George Constanza: Comedy Through Tragedy
How Jason Alexander channels his inner Hamlet to create one of TV's greatest characters.
I recently saw a video of Jason Alexander, the actor who most notably portrayed George Constanza on the hit TV show Seinfeld, in which he talked about an experience with a college professor that changed how he viewed his himself as an actor, ultimately changing the trajectory of his career and life.
In the video, Jason explains that he always viewed himself as a dramatic actor, and that when he envisioned his acting career in the future, he saw himself taking important and profound dramatic roles, describing William Shatner as his muse. He studied Theater at the Boston University College of Fine Arts and recalls a time during his sophomore year, in which he had a mid-semester check-up or meeting with one of his professors, James Sproul.
In this meeting, Jason recalls that he was told probably the most impactful piece of advice he got about his career; his teacher told him bluntly, "I know that your heart and soul is Hamlet, and you would be a profound Hamlet…" he paused, "You will never play Hamlet, so you'd better get good at Falstaff."
What he was telling Jason was that if he wanted to have a commercially successful acting career, he would have to pivot to comedy, relating this to Shakespeare's character of Falstaff who is fat, selfish and often a source of comedic relief for the audience.
"He basically said 'look in the mirror'", Jason explains, "You're 5'6, 25 pounds overweight, and balding."
Jason says had his professor not told him this, he would have graduated and went on looking for all the wrong things, and wouldn't be where he is today.
I found this interview and question to be particularly helpful towards understanding why Jason works so well as George Constanza, and why Seinfeld as a whole would really be nothing without him.
It is widely known that Larry David based much of George's actions and characteristics off of himself, something the Jason has talked about discovering in many different interviews, and learning more about Jason's background in acting, I don't think there are many better casted roles in comedies than his as George.
Although he never won an Emmy for his performances in Seinfeld, unlike his co-stars, I believe Jason's portrayal of George was probably the best-acted, most relatable, and most powerful role in the show. I now can attribute this to Jason's background and desire to be a dramatic actor.
When you watch Seinfeld, George's character is like one in a Shakespearean tragedy, facing bizarre conflicts and never ending sorrow at every turn, and from this his character turns his tragic experiences into comedy. George doesn't deliver his comedy like Jerry, or Elaine, or even Kramer. He is not quick and witty like Jerry, he is not emotionally-driven and independent like Elaine, and is not erratic and unpredictable like Kramer. This is what makes him so relatable at times. Whether or not the audience has as sad and difficult a life as George, they can find pieces of themselves in him. His struggles at work, in romance, his existential monologues about feeling lost or stuck in life, his self-deprecation, and his feelings and experiences of seemingly all worldly forces being against him, are things we can all relate to.
This is why his comedic value is so effective, and in my opinion is often overlooked and underappreciated. There is reason there is a larger internet or "meme culture" around George than there is other characters in the show. His daily life of tragedy is comparable to Hamlet or Macbeth, Jay Gatsby or Willy Loman, Eddard Stark or Jesse Pinkman.
George constantly fights an uphill battle with life. As he states in one episode while trying to pick up a girl through saying the opposite of what he would normally say, "I'm George, I'm unemployed and I live with my parents."
He obsessive over his struggle with life, his baldness, his awkwardness, his inability to get ahead, his relationships with women, his lack of confidence, his lost hopes and dreams. Things we all experience and can relate to on some degree. His ability to play a dramatic role is evident in Seinfeld, as his character has many explosions of bad temper, nihilistic monologues about life, introspective conversations in cafes, and nervous and downtrodden experiences with others.
Whether it be trying to be trying to find time at work to take a nap; "I love a good nap, sometimes it's the only thing getting me out of bed in the morning."
Or…
Trying to saving a buck by getting your friend a nice sweater that has a tiny little red dot on it.
Or…
Trying to explain to your female friend that "it shrinks" when you're in cold water.
George's entire character arc over the nine seasons is one large tragedy, and Jason Alexander give the performance of a lifetime, using his heart and soul that is Hamlet, to deliver a character with more layers and depth than Falstaff could ever have.
