Jason Alexander is known to TV hearing around the world , of class , as George Costanza onSeinfeld , a role which garnered him six Emmy and four Golden Globe nominations , an American Television Award and two American Comedy Awards . He ’s also appeared in legion films likePretty Woman , in TV commercial message , and in Broadway musical comedy where he pull ahead a Tony for his role inJerome Robbins ' Broadway . He also starred alongside Martin Short in the acclaimed L.A. output ofThe Producers . More recently , he ’s been direct things like Sam Shepard’sGod of Hellas well as his own newly - adjust rendition ofDamn Yankeesfor the Los Angeles Reprise Theater Company , where he serves as Artistic Director . Jason is also a spokesman forOneVoice , an organization invest to promoting peace between Israelis and Palestinians . Through his interest in giving back to the community , I had the beneficial fortune of interviewing him after he spoke at a gala stock raising event for a Jacob’s ladder I ’m involved with . ( You mayrecallour late crusade to eradicate thirst here in Los Angeles . ) He was , as he always is , blunt and screaming . Please feel free to sink a commentary at the closing of the interview telling us your all - clip favorite Jason Alexander moment .
DI : You ’re a man of many talent : actor , stand - up comedian , musical theater maven , magician , poker game player . Which do you enjoy the most ?
JA : You left out : writer , film director , warlike artist and sex symbol . Now here ’s my favourite " “ forefather . DI : You ’ve worked with some of the greats of stage and screen ( magnanimous and small-scale ) . From Jerry Robbins to Jerry Seinfeld , from Julia Louis - Dreyfus to Julia Roberts . Who ’s been the most influential ?
JA : skillful director I ’ve ever had " “ Joe Mantello ( Love , Valor , Compassion ) ; practiced instructor " “ Larry Moss . The wordgeniusgets thrown around a raft . I ’ve only adjoin two in my line of work " “ Stephen Sondheim and Jerome Robbins . They call up like no other the great unwashed I know . I understand more from knowing them . I am a good person because of what they have give the earthly concern .
DI : The name on your giving birth certificate is Jay Scott Greenspan . Okay : we get Jason from Jay S but what about Alexander ? Where ’d that follow from ?
JA : Alexander the Great , clearly . Okay , I lie down . I cogitate I would be Jason Scott , but when I go to cross-file in the sum with that name , it was taken with every potential spelling " “ admit Jaisin Skot . Feeling badly about not using my family name , I made a snap decision to take my dad ’s first name as my last one for the phase . Hence " “ Jason Alexander .
DI : If you could have lunch with anyone deceased , who would it be ?
JA : Mahatma Gandhi . First , he was always fast so I doubt it would be a big bill if I had to pick up the check . Second , I require to live how so much wisdom , courage and strength could reside in a single soul . If the Mahatma could n’t make it , I ’d take Ben Kingsley for an hour " “ but he ’s not stagnant .
JA : Diet Coke . Never been a better beverage on the major planet . They should n’t touch it " “ do n’t mess up with it . It ’s perfect . I ’m not losing weight , but I do n’t charge the sal soda .
DI : What did you want to be when you were raise up ?
JA : I wanted to be a thaumaturgist . I worked at it very studiously . A few geezerhood ago , I started performing at the Magic Castle . I gain an award given by fellow conjurer . It intend almost as much as an Oscar . I assume " ¦ I do n’t actually have an Oscar .
DI : Who ’s your god ?
JA : I do n’t believe in idols . Is n’t that the first commandment ? But one of my heroes is TJ Leyden " “ a reformed neo - Nazi skinhead who has risked his life teaching young the great unwashed the seditious , destructive power of hate and the redemptive and miraculous power of decency , education , responsibleness and love . I have done the preface for his bookSkinhead Confessions : From Hate to Hopeand I consider him a good Quaker . I also adore man like Daniel Lubetsky of the OneVoice organization who has dedicated his life to invest moderate populations to take restraint of their own journeys to peace . He is a constant inspiration .
DI : Do you miss the days when you could contain an album cap in your hands and Sir Frederick Handley Page through the liner notes or are MP3s just as right ?
JA : I do n’t get loco over packaging " “ only over message .
DI : What ’s one of your favorite novels ?
JA : I adore Richard Bach’sIllusions " “ The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah . I read it every year on my natal day . It is a remarkable way to look at sprightliness . I ’ve been trying to flex it into a microscope stage musical for years . I must imagine it done sometime . ( Read the book , you ’ll realise . )
DI : What ’s your favorite junk food ?
JA : Double Stuf Oreos . Fantastic with Diet Coke .
DI : Dodgers or Angels ? ( Or should we ask : Yankees or Mets ? )
JA : Honestly ? I could deal less . My uncle , Jack Simon , direct the Met , Knick and Ranger games while I was grow up . The Mets are in my blood . George wreak for the Yankees , but Jason barrack for the Mets .
DI : Who ’s your favoriteSaturday Night Liveplayer of all time ?
JA : That ’s surd because there have been so many great players and so diverse a range of clowning . But I have to say that I consistently laughed out loudly over and over watch Billy Crystal . I think he was brilliant . And when I hosted , Adam Sandler break me up , subsist on the air .
DI : You were bear in Newark , N.J. Many other notables hail from Newark , including Brian De Palma , Allen Ginsberg , Whitney Houston , Jerry Lewis , Shaquille O’Neal , Philip Roth , and Paul Simon . Is there something in the water supply there ?
JA : I do n’t remember much about Newark , but I can insure you the predominant potable is not urine .
JA : I was cake mitzvahed in a conservative"“leaning to Orthodox temple . I had a mega bar mitzvah . A three - hr service that was about 2.5 hours of me . I remember we could n’t have a isthmus at the reception , so I sang with my friend , Brian Clark . And boy , did we make money !
DI : You ’ve done sight of TV commercial message for different types of products . Which is your favorite ?
JA : I did a spot for Western Union that track down on and off for eight eld . It will put my kid through college . I ’d see that a personal favourite .
DI : What souvenir did you take with you from theSeinfeldset ?
JA : I’ve got lots of George clothes . I ’ve got the George glasses . And I ’ve got two final scripts sign up by EVERYBODY ! I ’m not a big accumulator . Mostly , I have nine years of great memory and more laughs than I know what to do with .
DI : When you learn someone call out the name George , do you ever mean they ’re speak to you ?
JA : I used to . But after I turned around all smug - like a few times to come upon they were calling someone named George , I discover my example .
DI : Any guilty delight television on your TiVO ?
JA : Nothing that ’s full crap . It ’s hard to make me express joy out loudly . Family Guydoes it every clock time . They ’re genius .
DI : Anything you wish we ’d have asked ?
JA : When will they remakeFiddler on the Roofwith me ? I do n’t know , but my mom is 88 " “ they comfortably hurry .
