View source for Michael Richards

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{{short description|American actor and comedian (born 1949)}}
{{other people}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Michael Richards
| image              = Michael Richards (1993).jpg
| caption            = Richards at the [[45th Primetime Emmy Awards]] in 1993
| birth_name         = Michael Anthony Richards
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1949|7|24|mf=y}}
| 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>
| occupation         = {{hlist|Actor|comedian}}
| years_active       = 1979–present
| alma_mater         = [[Los Angeles Valley College]]<br>[[California Institute of the Arts]]<br>[[The Evergreen State College]] [[Bachelor of Arts|(BA)]]
| spouse             = {{ubl|{{marriage|Cathleen Lyons|1974|1993|end=divorced}}<ref name="People">{{cite news |date=May 14, 1998 |title=Michael Richards Tv's Top Jive-talking Hipster-doofus Fell for His Audience, and Vice Versa. Farewell, Cosmo, and Giddyup! |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20063576,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022071915/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20063576,00.html |archive-date=2013-10-22 |access-date=December 27, 2012 |work=[[People (magazine)|People]]}}</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>}}
| children           = 2
| module             = {{Infobox military person
| embed         = yes
| allegiance    = {{USA}}
| branch        = {{flagicon image|Flag of the United States Army.svg}} [[United States Army|U.S. Army]]
| serviceyears  = 1970–1972
| rank          = 
| battles       = 
| awards        = }}
}}

'''Michael Anthony Richards''' (born July 24, 1949) is an American actor and 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 [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC's]] ''[[Fridays (TV series)|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 (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. 

In 2006, Richards 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 [[List of Curb Your Enthusiasm episodes#Season 7 (2009)|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]]''.

==Early life==
[[File:Michael Richards HS Yearbook.jpeg|thumb|right|165px|Richards as a senior at [[Thousand Oaks High School]] in [[Thousand Oaks, California]] (1967)]]

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="pp">{{cite magazine |last=Lipton |first=Michael A. |date=March 8, 1993 |title=Man Overboard! |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20109913,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140125215849/https://people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20109913,00.html |archive-date=2014-01-25 |access-date=July 14, 2015 |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]}}</ref> He later learned his mother's pregnancy was the result of a sexual assault and that she considered abortion and adoption before deciding to raise him as a single mother. 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>

Richards graduated from [[Thousand Oaks High School]]. In 1968, he appeared as a contestant on ''[[The Dating Game]]'' but was not chosen for a 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 |work=NetWorthDekho |url=https://networthdekho.com/michael-richards-net-worth/ |access-date=2022-12-29 |language=en-US}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Richards |first=Michael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YkvzEAAAQBAJ |title=Entrances and Exits |date=2024-06-04 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-63758-914-4 |language=en}}</ref>

==Career==
=== 1979–1989: Early career ===
[[File:MichaelRichards1983.jpg|thumb|180px|Richards in 1983]]
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's 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>

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.

===1989–2005: ''Seinfeld'' and rise to prominence===
[[File:Michael Richards Jerry Seinfeld.jpg|thumb|Richards with [[Jerry Seinfeld]] at the [[44th Primetime Emmy Awards]] in 1992]]

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]]".

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]]''.

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-[[Television producer|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#The Seinfeld "curse"|''Seinfeld'' curse]]" as to why the show failed.<ref name="background"/>

According to an interview with executive producer David Hoberman, ABC first conceived the series ''[[Monk (TV series)|Monk]]'' with Richards in mind for the titular role; an [[Inspector Clouseau]]–like character suffering from [[obsessive–compulsive disorder|obsessive-compulsive disorder]]. Richards ultimately turned down the role.<ref>from "Mr Monk and His Origins," a special feature packaged with the Season One DVDs.</ref>

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{{nbsp}}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 rant using racist epithets and remarks 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]], ''[[Planet of the Apes]]'', 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 |newspaper=[[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:

{{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 -->

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 to appear via satellite during a broadcast of the ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'', where Richards was recorded saying: "I'm not doing too good. I lost my temper on stage, I was at a comedy club trying to do my act and I got heckled and I took it badly and went into a rage. And uh, said some pretty, uh, nasty things to some Afro-Americans."<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=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jesse-jackson-talks-to-michael-richards/|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&nbsp;... 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>

Richards's popularity among the general public declined after the tape was released. A [[Gallup Inc.|Gallup]] poll conducted in late November found that only 41 percent of Americans still held a favorable view of Richards. By contrast, other ''Seinfeld'' cast members' favorability ratings were in the 70s and 80s.<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]]'', ''[[WWE Raw|Monday Night Raw]]'' and ''[[Smiling Friends]]''. 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 Richards's apology, in the song "The Kramer" on ''[[The Mixtape About Nothing]]'' album.

One year after the incident, Richards voiced the 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 |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>

===2013–present===
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''. 

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 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 |last1=Celebretainment |first1=By }}</ref> Richards released 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>

==Personal life==
Richards and his first wife, a family [[Therapy|therapist]], were married for 18 years. They have one daughter, born 1975. They separated in 1992 and divorced the following year.<ref name="People" /><ref name="pp" /> Through their daughter, Richards has two grandchildren.<ref>{{cite web |title=Michael Richards reveals his son's favorite 'Seinfeld' character ... and it's not Kramer |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/michael-richards-reveals-son-favorite-014536786.html |website=www.yahoo.com|date=June 5, 2024 }}</ref>

In 2010, Richards married his girlfriend of eight years. They have one son, born 2011.<ref name="year" />

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 revealed in his 2024 memoir ''Entrances and Exits'' that he survived stage 1 prostate cancer in 2018 via the [[prostatectomy|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>

==Filmography==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable"| Notes
|-
| 1982 || ''[[Young Doctors in Love]]'' || Malamud Callahan ||
|-
|rowspan=2| 1984 || ''[[The House of God (film)|The House of God]]'' || Dr. Pinkus ||
|-
| ''[[The Ratings Game]]'' || Sal || 
|-
| 1985 || ''[[Transylvania 6-5000 (1985 film)|Transylvania 6-5000]]'' || Fejos ||
|-
| 1986 || ''[[Whoops Apocalypse (film)|Whoops Apocalypse]]'' || Lacrobat ||
|-
| 1987 || ''Choice Chance and Control'' || Victor Loudon || Driver's Ed video
|-
| 1989 || ''[[UHF (film)|UHF]]'' || Stanley Spadowski ||
|-
| 1990 || ''[[Problem Child (film)|Problem Child]]'' || Martin Beck ||
|-
|rowspan=2| 1993 || ''[[Coneheads (film)|Coneheads]]'' || Motel Clerk ||
|-
| ''[[So I Married an Axe Murderer]]'' || Insensitive Man ||
|-
| 1994 || ''[[Airheads]]'' || Doug Beech ||
|-
| 1995 || ''[[Unstrung Heroes]]'' || Danny Lidz ||
|-
|rowspan=2| 1997 || ''[[Redux Riding Hood]]'' || [[Big Bad Wolf|The Wolf]] || Voice; Short film
|-
| ''[[Trial and Error (1997 film)|Trial and Error]]'' || Richard "Ricky" Rietti ||
|-
| 2007 || ''[[Bee Movie]]'' || Bud Ditchwater || Voice<ref>{{cite web |title=Jerry Seinfeld Might Have Been The Only Person Who Stood By Michael Richards After His Outburst |url=https://www.thethings.com/what-jerry-seinfeld-said-about-michael-richards-outburst/ |website=www.thethings.com|date=September 16, 2023 }}</ref>
|-
| 2013 || ''Walk the Light'' || Lester || Short film
|-
| 2019 || ''[[Faith, Hope & Love]]'' || Daddy Hogwood || 
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable"| Notes
|-
| 1980–1982 || ''[[Fridays (TV series)|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
|-
|rowspan=4| 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
|-
|rowspan=6| 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 (1980 TV series)|It's a Living]]'' || Hager || Episode: "Desperate Hours"
|-
| ''[[Hill Street Blues]]'' || Special Agent Durpe || Episode: "An Oy for an Oy"
|-
|rowspan=3| 1986 || ''[[Miami Vice]]'' || Pagone || Episode: "The Fix"
|-
| ''[[A Year in the Life]]'' || Ronnie || 3 episodes
|-
| ''[[Fresno (TV miniseries)|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]] || Main role; 178 episodes|178 episodes
|-
|rowspan=3| 1992 || ''[[Dinosaurs (TV series)|Dinosaurs]]'' || Director || Voice<br/>Episode: "Wesayso Knows Best"
|-
| ''[[Mad About You]]'' || Cosmo Kramer || Episode: "The Apartment"
|-
| ''[[The Larry Sanders Show]]'' || Himself || Episode: "The Flirt Episode"
|-
| 1996 || ''[[London Suite (film)|London Suite]]'' || Mark Ferris || Television film
|-
|rowspan=2| 2000 || ''[[David Copperfield (2000 film)|David Copperfield]]'' || [[Wilkins Micawber|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<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>
|-
| 2012–2014 || ''[[Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee]]'' || Himself / Dick Corcoran || 4 episodes
|-
| 2013–2014 || ''[[Kirstie (TV series)|Kirstie]]'' || Frank || 12 episodes
|}

== Awards and nominations ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Association 
! Category
! Performance
! Result
! class=unsortable|{{Abbreviation|Ref.|References}}
|-
|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>
|-
|1995 || [[American Comedy Award|Funniest Supporting Male in a Television Series]] || rowspan=2|''Seinfeld'' || {{nom}} || <ref name="awards" />

|-
|1996 || Funniest Supporting Male in a Television Series || {{nom}} || <ref name="awards" />
|-
|[[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>
|-
|[[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>
|-
|[[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>
|- 
|[[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>
|-
|[[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>
|-
|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" />
|-
| [[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>
|-
| 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}}{{Dead link|date=October 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>
|-
| [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series|Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series]] || {{nom}} 
|-
| 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}}{{Dead link|date=October 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>
|-
| Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series || {{nom}} 
|-
| 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}}{{Dead link|date=October 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>
|-
| Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series || {{nom}} 
|-
|}

== Bibliography ==
* Richards, Michael (June 4, 2024). ''Entrances and Exits''. Permuted Press. {{ISBN|978-1637589137}}.

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|auto=y}}
*{{IMDb name|724245}}
*{{Charlie Rose guest|3}}

{{EmmyAward ComedySupportingActor 1976-2000}}

{{Authority control}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Michael}}
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