On May 14, 1998: There were riots in Indonesia. Cannes was under way. The Dow had made up for some losses. Continental slashed airfares. And later that night, Frank Sinatra died at 82.
But for most of us – at least the 79 million people who watched – one memory endures.
A perfect storm of hype and unmet expectations, the “Seinfeld” finale – that silly trial scene, remember? – remains a watershed moment in popular culture.
But a decade's a decade, and while “Seinfeld” is forever trapped in TV amber, the lives of the principals are not. Here's what has happened to our four heroes over the years – with a quick assessment on just how well they've used their time.
Jerry Seinfeld
Yeah, he's done pretty much next to nothing. Oh, sure – there was some movie about bees, and he got married and fathered three children. Some stand-up here and some stand-up there. But it's been so nothing that he worked the joke into his routine. (“Everybody says to me, 'Hey, you don't do the show anymore. What do you do?' I'll tell you what do I do: nothing. Well, let me tell you, doing nothing is not as easy as it looks because the idea of doing anything, which could easily lead to doing something, would cut into your nothing, and that would force me to have to drop everything.”)
So nothing. “Bee Movie” was a hit. His first love, the club circuit, has been good to him as well. At 54, his rep remains mostly intact. Rumors of another show on NBC seem to go down in flames reliably every year (he made a funny cameo on “30 Rock” this year), and someone during the open mike part of a recent performance asked about a small-screen reprisal: “No. I'm old, I'm rich and I'm tired.”
The lowdown: One of the most skillful “retirements” in show business history – Carsonesque, almost. The chances of producing another show as good as “Seinfeld” are (about) 1 in 1.987 billion; so why bother? He continues to do what he loves (stand-up) and he does a good bee, too. Seinfeld – of course – can afford to be picky-choosy: The vast residual windfall was largely denied his three co-stars, who were effectively forced to start a second act.
Grade: A
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Go ahead – you create one of the most memorable characters in TV history (Elaine Benes) and then step away from it. Possible? Maybe. Louis-Dreyfus has done what she does best – TV comedy. “The Adventures of Old Christine” may – or may not – get picked up by CBS this week (though there's speculation ABC may grab it). Over the past 10 years, Louis-Dreyfus has had three major TV roles – Ellie Riggs, in the short-lived “Watching Ellie”; Maggie Lizer (briefly), in “Arrested Development”; and, of course, spunky single mother Christine (and she appeared on Larry David's “Curb Your Enthusiasm”). Otherwise, she's doing the hardest job of all – raising two sons, 16 and 11. (She's married to TV writer Brad Hall.)
The lowdown: Louis-Dreyfus was stuck with the tired old label/cliché, “The Seinfeld Curse,” by the press for most of the decade until she scored the lead actress/sitcom Emmy in 2006. Then, the scarlet letter magically melted away.
Grade: B-plus
Jason Alexander
In some ways, this has been the most fascinating post-“Seinfeld” life; it's a spin-the-dial career, and where you stop ... well, who knows! He's guest-judging on Bravo's dance show, “Step It Up” – bizarre – while there have been a few dozen cameos, starring roles, and other assorted turns on the tube (including “Curb Your Enthusiasm”), along with a handful of movies since 1998. His two TV sitcoms both flopped – ABC's 2001 “Bob Patterson” and CBS' 2004-05 “Listen Up.” He's started a stand-up career (recently toured in Australia), and the Tony Award winner has also returned to the stage: He's artistic director of the Los Angeles-based Reprise Theater Company, which produces four musical revivals per year.
The lowdown: A career track suggesting both an adventurous spirit and an insecure one. Another possibility: He doesn't know exactly what he wants to do; “Seinfeld” – or at least the DVDs – gave Alexander the financial security blanket needed to escape George, but he's squandered some of that. The job at Reprise, however, may well be the best move of all. There's hope still for the abundantly talented George ... er, Jason.
Grade: C
Michael Richards
Richards was first out with a major sitcom – “The Michael Richards Show” – in 2000. It was burdened by expectations and the inevitable critical blow-back that “it'll never be as good.” And hardly was. The show was canceled after six episodes, and the “Seinfeld Curse” began. Richards did some credited voice work (for “Bee Movie”) and there were rare cameos. He also worked on the comedy circuit, but the Nov. 20, 2006, Laugh Factory tirade ended it. That performance – a blowtorch of rage and racial epithets – was captured on a cell phone, and Richards' career seemed over. He disappeared into the Far East, where a reporter for the Los Angeles Times caught up with him: “That night, when I was insulted and disrupted, I lost my heart; I lost my sense of humor. I've retired from that.” He's back and in production on a major studio animated release, “Cat Tale.”
The lowdown: Richards stared down the biggest challenge of any actor – how to get beyond the character that made you – then seemed to back off. His “The Michael Richards Show” character was part Monk, part Cosmo and reinforced the quandary. After the Laugh Factory incident, he tried the recovery program but remains somewhat radioactive.
Grade: D
Tonight's season finales
“America's Next Top Model,” 8 p.m., KSWB/Channel 69
“ 'Til Death,” 8 p.m., XETV/Channel 6
“Back to You,” 8:30 p.m., XETV/Channel 6
