|title='Damn'ed ambitious|work=[[Press-Telegram]]|location=[[Long Beach, California]]|date=November 4, 2007}}</ref> but failed to win each year.<ref>{{cite news|title=Who deserves an Emmy? Merit doesn't always mean a nomination, so we correct TV's annual award oversights with our critics new honor|work=[[Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois, newspaper)|Daily Herald]]|location=[[Arlington Heights, Illinois]]|author=Cox, Ted|date=July 16, 2002}}</ref> In addition, Alexander was nominated for four [[Golden Globe Awards]]—in 1993,<ref>{{cite news|title='Schindler,' 'Piano' Head Globe List Entertainment: Both films are nominated for awards in six categories by the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson and Holly Hunter also receive multiple nominations|work=Los Angeles Times|author=Fox, David J.|date=December 23, 1993|page=1}}</ref> 1994,<ref>{{cite news|title=Film, Television Nominees for Golden Globe Awards|work=[[The Rocky Mountain News]]|date=December 26, 1994}}</ref> 1995,<ref>{{cite news|title=Golden Globe Nominees|work=[[The Dallas Morning News]]|date=January 21, 1995}}</ref> and 1998<ref>{{cite news|title=Golden Globe Nominees|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 18, 1998}}</ref>—in the [[Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television]] category, but never won the award.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ensemble Theater – Emmy Watch: Actors|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |author=Richmond, Ray|date=June 12, 2006}}</ref> In 1995, Alexander received the [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series]], he also shared the [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series]] with Seinfeld, Louis-Dreyfus, and Richards.<ref>{{cite news|title=Screen Actors Guild Awards|work=[[Daily Press (Virginia)|Daily Press]]|location=Newport News, VA|page=A2|date=February 27, 1995|url=https://www.dailypress.com/1995/02/27/screen-actors-guild-awards-2/|access-date=March 15, 2012|archive-date=February 2, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202205727/http://articles.dailypress.com/1995-02-27/news/9502270078_1_nypd-blue-comedy-series-ed-wood|url-status=live}}</ref> From 1996 through 1998, Alexander was nominated in the same two categories,<ref>{{cite news|title=Screen Actors Guild Awards|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=February 18, 1996|page=Y45}}<br />{{cite news|title=Screen Actors Guild Award Nominees|work=[[Columbus Ledger-Enquirer]]|date=January 25, 1997|page=B8}}<br />{{cite news|title=Screen Actors Guild|date=March 8, 1998|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|page=Y4}}</ref> co-winning the ensemble award in 1997 and 1998.<ref>{{cite news|title=SAG gives actors a lift Franz, Louis-Dreyfus among guild award winners|author=Szymanski, Michael|date=February 24, 1997|work=[[USA Today]]|page=2D}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sagawards.org/4_award_rec |title=4th Annual Screen Actors Guild Award Recipients |publisher=[[Screen Actors Guild]] |date=March 8, 1998 |access-date=October 16, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907174150/http://www.sagawards.org/4_award_rec |archive-date=September 7, 2008 }}</ref> In 1999, he was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series for the last time,<ref>{{cite news |title='Shakespeare,' NBC get most Actor nods.|publisher=[[United Press International]] |date=January 26, 1999}}</ref> but lost to [[Michael J. Fox]] for his portrayal of [[Michael Patrick Flaherty|Michael Flaherty]] on ''[[Spin City]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title='Shakespeare,' 'ER' Lead Awards by Actors Guild|author=Baxter, Kevin|work=Los Angeles Times|date=March 8, 1999|page=1}}</ref> In 1992 and 1993, Alexander won the [[American Comedy Award]] for Funniest Supporting Male Performer in a TV Series.<ref>{{cite news|title=Candice Bergen voted TV queen of comedy|work=[[The Toronto Star]]|date=March 30, 1992|page=C5}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Seinfeld TV series captures 3 American Comedy Awards|work=The Waterloo Record|date=March 2, 1993|page=C7}}</ref> He was also nominated for the award in 1996 (with Richards) and 1999 but did not win again.<ref>{{cite news |title=American Comedy Awards|date=March 15, 1998|newspaper=The Washington Post|page=Y4}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=American Comedy Awards|date=March 14, 1999|newspaper=The Washington Post|page=Y4}}</ref>

==References==
; Explanatory notes

{{refbegin|}}
<ol type="a">
<li>{{Note label|A|a|none}}From "[[The Puffy Shirt]]" to "[[The Opposite]]", George lives with his parents at 1344 Queens Boulevard (his parents' address is revealed in "[[The Cigar Store Indian]]").<ref>{{cite episode|title=The Cigar Store Indian|episode-link=The_Cigar_Store_Indian|series=Seinfeld|series-link=Seinfeld|airdate=December 9, 1993|credits=Writer: Gammill, Tom; Pross, Max; Director: Cherones, Tom|network=[[NBC]]|season=5|number=10}}</ref></li>
</ol>
{{refend}}

; Citations

{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote|Seinfeld#George Costanza|George Costanza}}

* {{IMDb title|id=0098904|title=Seinfeld}}

{{Seinfeld}}
{{Larry David}}
{{New York Yankees}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Costanza, George}}
[[Category:Seinfeld characters]]
[[Category:American male characters in sitcoms]]
[[Category:Television characters introduced in 1989]]
[[Category:Fictional characters from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:Fictional characters based on real people]]
[[Category:Fictional prisoners and detainees in the United States]]
[[Category:Fictional American Jews]]
[[Category:Fictional illeists]]
[[Category:Fictional Italian people]]