All Topics  
George Costanza

 
George Costanza

   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link






 

George Costanza



 
 
George Louis Costanza is a fictional character
Fictional character

A character is any person, persona, identity, or entity that exists in a The arts. The process of conveying information about characters in fiction is called characterisation....
 in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
–based television
Television program

A television program , television programme , or television show is something that people watch on television. It may be a one-off broadcast or, more usually, part of a periodically recurring television series....
 sitcom
Situation comedy

A situation comedy, usually referred to as a sitcom, is a genre of comedy programs which originated in radio. Today, sitcoms are found almost exclusively on television as one of its dominant narrative forms....
 Seinfeld
Seinfeld

Seinfeld is an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award-winning Television in the United States Situation comedy that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in Broadcast syndication....
 (1989–1998), played by Jason Alexander
Jason Alexander

Jason Alexander is an United Statesn actor, best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld....
. He has variously been described as a "short, stocky, slow-witted, bald man
The Little Kicks

"The Little Kicks" is the 138th episode of the United States television sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 4th episode for the 8th season. It was originally broadcast on the NBC network on October 10, 1996....
" (by Elaine Benes
Elaine Benes

Elaine Marie Benes is a fictional character on the American television Situation comedy Seinfeld , played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Elaine's best friend is her ex-boyfriend Jerry Seinfeld ; she is also good friends with George Costanza and Cosmo Kramer, although she does not have much respect for either of them ....
 and by Costanza himself
The Andrea Doria

"The Andrea Doria" is the 144th episode of American television sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 10th episode for the 8th season. It aired on December 19, 1996....
), "Lord of the Idiots" (by Costanza himself), and as "the greatest sitcom character of all time." He is friends with Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld (character)

Jerome "Jerry" Seinfeld is the main protagonist on the United States television program situation comedy Seinfeld . The straight man of the group, this semi-character version of comedian Jerry Seinfeld was named after, co-created by, based on, and played by Seinfeld himself....
, Cosmo Kramer
Cosmo Kramer

Cosmo Kramer is a character on the American Television program Situation comedy Seinfeld , played by Michael Richards. The character is loosely based on comedian Kenny Kramer, Larry David's former neighbor....
, and Elaine Benes
Elaine Benes

Elaine Marie Benes is a fictional character on the American television Situation comedy Seinfeld , played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Elaine's best friend is her ex-boyfriend Jerry Seinfeld ; she is also good friends with George Costanza and Cosmo Kramer, although she does not have much respect for either of them ....
. George appears in every episode except for "The Pen
The Pen

"The Pen" is the twentieth episode of Seinfeld. The episode was the third episode of the third season. It aired on October 2, 1991....
" (third season). The character was originally loosely based on Seinfeld creator Larry David
Larry David

Lawrence Gene "Larry" David is an United States actor, writer, comedian, Television producer, and film director. Formerly a Standup comedy, David went into television comedy, writing and starring in ABC's Fridays , as well as writing briefly for Saturday Night Live....
.

ough not a main focus of the show, various details about George's life are revealed throughout.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'George Costanza'
Start a new discussion about 'George Costanza'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Recent Posts









Encyclopedia


George Louis Costanza is a fictional character
Fictional character

A character is any person, persona, identity, or entity that exists in a The arts. The process of conveying information about characters in fiction is called characterisation....
 in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
–based television
Television program

A television program , television programme , or television show is something that people watch on television. It may be a one-off broadcast or, more usually, part of a periodically recurring television series....
 sitcom
Situation comedy

A situation comedy, usually referred to as a sitcom, is a genre of comedy programs which originated in radio. Today, sitcoms are found almost exclusively on television as one of its dominant narrative forms....
 Seinfeld
Seinfeld

Seinfeld is an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award-winning Television in the United States Situation comedy that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in Broadcast syndication....
 (1989–1998), played by Jason Alexander
Jason Alexander

Jason Alexander is an United Statesn actor, best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld....
. He has variously been described as a "short, stocky, slow-witted, bald man
The Little Kicks

"The Little Kicks" is the 138th episode of the United States television sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 4th episode for the 8th season. It was originally broadcast on the NBC network on October 10, 1996....
" (by Elaine Benes
Elaine Benes

Elaine Marie Benes is a fictional character on the American television Situation comedy Seinfeld , played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Elaine's best friend is her ex-boyfriend Jerry Seinfeld ; she is also good friends with George Costanza and Cosmo Kramer, although she does not have much respect for either of them ....
 and by Costanza himself
The Andrea Doria

"The Andrea Doria" is the 144th episode of American television sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 10th episode for the 8th season. It aired on December 19, 1996....
), "Lord of the Idiots" (by Costanza himself), and as "the greatest sitcom character of all time." He is friends with Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld (character)

Jerome "Jerry" Seinfeld is the main protagonist on the United States television program situation comedy Seinfeld . The straight man of the group, this semi-character version of comedian Jerry Seinfeld was named after, co-created by, based on, and played by Seinfeld himself....
, Cosmo Kramer
Cosmo Kramer

Cosmo Kramer is a character on the American Television program Situation comedy Seinfeld , played by Michael Richards. The character is loosely based on comedian Kenny Kramer, Larry David's former neighbor....
, and Elaine Benes
Elaine Benes

Elaine Marie Benes is a fictional character on the American television Situation comedy Seinfeld , played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Elaine's best friend is her ex-boyfriend Jerry Seinfeld ; she is also good friends with George Costanza and Cosmo Kramer, although she does not have much respect for either of them ....
. George appears in every episode except for "The Pen
The Pen

"The Pen" is the twentieth episode of Seinfeld. The episode was the third episode of the third season. It aired on October 2, 1991....
" (third season). The character was originally loosely based on Seinfeld creator Larry David
Larry David

Lawrence Gene "Larry" David is an United States actor, writer, comedian, Television producer, and film director. Formerly a Standup comedy, David went into television comedy, writing and starring in ABC's Fridays , as well as writing briefly for Saturday Night Live....
.

Biography

Although not a main focus of the show, various details about George's life are revealed throughout. Though never explicitly stated, he grew up in Queens, New York; however in the episode "The Junior Mint
The Junior Mint

"The Junior Mint" is the 60th episode of the United States sitcom Seinfeld. It was the 20th episode of the 4th season. It aired on March 18, 1993....
" he alludes to growing up in Brooklyn, New York, for at least some time and mentions being from Long Island
Long Island

Long Island is an island located in southeastern New York, United States, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are Borough s of New York City, and two of which are mainly suburban....
 in "The Nose Job
The Nose Job

"The Nose Job" was the twenty-sixth episode of Seinfeld. The episode was the ninth episode for the show's third season. It aired on November 20, 1991....
." He met Jerry Seinfeld in a middle-school locker room, and they remained friends from that point on. He and Seinfeld attended John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States, serving from 1961 until John F....
 High School
High school

High school is the name used in some parts of the world to describe an institution which provides all or part of secondary education. The term originated in Scotland and spread to the New World countries as the high prestige that the Scottish educational system had at the time led several countries to employ Scottish educators to develop the...
, and then they both went on to Queens College
Queens College, City University of New York

Queens College, located in Flushing, Queens, New York City, is one of the senior colleges of the City University of New York....
. The series starts some years after he graduates.

Characteristics

George is neurotic, self-loathing, and dominated by his parents, Frank
Frank Costanza

Frank Costanza is a fictional character on the United States television Situation comedy Seinfeld . He was born in Tuscany, Italy, and moved at the age of four with his entire family to the United States....
 and Estelle
Estelle Costanza

Estelle Costanza is a fictional character on the United States television sitcom Seinfeld . She is the mother of George Costanza and is married to Frank Costanza....
. He has been best friends with Jerry since their middle-school years. Despite being billed at times as "slow witted," George starts out as a moderately intelligent character—at one point, he mentions an intellectual interest in the American Civil War and, in some early episodes, appears almost as a mentor to Jerry—but gets dumber, to the point of being too lazy even to read a book.

George exhibits a number of negative character traits, among them stinginess
Frugality

Frugality is the practice of# acquiring goods and services in a restrained manner, and# resourcefully using already owned economic goods and services, to...
, selfishness
Selfishness

Selfishness denotes the precedence given in thought or deed to the self, i.e., self interest or self concern. It is the act of placing one's own needs or desires above the needs or desires of others....
, dishonesty
Dishonesty

Dishonesty is a word which in common usage may be defined as the act or to act without honesty; a lack of probity, to cheat, lying or being deliberately deceptive; lacking in integrity; to be knavish, perfidious, corrupt or treacherous; charlatanism or quackery....
, insecurity, and neurosis
Neurosis

Neurosis , also known as psychoneurosis or neurotic disorder, is a term that refers to any mental imbalance that causes distress, but, unlike a psychosis or some personality disorders, does not prevent or affect rational thought....
. Many of these traits form the basis of his involvement in various plots, schemes, and awkward social encounters. Episode plots frequently feature George manufacturing elaborate deceptions at work or in his relationships in order to gain or maintain some small or imagined advantage. He had success in "The Opposite
The Opposite

"The Opposite" is the eighty-sixth episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, which was also the 22nd and final episode of Season 5. It aired on May 19, 1994....
," in which Jerry advises him to do the opposite of what his instincts tell him to do, which results in him getting a girlfriend and a job with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are a professional baseball based in the Borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of the American League East of Major League Baseball's American League....
. In "The Seven
The Seven

"The Seven" is the 123rd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 13th episode for the 7th season. It aired on February 1, 1996....
," George says "I can sense the slightest human suffering." Then Jerry asks, "Are you sensing anything right now?" A running gag in the early episodes is for George to lose his temper and go on a rant and losing his nerve upon confrontation.

His relationship with Elaine and Kramer is likely a love/hate relationship. With Elaine, he does get into arguments in one episode, even though he is scared of her. He sometimes wins the argument, as in "The Wife
The Wife

"The Wife" is the eighty-first episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. The 17th episode of the 5th season, it was originally broadcast on March 17, 1994....
," but they also work together—most notably in the episode "The Cadillac." George and Kramer usually feel awkward with each other but started working together (and against each other) in episodes "The Busboy
The Busboy

"The Busboy" was the seventeenth episode of Seinfeld to air, despite being the eighth produced. The episode was the 12th and final episode of the show's second season....
," "The Stall
The Stall

"The Stall" is the seventy-sixth episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 12th episode for the 5th season. It aired on January 6, 1994....
," and "The Slicer
The Slicer

"The Slicer" is the 163rd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 7th episode of the 9th and final season. It first aired on November 13, 1997....
." "The Susie
The Susie

"The Susie" is the 149th episode of the hit sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 15th episode for the 8th season. It aired on February 13, 1997....
" is the only episode in which their relationship is as prominent as the relationships between the other characters. As with other people, George does try to make up with Kramer to get Allison back.

He has an affinity for nice restrooms and lush work facilities. In "The Revenge," he quits his real-estate job solely because he is forbidden to use his boss's private bathroom. In "The Busboy
The Busboy

"The Busboy" was the seventeenth episode of Seinfeld to air, despite being the eighth produced. The episode was the 12th and final episode of the show's second season....
," he claims to have a cursory knowledge of the locations of the best bathrooms in the city. When working for the Yankees, he suggested having the bathroom-stall doors stretched all the way to the floor (allowing people's legs not to be seen while in the stalls), and, in many episodes, he shows a fascination with toilet paper
Toilet paper

Toilet paper is a soft paper product used to maintain personal hygiene after human defecation or urination. It differs in composition somewhat from facial tissue, and is designed to decompose in septic tanks, which some other bathroom and facial tissues do not....
 and its history. The show breaks continuity when, in "The Betrayal
The Betrayal

"The Betrayal" is the 164th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 8th episode for the 9th and final season. It aired on November 20, 1997....
," George postpones going to the bathroom during the entire trip to India, claiming not to trust foreign bathrooms. However, in several previous episodes, George just uses any bathroom available and advocates going as soon as he feels the urge, saying, "if you have to go, just go." In "The Wife
The Wife

"The Wife" is the eighty-first episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. The 17th episode of the 5th season, it was originally broadcast on March 17, 1994....
," George gets into trouble for urinating in the shower at a gym but defends his action with, "It's all pipes! What's the difference?" His obsession with bathrooms and bathroom-related material, including toilet paper, is unexplained in the show but surely serves to reveal George's quirks and neurotic personality.

Although occasionally referred to as dumb by his friends (notably Elaine), there is every reason to believe George is quite an intelligent man despite his neurotic behavior. At this point, George's foolishness, and possibly the show's decision to ultimately make him an idiot, was revealed in the episode, "The Cafe
The Cafe

"The Caf?" was the 24th episode of Seinfeld. The episode was the seventh episode of the show's third season. It aired on November 6, 1991....
," in which George had to take an IQ test and had Elaine take it for him. Apparently, George's neurotic stupidity would progress more and more through his actions and ideals, until it became one of his primary characteristics. By the season six episode "The Couch," he could not even concentrate enough to read a 90-page book (Breakfast at Tiffany's
Breakfast at Tiffany's (novella)

Breakfast at Tiffany's is a novella by Truman Capote first published by Random House in 1958 in literature....
). In "The Abstinence
The Abstinence

"The Abstinence" is the 143rd episode of the United States sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 9th episode for the 8th season. It was originally broadcast on the NBC network on November 21, 1996....
," it is discovered that George actually has what would appear to be genius-level intelligence but that he can never access it because his mind is always so completely focused on sex. When circumstances allow him to temporarily remove sex from his mind, he is able to reach his true potential but at the same time Elaine gets dumber on the same episode. It is the only episode which George and Elaine's personalities have been swapped. Despite all his negative traits, there are moments when George is capable of being brave (as in "The Marine Biologist
The Marine Biologist

"The Marine Biologist" is the seventy-eighth episode of the United States sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 14th episode for the 5th season. It was originally broadcast on NBC on February 10, 1994....
") and responsible, though he exhibits primarily cowardice in "The Fire
The Fire (Seinfeld episode)

"The Fire" was the eighty-fourth episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld and the 20th episode for the 5th season. It aired on May 5, 1994....
."

Larry David's influence


George is based primarily on co-creator Larry David
Larry David

Lawrence Gene "Larry" David is an United States actor, writer, comedian, Television producer, and film director. Formerly a Standup comedy, David went into television comedy, writing and starring in ABC's Fridays , as well as writing briefly for Saturday Night Live....
 (see fifth-season DVD special feature "Jason + Larry = George") and named after Jerry Seinfeld's college classmate Michael Costanza (who appeared in the third-season episode "The Parking Space
The Parking Space

"The Parking Space" is the thirty-ninth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. The episode was the 16th episode of the third season. It aired on April 22, 1992....
"). Many of George's predicaments were based on David's past real-life experiences. In "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, mirroring David's actions while working as a writer for Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live is a weekly late-night 90-minute American sketch comedy/variety show filmed in New York City. It made its debut on October 11, 1975....
, when he quit and then returned to his job in the same manner.

Alexander, from his first audition for the part, based the character George on Woody Allen
Woody Allen

Woody Allen is an Cinema of the United States film director, writer, actor, comedian, musician and playwright.Allen's distinctive films, which run the gamut from dramas to Screwball comedy film, have made him one of the most respected living American directors....
. As the show progressed, Alexander discovered that the character was based on David. As Alexander explains in an interview for the Seinfeld DVD
DVD

DVD, also known as "Digital Versatile Disc" or "Digital Video Disc,"is a popular optical disc data storage device media format. Its main uses are video and data storage....
, during an early conversation with David, Alexander questioned a script, saying, "This could never happen to anyone, and even if it did, no human being would react like this." David replied, "What do you mean? This happened to me once, and this is exactly how I reacted!"

Jerry Seinfeld described the character of George Costanza. Seinfeld stated, "Anger is the key to this whole character, justifiable anger. It's justifiable from [George's] point of view. He got a raw deal, handed a bad hand in life, and he's gonna get even."

Family and background

George is half Italian
Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
 (on his father's side) and presumably Jewish
Judaism

Judaism is a set of beliefs and practices originating in the Hebrew Bible , as later further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts....
 (on his mother's), the son of Frank
Frank Costanza

Frank Costanza is a fictional character on the United States television Situation comedy Seinfeld . He was born in Tuscany, Italy, and moved at the age of four with his entire family to the United States....
 (played by Jerry Stiller
Jerry Stiller

Gerald Isaac "Jerry" Stiller is an United States of America Emmy Award-nominated comedian and actor.He spent many years in the comedy team Stiller and Meara with his wife Anne Meara....
) and Estelle Costanza
Estelle Costanza

Estelle Costanza is a fictional character on the United States television sitcom Seinfeld . She is the mother of George Costanza and is married to Frank Costanza....
 (played by Estelle Harris
Estelle Harris

Estelle Harris is an United Statesn actress and comedienne. She is best-known for her supporting role as Estelle Costanza, George Costanza mother and Frank Costanza wife on the long-running TV sitcom Seinfeld....
), who are described as "psychopaths" by Jerry ("The Puffy Shirt"); "loud" and "always fighting" by Helen Seinfeld
Helen Seinfeld

Helen Seinfeld, played by Liz Sheridan, is a fictional character on the United States television sitcom Seinfeld . She is Jerry Seinfeld 's mother....
 ("The Raincoats, Part 1"); and "sick" by the father of Susan Ross
Susan Ross

Susan Biddle Ross was a fictional character on the situation comedy Seinfeld played by Heidi Swedberg....
 ("The Rye"). His parents' constant bickering and bizarre behavior are often cited as a reason for George's adult neurosis and eccentricity: Jerry comments that George "could have been normal" had the Costanzas divorced 30 years earlier ("The Chinese Woman
The Chinese Woman

"The Chinese Woman" is the 90th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 4th episode for the 6th season. It aired on October 13, 1994....
"), and George describes himself as "the result of my parents having stayed together" ("The Shoes"). Nevertheless, George can be fiercely defensive on his parents' behalf if someone snubs them, as when Jerry's parents avoided dinner with them in "The Raincoats, Part 1." He is shocked when the mysterious man in "The Chinese Woman
The Chinese Woman

"The Chinese Woman" is the 90th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 4th episode for the 6th season. It aired on October 13, 1994....
" is revealed to be his father's divorce attorney (played by Larry David), and George urges his parents not to go through with the divorce.

In "The Suicide," George makes reference to a brother who "once impregnated a woman named Pauline." The brother is referenced again in "The Parking Space
The Parking Space

"The Parking Space" is the thirty-ninth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. The episode was the 16th episode of the third season. It aired on April 22, 1992....
," when George explains that no one in his family pays for parking, but the brother is never referenced elsewhere, nor does he make an appearance in the series. In the same episode, it is mentioned that both of his parents are bald (which they are not). This was before either parent's first appearance.

George has two known cousins. One of them is Shelly, who appeared in "The Contest
The Contest

"The Contest" was the 51st overall episode of the NBC sitcom, Seinfeld. The eleventh episode of the fourth season, it aired on November 18, 1992....
," and his other cousin, Rhisa, appears in "The Junk Mail," referred to by George as Frank's "brother's daughter," although this uncle does not appear, either; however, it is mentioned at another time that George has an Uncle Moe, who "died a young man" ("The Money"). George also had an aunt, "Aunt Baby," who died at the age of 7 of internal problems ("The Money"). When Estelle asks Frank how old Aunt Baby would be today if she had lived, Frank replies, "she never would'a' made it." In "The Doll," it is revealed that Frank Costanza has a cousin, Carlo, in Italy
Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
. As of the first-season episode "The Robbery," George had a living grandmother and grandfather whom he had recently visited. These are likely his father's parents, as in another episode George asks his mother about her mother, whom he never really knew and of whom he had only seen pictures.

Jerry

George's best-friendship with Jerry is arguably the main relationship in the series. Despite their trademark shallowness, there does appear to be a deep fraternal bond between Jerry and George that shows itself clearly only very rarely. At one point, George mentions his dislike for telling people he loves them, remarking casually to Jerry, "I like you; I don't tell you," to which Jerry replies, "We can only thank God
God

God is a deity in theism and deism religions and other belief systems, representing either the sole deity in monotheism, or a principal deity in polytheism....
 for that." Likewise, once when Jerry's emotionally cold exterior gets broken and his emotions come flooding out of him, he tells George that he loves him as well, which makes George very uncomfortable, until after he tells Jerry of his greatest fears and becomes emotional himself, even though it turns Jerry "back to normal." Also, the two rarely get into a major fight with each other, perhaps the most prominent one being in "The Betrayal
The Betrayal

"The Betrayal" is the 164th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 8th episode for the 9th and final season. It aired on November 20, 1997....
," when George finds out Jerry slept with the woman that he (George) was dating.

Jerry and George's friendship is also apparently great enough to not be disrupted by financial issues. In "The Cadillac, Part 1," Elaine and Kramer both treat Jerry differently after finding out how much money he seems to make, with Elaine becoming very flirty with him and Kramer going so far as to claim, "I think this changes the friendship." George, however, still treats Jerry the same throughout the entire episode.

The extreme closeness of the friendship (despite being entirely platonic, as Jerry and George are both heterosexual
Heterosexuality

Heterosexuality refers to sexual behavior with, or attraction to, people of the opposite gender, or to a heterosexual orientation. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions primarily to "persons of the opposite sex"; it also refers to "...
) is occasionally mistaken for homosexuality
Homosexuality

Homosexuality refers to human sexual behavior or same-sex attraction between people of the same sex or to homosexual orientation. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "having sexual and romantic attraction primarily or exclusively to members of one?s own sex"; "it also refers to an individual?s sense of personal and social identi...
. "The Outing
The Outing

"The Outing" is the fifty-seventh episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It was the 17th episode for the 4th season. It aired on February 11, 1993....
" deals with a reporter from a New York University
New York University

New York University is a private university, nonsectarian, research university in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan....
 college paper mistaking Jerry and George for a homosexual couple, and, in "The Cartoon
The Cartoon

"The Cartoon" is the 169th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 13th episode for the 9th and final season. It aired on January 29, 1998....
," George dates someone whom Kramer insists is merely a "femme Jerry." When George is forced to note to himself that the idea of a female Jerry with whom he can have a close personal relationship and also a sexual relationship would be everything he has ever wanted, George, in horror, breaks off his relationship with the woman.

Susan

George becomes engaged to Susan Biddle Ross
Susan Ross

Susan Biddle Ross was a fictional character on the situation comedy Seinfeld played by Heidi Swedberg....
, a wealthy executive at NBC who approved Jerry and George's show-within-a-show sitcom pilot
Television pilot

A television pilot is a test episode of an intended television series. It is an early step in the development of a television series, much like pilot lights or pilot serve as precursors to the start of larger activity, or pilot holes prepare the way for larger holes....
. George and Susan date for a year, during which time the 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," he proposes to her in a short-lived bout of midlife crisis
Midlife Crisis

"Midlife Crisis" is the third track and first single from Angel Dust , the fourth studio album by alternative metal band Faith No More. It was released on May 26, 1992, and became their sole #1 hit on the Modern Rock Tracks chart....
, after he and Jerry make a pact to move forward with their lives. When Jerry breaks up with his girlfriend and declares the deal over, George panics and again tries repeatedly to weasel out of his engagement. He gets his wish about two weeks before the wedding in "The Invitations
The Invitations (Seinfeld episode)

"The Invitations" is the 24th and final episode of the List of Seinfeld episodes of Seinfeld and the 134th overall episode. It originally aired on May 16, 1996....
," when he inadvertently causes her death by selecting cheap envelopes for their wedding invitations, not knowing they contained toxic
Toxicity

Toxicity is the degree to which a substance is able to damage an exposed organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a substructure of the organism, such as a cell or an organ , such as the liver ....
 glue
Adhesive

Adhesive or glue is a compound in a liquid or semi-liquid state that adhesion or bonds items together. Adhesives may come from either natural or Chemical synthesis sources....
. 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 passing, he says to Jerry, Kramer, and Elaine, "Well, let's go get some coffee
Coffee

Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the Coffea. Caffeinated coffee has a stimulating effect in humans....
." Susan's parents, never knowing the specifics behind her poisoning but suspecting that George was somehow involved, never forgive him for this, and they appoint him to the board of directors of the Susan Ross Foundation to keep him trapped under their influence and to ensure that he would never get any of Susan's inheritance.

George's girlfriends

His relationships with women are always unsuccessful and usually end badly. His most disastrous relationship, an engagement to Susan Ross
Susan Ross

Susan Biddle Ross was a fictional character on the situation comedy Seinfeld played by Heidi Swedberg....
, is one of the few that ends "well" for George; he fears marriage, and Susan's unexpected death saves him from the commitment. However, even this comes back to "bite him in the butt
Karma

Karma is the concept of "action" or "deed" in Indian religions understood as that which causes the entire cycle of causality originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Buddhism philosophies....
"—her wealthy parents create a foundation in her honor and endow it with the land, mansions, and money that would have been given to George and Susan upon their marriage. George also dated other women throughout the series:
  • His two dates, Loretta (who refuses to break up) and Maura (who will not make love in "The Strongbox"), make it hard for George to break up.
  • In "The Cadillac," George dates a celebrity, Marisa Tomei, in the park for a short time and gets punched after revealing that he is engaged.
  • In "The Cafe
    The Cafe

    "The Caf?" was the 24th episode of Seinfeld. The episode was the seventh episode of the show's third season. It aired on November 6, 1991....
    ," George dates Monica, who tests George in an IQ test. Apparently, after letting Elaine help him cheat, the end result is the test being spilled with food, and he is left to explain about the mess on the IQ test.
  • In "The Nose Job
    The Nose Job

    "The Nose Job" was the twenty-sixth episode of Seinfeld. The episode was the ninth episode for the show's third season. It aired on November 20, 1991....
    ," George dates Audrey, who has a big nose, until he, Jerry, and Elaine are shocked when Kramer suggests that she get a nose job.
  • In "The Red Dot
    The Red Dot

    "The Red Dot" is the twenty-ninth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. The episode was the twelfth episode for the show's third season. It aired on December 11, 1991....
    ," by accident, George dates Evie, a cleaning woman who works at Pendant Publishing by sharing Hennigans.
  • In "The Conversion
    The Conversion (Seinfeld episode)

    "The Conversion" is the seventy-fifth episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 11th episode for the 5th season. It aired on December 16, 1993....
    ," George willingly converts to the Latvian Orthodox faith for his girlfriend, Sasha, after Elaine mentions that it would be romantic, only to learn after completing the conversion that Sasha is going to Latvia
    Latvia

    Latvia The Latvians are a Baltic peoples culturally related to the Estonians and Lithuanians, with the Latvian language having many similarities with Lithuanian language, but not with the Estonian language....
    .
  • In "The Boyfriend," George dates his unemployment-office rep, Mrs. Sokol's, daughter Carrie in order to get an extension on his unemployment.
  • In "The Good Samaritan
    The Good Samaritan

    The Good Samaritan can refer to:*The Parable of the Good Samaritan*The Good Samaritan *The Good Samaritan - ITV1 drama starring Shane Richie...
    ," George dates Robin after he says "god bless you" to her.
  • In "The Outing
    The Outing

    "The Outing" is the fifty-seventh episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It was the 17th episode for the 4th season. It aired on February 11, 1993....
    ," George dates Allison, who is having a breakdown. He tries to show that he is gay, but it fails.


Religion

Unlike Jerry, George is never specifically identified as Jewish
Judaism

Judaism is a set of beliefs and practices originating in the Hebrew Bible , as later further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts....
 or of any other religion. But according to some hints given in the show, it is most likely that he is Catholic
Catholicism

Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its Theology and doctrines, its Catholic liturgy, Ethics, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
. Larry David once claimed in an interview that George is half-Jewish and half-Italian, although that could merely be ethnicity. If this is the case, the obvious conclusion to draw is that Estelle is the Jewish half of the equation, as the name "Costanza" comes from Frank, who hails from Tuscany
Tuscany

Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of and a population of about 3.6 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence.Tuscany is known for its landscapes and its artistic legacy....
, and all references to the possible Catholicism of the Costanza family to aspects of Frank, not Estelle.

  • In the episode "The Fatigues
    The Fatigues

    "The Fatigues" is the 140th episode of the hit sitcom Seinfeld. This was the sixth episode for the eighth season. It aired on October 31, 1996....
    ," it is learned that Frank, George's father, is a member of the Knights of Columbus
    Knights of Columbus

    The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Roman Catholic Church Fraternal and service organizations. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus and describes itself as being dedicated to the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism....
    , an all-Catholic fraternal organization.
  • It is revealed Frank has relatives in Italy
    Italy

    Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
     and lived in Italy for part of his early childhood. Additionally, in "The Calzone
    The Calzone

    "The Calzone" is the 130th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 20th episode for the 7th season. It aired on April 25, 1996....
    ," George points out that Costanza is Italian and that he and the Paisano's clerk are like family because of that. The primary religion in Italy is Roman Catholicism.
  • In "The Understudy," Jerry tells Elaine that Frank Costanza sold religious articles, such as statues of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary
    Blessed Virgin Mary

    The Blessed Virgin Mary, sometimes shortened to The Blessed Virgin or The Virgin Mary, is a traditional title used by most Christians and most specifically used by liturgical Christians such as Roman Catholics, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholics, and some others to describe Mary, mother of Jesus, the mother of...
    , which are obviously symbols of the Christian faith.
  • George sometimes refers to "Mother of God!" using it as an expression of being stunned (e.g., in "The Rye
    The Rye

    "The Rye" is the 121st episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 11th episode for the seventh season. It aired on January 4, 1996....
    "), although it is probably only an expression.
  • In the episode "Festivus
    Festivus

    Festivus is an annual holiday created by writer Dan O'Keefe and introduced into popular culture by his son Daniel, a scriptwriter for the TV show Seinfeld....
    ," it is mentioned that Frank rejects all the commercial and religious aspects of Christmas. As this began after George was born, it seems reasonable to suspect that, before this time, at least, he was raised Christian.


Other allusions to the question of religion:

  • In "The Conversion
    The Conversion (Seinfeld episode)

    "The Conversion" is the seventy-fifth episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 11th episode for the 5th season. It aired on December 16, 1993....
    ," George converts to Latvian Orthodox so that he can continue to date his girlfriend who will date only within her faith. When George's parents discover his plan to convert, they are furious (Frank thinks that it is the group that "goes around mutilating squirrels").
  • In "The Strike," it is revealed that George's father, Frank, invented the December holiday Festivus
    Festivus

    Festivus is an annual holiday created by writer Dan O'Keefe and introduced into popular culture by his son Daniel, a scriptwriter for the TV show Seinfeld....
     to counter the commercialism
    Commercialism

    Commercialism, in its original meaning, is the practices, methods, aims, and spirit of commerce or business. Today, however, it primarily refers to the tendency within capitalism to turn everything into objects, images, and services sold for the purpose of generating net income....
     of Christmas
    Christmas

    Christmas , also referred to as Christmas Day, is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus. The day marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts Twelve Days of Christmas....
    . When George was a child
    Child

    A child is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor , otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority....
    , he was forced to celebrate the holiday, and, as a result, George hates Festivus. George shows his feelings for the holiday when he refuses to take down Frank in the Feats of Strength (but Frank makes him do it anyway).
  • In "The Pilot," it is revealed that George does not believe in God except for the "bad things" in life.


Professional life

George's professional life is unstable. He is unable to remain in any job for any great length of time before making an embarrassing blunder and getting fired. Very often, the blunder is lying and trying to cover it up, only to have it all fall apart.

Over the course of the series, he works for a real estate–transaction services firm (Rick Bahr Properties), a rest stop–supply company (Sanalac), Elaine's company (Pendant Publishing), the New York Yankees
New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are a professional baseball based in the Borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of the American League East of Major League Baseball's American League....
 (his longest running job), a playground-equipment company (Play Now), an industrial smoothing company (Kruger Industrial Smoothing), and other places. He is fired from his job at Pendant Publishing for having sex with the cleaning woman on his desk in "The Red Dot
The Red Dot

"The Red Dot" is the twenty-ninth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. The episode was the twelfth episode for the show's third season. It aired on December 11, 1991....
" (he professes he has always been attracted to cleaning women).

His original job when the series starts is as a real estate
Real estate

Real estate is a law term that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings, specifically property that is fixed in location.
 agent; he ends up quitting, only to slip his boss a mickey
Mickey Finn (drugs)

A Mickey Finn is a slang term for a drink laced with a Psychoactive drug given to someone without their knowledge in order to incapacitate them....
 in "The Revenge." It remains to be seen why George would be able to collect unemployment when he quits his job without any good reason. He always wanted be an architect
Architect

An architect is trained and licenced in planning and designing buildings, and participates in supervising the construction of a building. Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, itself derived from the Greek arkhitekton , i.e....
; he first desires to be one in "The Stake Out," and he claims in "The Race" that he had designed "the new addition to the Guggenheim
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, which opened on October 21, 1959, is one of the best-known museums in New York City and one of the 20th century's most important architectural landmarks....
." In "The Van Buren Boys
The Van Buren Boys

"The Van Buren Boys" is the 148th episode of the hit sitcom Seinfeld, and name of a New York street gang. Their sign is crossing the hands, with one hand with all the fingers 'up' and spread out....
," he denies his young protégé a scholarship from the Susan Ross Foundation when the young man decides he no longer wants to be an architect and wants to become a city planner instead. In "The Marine Biologist
The Marine Biologist

"The Marine Biologist" is the seventy-eighth episode of the United States sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 14th episode for the 5th season. It was originally broadcast on NBC on February 10, 1994....
," Jerry tells a woman whom George wanted to impress that George is a marine biologist
Marine biology

Marine biology is the scientific study of living organisms in the ocean or other Marine or brackish bodies of water.Given that in biology many scientific classification, families and Genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather than on taxon...
. The plan backfires when George is called upon to save a beached whale
Whale

Whales are marine mammals of order Cetacea which are neither dolphinsmembers, in other words, of the families Oceanic dolphin or River dolphinnor porpoises....
 with a Titleist
Titleist

Titleist is a brand name owned by the Acushnet Company, headquartered in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, which produces golf equipment. Acushnet is best known for its Titleist golf balls, but also produces Golf club and other equipment and accessories under the brands Cobra Golf, FootJoy and Pinnacle in addition to Titleist....
 golf ball
Golf ball

A golf ball is a ball designed to be used in the game of golf.Under the Rules of Golf, a golf ball weighs no more than 1.620 ounces , has a diameter not less than 1.680 in , and performs within specified velocity, distance, and symmetry limits....
 in its blowhole
Blowhole

Blowhole may refer to:*Blowhole , the hole at the top of a whale or other cetacean's head, homologous with a nostril*Blowhole , a hole at the inland end of a sea cave through which waves funnel up and out...
. He saves the whale, but the woman tells him off when he confesses that he is not, in fact, a marine biologist; "she told me to go to hell, and I took the bus home."

During the fourth season of the series, 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 dates executive Susan until The Virgin, when she is fired. Following the first and last episode ("The Pilot"), executive Russel's obsession with Elaine has cost George and Jerry a shot at getting a TV series.

Jobs held/places of employment
  • Real estate agent (from the first episode, "The Seinfeld Chronicles," until "The Revenge")
  • Parking cars in place of "Sid" while Sid was out of town tending to his ailing nephew ("The Alternate Side")
  • Reader at Pendant Publishing ("The Red Dot
    The Red Dot

    "The Red Dot" is the twenty-ninth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. The episode was the twelfth episode for the show's third season. It aired on December 11, 1991....
    "). He loses this job by having sex
    Sex

    In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetics traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into male and female types ....
     with the cleaning woman.
  • Writer for a sitcom pilot called Jerry for NBC (season four, from "The Pitch
    The Pitch (Seinfeld episode)

    "The Pitch" is the 43rd episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the third episode of the fourth season. It aired on September 16, 1992....
    " to "The Pilot")
  • Hand model
    Model (person)

    A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who poses or who is displayed for the purpose of art, fashion, or other product s and advertising....
     (until he burned his hands on an iron). ("The Puffy Shirt")
  • Bra salesman for Sid Farkus, a friend of his father Frank Costanza
    Frank Costanza

    Frank Costanza is a fictional character on the United States television Situation comedy Seinfeld . He was born in Tuscany, Italy, and moved at the age of four with his entire family to the United States....
     (although this job lasted all of about two minutes) ("The Sniffing Accountant")
  • Sales rep at a rest stop–supply company (Working on the Pensky File). He quits the job after his boss finds out he has done no work, and leaves to take up what he believes is an offer to work for Mr Pensky - Turns out that while he is seen by Mr Pensky as "Pensky material", Penksy and his board of directors have been indicted so cannot trade, therefore no job. ("The Barber
    The Barber (Seinfeld episode)

    "The Barber" is the seventy-second episode of the National Broadcasting Corporation sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 8th episode for the 5th season....
    ")
  • "Assistant to the traveling secretary" for the New York Yankees
    New York Yankees

    The New York Yankees are a professional baseball based in the Borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of the American League East of Major League Baseball's American League....
     ("The Opposite" through "The Muffin Tops
    The Muffin Tops

    "The Muffin Tops" is the 155th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 21st episode for the 8th season. It aired on May 8, 1997....
    ") (Despite this seemingly low-level position, George gets a spacious office overlooking Yankee Stadium
    Yankee Stadium

    The original Yankee Stadium is a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It served as the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees from 1923 in baseball to 1973 in baseball and after extensive renovations, from 1976 in baseball to 2008 in baseball....
     and a personal secretary, attends high-echelon board meetings, and associates with George Steinbrenner and Yankees team members, such as Danny Tartabull
    Danny Tartabull

    Danilo Tartabull Mora , also known as Danny Tartabull, is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball. Born to Cuban parents in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico, he is the son of Jos? Tartabull, who played in the major leagues from 1962 to 1970....
    , Derek Jeter
    Derek Jeter

    Derek Sanderson Jeter is an American Major League Baseball player. Jeter is a nine-time All-Star shortstop, and currently the Major League Baseball Team Captains of the New York Yankees....
    , and Bernie Williams
    Bernie Williams

    Bernab? Figueroa Williams is a Puerto Rico former Major League Baseball outfielder and a professional jazz musician.A switch hitter, Williams played his entire career with the New York Yankees....
    .) This was his longest-lasting job during the course of the series. While at the Yankees, George was promoted twice, replacing his former bosses Mr. Morgan and Mr. Wilhelm. He loses this job when the Yankees trade him to Tyler Chicken for a supply of chicken snacks and fermented chicken drinks for the concession stands.
  • Play Now, a playground-equipment company ("The Butter Shave" and "The Voice
    The Voice (Seinfeld episode)

    "The Voice" is the 158th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 2nd episode for the 9th and final season. It aired on October 2, 1997....
    ")
  • Computer
    Computer

    A computer is a machine that manipulates Data according to a list of Code .The first devices that resemble modern computers date to the mid-20th century , although the computer concept and various machines similar to computers existed earlier....
     salesman for his father's computer-selling scheme, "Costanza and Son" ("The Serenity Now")
  • Kruger Industrial Smoothing, described as the perfect job for George because there is "no management whatsoever." Eventually, even George got annoyed with Kruger's inability to buckle down and get some work done. (George was employed at Kruger from "The Slicer" through the end of the series, but Kruger's last appearance was in "The Maid
    The Maid

    The Maid is a 2005 in film Cinema of Singapore horror film telling of a maid recently arriving from the Philippines. She has to acclimate herself to the customs of the Taoism Ghost Festival, during which she struggles with supernatural forces....
    ")
  • Worked at Dairy Queen and was fired for cooling his feet in the soft-serve machine ("The Millenium")


Jobs he falsely claimed to hold
  • Architect
    Architect

    An architect is trained and licenced in planning and designing buildings, and participates in supervising the construction of a building. Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, itself derived from the Greek arkhitekton , i.e....
     (first in "The Stake Out" and in numerous episodes thereafter)
  • Marine biologist
    Marine biology

    Marine biology is the scientific study of living organisms in the ocean or other Marine or brackish bodies of water.Given that in biology many scientific classification, families and Genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather than on taxon...
     ("The Marine Biologist
    The Marine Biologist

    "The Marine Biologist" is the seventy-eighth episode of the United States sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 14th episode for the 5th season. It was originally broadcast on NBC on February 10, 1994....
    ")
  • Playwright
    Playwright

    A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or drama. These works may be written specifically to be performed by actors or they may be closet dramas or literary works written using dramatic forms but not meant for performance....
     author of La Cocina, an off-off-Broadway show ("The Pitch
    The Pitch (Seinfeld episode)

    "The Pitch" is the 43rd episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the third episode of the fourth season. It aired on September 16, 1992....
    ")
  • Stock trader
    Stock trader

    A stock trader or a stock investor is an individual or company who trade stocks or bond in the financial markets....
     of some kind (he says only that he is "in the big market") to impress a woman on the subway ("The Subway
    The Subway (Seinfeld episode)

    "The Subway" is the thirtieth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. The episode was the 13th episode for the show's third season. It aired on January 8, 1992....
    ")
  • Latex salesman, although he is only pretending to try to be hired by Vandelay Industries, the fake latex company that uses Jerry's phone number, so that he can still obtain unemployment checks, because that qualifies as legitimately looking for work ("The Boyfriend, Part 1
    The Boyfriend, Part 1

    "The Boyfriend" is a two part episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. The episode was the 35th and 36th episode for the show, and 18th and 19th episode for the show's third season....
    ")
  • Hen supervisor at Tyler Chicken ("The Muffin Tops
    The Muffin Tops

    "The Muffin Tops" is the 155th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 21st episode for the 8th season. It aired on May 8, 1997....
    ")
  • A porn actor named Buck Naked. ("The Outing
    The Outing

    "The Outing" is the fifty-seventh episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It was the 17th episode for the 4th season. It aired on February 11, 1993....
    ")
  • Donald O'Brien, head of The Aryan Union. ("The Limo")


Fashion and hairstyle

George is known for his balding hair, which never changes throughout the series, although in "The Scofflaw," he begins to wear a toupee. He also attempts to restore his hair in "The Tape
The Tape

"The Tape" is the twenty-fifth episode of Seinfeld. The episode was the eighth episode for the show's third season. It aired on November 13, 1991....
", when he begins using a Chinese cream that is said to cure baldness. His hair is rarely seen styled. His clothes are usually very plain. He frequently wears jeans. In "The Pilot," George wears sweatpants; Jerry says that this makes George look like he has given up on life. In "The Subway
The Subway (Seinfeld episode)

"The Subway" is the thirtieth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. The episode was the 13th episode for the show's third season. It aired on January 8, 1992....
," when his clothes are taken, he goes to the coffee shop with a blanket. In "The Muffin Tops", his clothes are taken once again. "The Gum
The Gum

"The Gum" is the 120th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 10th episode for the 7th season. It aired on December 14, 1995....
" has him dressed as Henry the Eighth, which, along with a tuxedo in "The Opera
The Opera (Seinfeld episode)

"The Opera" is the 49th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It was the 9th episode for the 4th season. It aired on November 4, 1992.Plot...
," are the only times he is seen entirely apart from his drab attire. George has, however, mentioned that his clothing is color coded based on his mood. Jerry asks him what mood he is in, and George replies, "Morning mist" (The Trip). Several times throughout the show, George mentions how he would love to dress all in velvet, which he does in one episode. In the episode "The Bizarro Jerry
The Bizarro Jerry

"The Bizarro Jerry" is the 137th episode of the United States television sitcom Seinfeld. This was the third episode for the eighth season. It was originally broadcast on the NBC network on October 3, 1996....
," George can be seen styling his hair based on a Dennis Franz
Dennis Franz

Dennis Franz is an Emmy-, Screen Actors Guild-, and Golden Globe Award-winning United States actor known for his role as Andy Sipowicz, a gritty police detective in the television program NYPD Blue....
 poster.

Pseudonyms

  • Art Vandelay first appears in the episode "The Stake Out," in which George and Jerry need an excuse to give to a woman as to why they are waiting in the lobby of the office building where she worked. Their excuse is that they were meeting Art Vandelay, an importer-exporter who works in the same building, for lunch. In one instance ("The Boyfriend"), George tells the unemployment
    Unemployment

    File:World map of countries by rate of unemployment.pngUnemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work, but the person is without Wage labour....
     office he is close to getting a job at "Vandelay Industries." The name is also used as a fake boyfriend of Elaine. Here, Art is an importer/exporter and used as a cover story for when George is going on a date with Marisa Tomei
    Marisa Tomei

    Marisa Tomei is an American theatre, film and television actress. Tomei first came to prominence as a supporting cast member on The Cosby Show television spin-off A Different World , and rose to fame following an Academy Award-winning performance in the 1992 comedy film My Cousin Vinny....
    , claiming that George and Elaine are meeting to discuss a problem with her boyfriend so that Susan does not think that George is having an affair ("The Cadillac"). George also uses the pseudonym when interviewing for a job with Elaine's boss in "The Red Dot
    The Red Dot

    "The Red Dot" is the twenty-ninth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. The episode was the twelfth episode for the show's third season. It aired on December 11, 1991....
    ." When asked which authors he reads, the answer is "Art Vandelay" from New York. In "The Serenity Now
    The Serenity Now

    "The Serenity Now" is the 159th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 3rd episode of the 9th and final season. It aired in the U.S....
    ," George calls up fake customers, one of whom is "Mr. Vandelay," pretending to get computer orders. In "The Bizarro Jerry
    The Bizarro Jerry

    "The Bizarro Jerry" is the 137th episode of the United States television sitcom Seinfeld. This was the third episode for the eighth season. It was originally broadcast on the NBC network on October 3, 1996....
    ," George goes to an office and asks for Mr. Vandelay as part of a setup to approach an attractive secretary. Finally, in "The Puerto Rican Day
    The Puerto Rican Day

    "The Puerto Rican Day" is the 176th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It aired on May 7, 1998, and was the 20th episode of the Seinfeld . It was the show's second-highest-rated episode of all time, with 38.8 million viewers, only behind the The Finale ....
    ," George pretends to be Vandelay (along with Jerry as Kel Varnsen and Kramer as Pennypacker) to try to sneak into an open house to watch a Mets game that they had left because the team was getting blown out. In the episode "The Finale," the name of the presiding judge is actually Arthur Vandelay, much to George's amazement. George says he thinks it is "good luck" that that is the judge's name.
  • During the seventh season ("The Pool Guy
    The Pool Guy

    "The Pool Guy" is the one-hundred and eighteenth episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 8th episode for the 7th season. It aired on November 16, 1995....
    "), George reveals he has two distinct personas, Relationship George and Independent George. Relationship George, he explains, is the conscientious personality he feels forced to adopt in the presence of his fianceé, Susan. Independent George, on the other hand, is the "real" George. Independent George is composed of a subset of personalities, such as Movie George, Coffee Shop George, Liar George, and Bawdy George. Independent George is the George that Jerry knows and grew up with. George worries that if Susan starts socializing with the group, his two worlds will irrevocably collide, resulting in Relationship George "killing" Independent George. Paraphrasing Abraham Lincoln
    Abraham Lincoln

    Abraham Lincoln was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States. He successfully led the country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserving the Union and ending slavery....
    , he declares, "A George divided against itself cannot stand!"
  • At one point ("The Maid"), George wants to be known as T-Bone
    T-bone steak

    The T-bone and Porterhouse are steak cuts of beef. They consist of a T-shaped bone with meat on each side. The larger side contains meat from the strip loin, whereas the smaller side contains the beef tenderloin....
    , but his co-workers at Kruger Industrial Smoothing nickname him Koko
    Koko (gorilla)

    Koko is a lowland gorilla who, according to Francine Patterson, is able to understand more than 1,000 signs based on American Sign Language, and understand approximately 2,000 words of spoken English....
     because of the way he had flailed his arms when demanding the nickname "T-Bone" back from a coworker. George deliberately hires a woman named Coco to work there, only to be nicknamed Gammy instead.
  • George reveals that, if he were to be a porn star, his name would be Buck Naked ("The Outing
    The Outing

    "The Outing" is the fifty-seventh episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It was the 17th episode for the 4th season. It aired on February 11, 1993....
    ").
  • During a very long period of unemployment for George, Jerry calls George Biff, referring to the Biff Loman character in Arthur Miller
    Arthur Miller

    Arthur Miller was an United States playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in Theater in the United States and film for almost 100 years, writing a wide variety of dramas, including celebrated Play such as The Crucible, A View from the Bridge, All My Sons, and Death of a Salesman, which are studied and performed w...
    's Death of a Salesman
    Death of a Salesman

    Death of a Salesman is a 1949 Play by American playwright Arthur Miller and is a classic of American theater. The play ran for 742 performances, directed by Elia Kazan with Lee J....
    . In "The Subway
    The Subway (Seinfeld episode)

    "The Subway" is the thirtieth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. The episode was the 13th episode for the show's third season. It aired on January 8, 1992....
    ," before George's interview, Jerry even says "Don't whistle on the elevator." The daughter of Lenore Sokol, George's unemployment-office representative, also likens George to Biff Loman.
  • George once assumes the identity of a man named Donald O'Brien in order to take his limousine ("The Limo"), only to later discover that this man was the leader of a white supremacist neo-nazi group and was on his way to make his first public appearance, at Madison Square Garden
    Madison Square Garden

    Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City....
    .
  • In "The Watch
    The Watch

    "The Watch" is the forty-sixth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It was the 6th episode of the 4th season. It aired on September 30, 1992....
    ," a doorman mistakenly tells Mr. Dalrymple that a "George Bonanza" has arrived to see him.
  • In "The Chinese Restaurant
    The Chinese Restaurant

    "The Chinese Restaurant" was the 17th episode of Seinfeld. The episode was the 11th episode for the show's second season. It aired on May 23, 1991....
    ," the host calls for a "Cartwright" to answer a call from George's girlfriend.
  • George's attempt to streak
    Streaking

    Streaking is the act of taking off one's clothes and running Nudity through a public place....
     at Yankee Stadium while wearing a body suit earned him the name Body Suit Man ("The Millennium").
  • In "The Library," George is reunited with his former high-school teacher who always called him "Can't-stand-ya."
  • In "The Wink," Kramer refers to George as Mr. Weatherbee
    Mr. Weatherbee

    Waldo Weatherbee is a fictional character in the Archie Comics universe. Mr. Weatherbee is the Principal of Riverdale High School , where Archie Andrews is a student....
    , comparing him to the classic character with the same name from the Archie Comics
    Archie Comics

    Archie Comics is an United States of America comic book publisher, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenager Archie Andrews , Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones characters by publisher/editor John L....
     series.


Reception

The Seinfeld cast was placed sixth on Bravo
Bravo (television network)

Bravo is a cable television network owned by NBC Universal. It is currently seen in more than 80 million homes and was the first service dedicated to film, drama, and the performing arts when it launched by Cablevision as an advertisement-free network in December 1980....
's 100 Greatest TV Characters. According to Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly is a magazine published by Time Inc. in the United States which covers movies, television, music, Broadway stage productions, books, and popular culture....
 he is one of the "greatest sidekicks."

Pop culture

  • George's famed alias, Art Vandelay, is the name of a burrito
    Burrito

    A burrito , or taco de harina, is a type of food found in Mexican cuisine and Tex-Mex cuisine. It consists of a flour tortilla wrapped or folded around a filling....
     on the menu at Moe's Southwest Grill
    Moe's Southwest Grill

    Moe's Southwest Grill is an United States of America chain of "Fast casual restaurant" Fresh Mex restaurants originally franchised by Raving Brands, but is now apart of the FOCUS brands, which includes Carvel, Cinnabon, Seattle's Best Coffee, and Schlotzsky's....
    , a chain of fast casual restaurants (Moe's spells it "Art Vandalay").
  • In a guest appearance on Curb Your Enthusiasm
    Curb Your Enthusiasm

    Curb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy starring Seinfeld writer, co-creator, and executive producer Larry David as himself, and produced and broadcast by Home Box Office....
    , Jason Alexander guest stars as himself not able to get past the character of George Costanza, describing him as the idiot. The basis of this joke is that the character George comes from creator Larry David's own life.
  • Bungie Studios
    Bungie Studios

    Bungie is an United States video game developer founded in May 1991 under the name Bungie Software Products Corporation by two undergraduate students at the University of Chicago, Alex Seropian and Jason Jones ....
     used "Art Vandelay" as a codename for the map "Foundry," which was found in the "Heroic Map Pack" for Halo 3
    Halo 3

    Halo 3 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie exclusively for the Xbox 360. The game is the third title in the Halo and concludes the story arc that began in Halo: Combat Evolved and continued in Halo 2....
    . The pack was released on December 11, 2007. Also, when a certain grunt is encountered, he will say "The jerk store called—they're running out of you!".
  • Infinity Ward
    Infinity Ward

    Infinity Ward, located in Encino, California, is a computer game developer founded in 2002 by 22 former employees of 2015, Inc., developers of Medal of Honor: Allied Assault....
     used "Vandalay" as the brand name for Captain Price's metal-cutting saw near the end of the "All In" mission of Call of Duty 4.
  • Rapper Lupe Fiasco
    Lupe Fiasco

    Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco, is a Grammy-winning American hip-hop artist. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor....
     refers to George Costanza in his song "Outty 5000."
  • The Chicago based rock trio, Codename: Vandelay created its name based on George's encounters with Art Vandelay and Vandelay Industries.