To this day, Seinfeld remains one of the biggest and most popular shows in history. It was a huge win for NBC, who paid performers like Julia Louis-Dreyfus a premium for the work. The show's best episodes kept people coming back for more, and even when episodes were controversial, they still found a place in living rooms everywhere.
Due to the show's success, its leads, including Jason Alexander, will always be attached to the show. Some, however, feel that the show's success ruined Alexander's career due to people only seeing him as George Costanza permanently.
So, did Seinfeld ruin Jason Alexander's career? Let's take a look at how things have played out for the TV star.
Certain Actors Are Tied To Roles Forever
One of the tricky things about landing a successful role is finding a way to make sure that the role doesn't completely define your career. Some actors love a challenge, and they like to play a variety of roles. Others, however, are more than willing to just stick to what is working and ride things out until the very end. Because of this, some people are tied to their most famous role forever.
You would think that having any sort of legacy in Hollywood would be a great thing, but being forever known for a single role can be quite burdensome for a performer. In fact, some of these performers even grow to hate the character that they are attached to. It can be a slippery slope, so it is always nice to hear when someone is completely accepting of the fact that their legacy is tied to one particular character or project.
This is something that can happen on the big or small screen, but it can be especially difficult for TV stars to shed the character that they spent years playing. A good example of this is Jason Alexander, who played George on Seinfeld.
Jason Alexander Starred As George Costanza On 'Seinfeld'
Back in 1988, Jason Alexander began his time on Seinfeld as the character George Costanza, and while the show wasn't a huge success straight out the gate, it developed into arguably the biggest sitcom of all time.
As one of the lead performers on the classic series, Jason Alexander was someone that millions of fans around the world grew familiar with. It was like he was born to play George Costanza on the small screen, and Alexander was an integral part of the show's success during its time on television.
For nearly 180 episodes, Jason Alexander was brilliant on the show. There were some other fantastic actors who were up for the same role, including Danny DeVito, but Alexander quickly showed why he was the one that wound up with the role. Had it been anyone else playing the character, he could very well be a forgotten piece of TV history.
Since the show ended, Alexander has yet to star on another major hit, which has led some to wonder if Seinfeld ruined his acting career.
Jason Alexander Did Not Get Typecast After 'Seinfeld'
So, did the success of Seinfeld and his ties to the role of George Costanza ruin Jason Alexander's career? In short, no. While there is no denying that he never reached the same heights as he did while starring on Seinfeld, the truth is that Jason Alexander has been turning in tons of work for years now.
A quick look at his list of credits on IMDb will show that Alexander has had a prolific output through the years, and this is because he is an immensely talented performer who people genuinely like to work with. Alexander can turn it up while the cameras are rolling, but he has also done work behind the camera, as well.
Again, he has yet to star on something as big as Seinfeld in the years since the show ended, but that is bound to happen to virtually anyone who takes part on some of the biggest TV shows of all time. Other performers have found plenty of success after huge shows, that much is true, but let's not pretend like Jason Alexander's career completely imploded after the success of Seinfeld.
At this stage in the game, Alexander could go the rest of his life without acting in another project, and he will still maintain an unending legacy on television. However, he could also find himself starring on another hugely successful show in the future. Ed O'Neill and others have accomplished similar feats previously, so keep a watchful eye on Jason Alexander's future releases.