Michael Richards

Michael Anthony Richards was born on July 24, 1949, in Culver City, California. He showed early talent for performance, excelling in Forensic League competitions during grade school and participating in high school and college theatrical productions. During the Vietnam War, he served in the U.S. Army as a medic and was a writer and director for the Army’s V-Corp Training Roadshow. He refined his craft at the California Institute of the Arts and graduated from Evergreen State College with a BFA in drama, after which he performed with the San Diego Repertory Company and in various regional, Off-Broadway, and West End productions. Richards also developed his comedic skills in clubs throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, drawing inspiration from physical comedians such as Charles Chaplin and Jacques Tati.

Richards gained national attention with appearances on ‘Fridays’ starting in 1980, where he created the character Battle Boy. A turning point in his career came in 1989 when he was cast as Cosmo Kramer on the NBC sitcom ‘Seinfeld’. His portrayal of the eccentric neighbor earned him three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1993, 1994, and 1997, and established him as a significant figure in television comedy. His other film credits from this period include ‘UHF’ (1989), ‘Problem Child’ (1990), ‘Airheads’ (1994), and a leading role in ‘Trial and Error’ (1997).

Following the conclusion of ‘Seinfeld’ in 1998, Richards starred in his own series, ‘The Michael Richards Show’ (2000), and appeared as Micawber in a TV adaptation of ‘David Copperfield’ (2000). He made sporadic television appearances in the 2000s and 2010s, including guest spots on ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ (2009) and a regular role in the series ‘Kirstie’ (2013-2014). In 2019, he featured in the romantic comedy ‘Faith, Hope & Love’. In June 2024, Richards released his memoir, ‘Entrances and Exits’.