Seinfeld Actors You May Not Know Passed Away

Over the course of nine seasons and 180 episodes, Seinfeld became one of the shows that defined the 1990s. It also left an indelible mark on television comedy in the wake of its controversial finale in May of 1998. Created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, and based on a fictionalized version of the former, Seinfeld was deliberately a show about nothing. Still, its focus on the superficial and mundane never stopped it from asking the questions that really matter, like: Can a person die from an odor? What makes someone sponge-worthy? And can we have soup? (The answers: Don't be ridiculous, it's complicated, and no, no soup for you). 

Co-starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Jerry's ex-girlfriend turned co-complainer Elaine Benes, Jason Alexander as his embittered bestie George Costanza, and Michael Richards as his oddball neighbor Cosmo Kramer, this iconic cast of four led us through some of the most outrageous and hilarious scenarios to play out on screen. Sadly, since Seinfeld has been off the air for decades now, we've lost a number of Jerry and company's old friends and nemeses in real life. Don't you just hate being out of the loop? Here are the Seinfeld actors you may not know passed away.

If we want to understand George Costanza's particular damage, we need not look much further than his apoplectic father, Frank, whose impotent rages have been passed down to his dysfunctional and underachieving son. From his obsession with TV Guide to his creation of an alternative December holiday called Festivus that violently combats the cheer of Christmas and Hanukkah, Frank Costanza is almost in a class of his own amid the routine madness of Seinfeld. Frank was such a huge presence in Seinfeld, it's hard to believe he was only in 24 episodes. 

Frank was played by Hollywood royalty Jerry Stiller (father of Ben Stiller), who brought his signature eccentricity to the role with all the gusto he could muster. #DoYouWantAPieceOfMe?! Jerry Stiller passed away in his sleep in May 2020 at the age of 96, having spent the last 60 years of his life making people laugh, from his early appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show to Zoolander.

In a cast filled with literally hundreds of memorable weirdos, Jerry's Uncle Leo is arguably one of the strangest. Uncle Leo also lives in Manhattan, which gives him 14 wild episodes' worth of opportunities to run into Jerry and his friends. Jerry's relationship with Uncle Leo—a man so pushy that he resorts to grabbing people's arms while he's speaking so that they won't walk away—comes to literally explosive moments, like when one of Jerry's packages accidentally ends up at Leo's and blows up. Even after it comes to light that Uncle Leo sparked the conflagration by leaving a can of cleaning spray in his oven, he still blames Jerry. 

Played by prolific character actor Len Lesser, who appeared in more than 500 roles during the course of his long career, Uncle Leo became his own force of nature in Seinfeld. In February 2012, Lesser passed away from cancer-related pneumonia in Burbank, California, at the age of 88. Bookstore owners won't miss shoplifting Uncle Leo, but Seinfeld fans sure do.

Wretched though Elaine Benes might be in her personal life, she demonstrates professionalism at work — at least compared to George. Unfortunately, she has to contend with bosses who are all insane to varying degrees. This brilliant comedic reversal makes Elaine one of the more fully rounded of these all-around awful characters. One of the places where we see her struggle the most is in her role as assistant to Justin Pitt, one of Doubleday Publishing's top executives. Played by British actor Ian Abercrombie, Mr. Pitt's idiosyncrasies almost put Kramer's to shame. 

From cutting his Snickers bars with utensils and needing a specific kind of white sock that must be ironed before wearing to picking the salt kernels from even the smallest pretzels, Mr. Pitt is one of Elaine's biggest complaints in more than the seven episodes in which he appears. While Abercrombie was best known as Mr. Pitt, he had a long acting career that began with stage work in the U.K. and ended in Hollywood many decades later. Abercrombie passed away from kidney failure complications in January 2012 at 77 years old.

While Seinfeld was always a dark comedy, it had moments where it flirted with being downright disturbing, like the Ross family arc. Susan Ross (Heidi Swedberg) was George Costanza's longtime girlfriend and, briefly, fiancée before she died from licking toxic wedding envelopes George chose to save money. Played by Twin Peaks alumni Warren Frost and Grace Zabriskie, Mr. and Mrs. Ross never liked George and made no secret that they thought he was terrible for their daughter. 

By the finale of Seinfeld, Mr. Ross is fully convinced that George deliberately murdered his daughter. We even see him buying a gun, presumably in case George and his friends are acquitted for their myriad crimes and social wrongs. While Frost's turn as Doc Hayward in Twin Peaks overshadowed his five episodes of Seinfeld, fans of the show continue to remember details about him fondly—especially a passing reference to his affair with author John Cheever, which made him one of the first bisexual television characters in history. Frost passed away in February 2017 after a long illness. He was 91 years old and made his final appearance in Twin Peaks' third season.

Most of Jerry's many failed dates and relationships had nothing to do with the woman in question. We first meet Poppie, the owner of a well-known Italian pizzeria, when Jerry starts dating his daughter, Audrey (Suzanne Snyder). The date takes a disastrous turn when Jerry sees that Poppie doesn't wash his hands after using the toilet, causing Jerry to refuse to eat the hand-tossed pizza Poppie made especially for them and insulting both father and daughter in the process. 

In just four episodes, Poppie manages to cause quite a lot of damage, including with a medical condition that causes him to unknowingly urinate on Jerry's new couch. Poppie's enmity with the group extends to Elaine; their conflicting views on abortion land Poppie in the hospital due to stress. The actor who played Poppie, Reni Santoni, was best known for his role as Clint Eastwood's partner in Dirty Harry, and passed away at 81 in August 2020 after a long illness.

If there's one thing we know for certain about Jerry Seinfeld, it's that he's selfish and opportunistic. There's little he won't do to get what he wants, no matter how petty it is. Enter Mabel Choate, an elderly woman who simply wants a nice marble rye. Jerry, being Jerry, wants the loaf for himself to replace the one that Frank stole from Susan's parents, so he attacks Mabel and steals her bread. It's dark out, so Mabel doesn't recognize her assailant until another inopportune moment: when Morty Seinfeld is being impeached. Mabel Choate also testifies against Jerry at the trial in the series finale, noting that he never expressed remorse for stealing from her, a little old lady. 

For three episodes, character actress Frances Bay plays Mabel, bringing scathing wit and impeccable comedic timing to this very physical role. Bay passed away at 92 years old in September 2011 after an accident left her with an amputated leg and a series of unfortunate health complications followed.

There are three Izzy Mandelbaums in Seinfeld: Izzy Sr., Izzy, and Izzy Jr. Comically, all three generations of this family appear to be roughly the same wizened age. Izzy is a resident of Del Boca Vista, and all three men work at their family's restaurant, The Magic Pan.  

Izzy the second and third, played by Lloyd Bridges and Gene Dynarski, respectively, are two of the most competitive people to grace Seinfeld's soundstage. Izzy first gets our attention when, irritated by Jerry, he challenges him to feats of physical prowess that land Izzy in the hospital. While visiting Izzy's sickbed, Jerry runs into Izzy Jr., who throws his back out trying to goad Jerry into lifting a hospital television that's bolted to a table. Finally, Izzy Mandelbaum Sr. appears and also tries to best Jerry. By the end of this absurdity, all three Izzys are incapacitated, but still trying to provoke fights with anyone who speaks to them. 

Sadly, all three Mandelbaum actors have passed away. Hollywood icon (and father of Jeff Bridges) Lloyd Bridges died in March 1998 at 85 after several illnesses, Gene Dynarski passed in April 2020 after a series of heart issues, and Mandelbaum patriarch Earl Schuman died of undisclosed causes at 100 years old in March 2016.

Character actor Walter Olkewicz, who played Nick the cable guy in "Seinfeld," died of complications from infections in 2021. He was retired from acting following several knee surgeries. "He was a good man who pushed his love for creativity and the arts into everything he did," his son, screenwriter Zak Olkewicz, said in a statement (via Deadline). He was 72.

The New Jersey native was best known for his turn as croupier and bartender Jacques Renault in David Lynch's "Twin Peaks" (1990). His character died in the cult show, but Lynch insisted on bringing him back for the film "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me," released two years later. "David said, 'We love what you did, we want you for the movie,'" Olkewicz told The Jersey Journal. When "Twin Peaks" was revived in 2017, he returned as Jean-Michel Renault, a relative of Jacques. Lynch paid tribute to Olkewicz on his YouTube channel following his death. "Walter, you did great work," he said.

"Seinfeld" fans will no doubt remember Olkewicz from his memorable guest star role in the 1996 two-part episode "The Cadillac." As Nick the cable guy, he chased Kramer through the streets of New York City and later hugged it out with him after apologizing on behalf of Plaza Cable for making him wait at home all day. The actor reached out to Jerry Seinfeld in 2019 via YouTube, revealing that his insurance had stopped picking up the cost of his repeated surgeries.

Veteran actor Philip Baker Hall appeared onscreen nearly 200 times in a 50 year career that stretched from the early 1970s to the 2020s. A definitive character actor, he was always noticeable for his uniquely raspy voice and intense stare, which he brought to dozens of shows and movies.

Hall was a member of writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson's repertory players, landing major parts in "Hard Eight," "Boogie Nights," and "Magnolia." He was also part of the award-winning ensembles of "The Contender," "Argo," and "Dogville," but Hall is probably best remembered for the character he played on one episode of "Seinfeld" (and reprised in a cameo in the series finale). He portrayed the wonderfully and aptly named Lt. Joe Bookman, the stern and relentless "library cop" who tracks down Jerry in the 1991 installment "The Library" over a 20-years-overdue copy of Henry Miller's "Tropic of Cancer."

The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Hall died at home in Glendale, California in June 2022. He was 90 years old.

Kathryn Kates had a recurring role on "Seinfeld," portraying an unnamed but plot-pivotal character in two episodes that aired two years apart. In the lead-up to the titular event in the 1994 episode "The Dinner Party," Jerry and Elaine head to the stellar Royal Bakery to purchase a chocolate babka, but are unable to because they don't follow procedure and take a number, enabling someone else to buy the last one. They buy a "lesser" cinnamon babka and must deal with the busy, harried counterwoman (Kates) to return it.

Kates pops up as the bakery cashier once more in the 1996 episode "The Rye." The installment includes one of the most famous scenes ever on "Seinfeld." Once more trying to buy something at the Royal Bakery only to have someone else purchase it right before he can, Jerry loses out on a marble rye to an elderly woman, which he gets after mugging her and taking it.

In January 2022 (per People), Kates — a prolific character actor who appeared in many episodes of "Law and Order: SVU" as a judge and in "The Many Saints of Newark" — died in Florida after a history of lung cancer. She was 73.

The character known only as Vivian appeared in just a single episode of "Seinfeld" — Season 9's "The Blood." She's introduced as a friend of Elaine, and then deeply offends the latter when she doesn't allow her to babysit her obnoxious young son, prompting Elaine to try to prove her responsibility instead of letting Kramer get the assignment. But then Vivian gets involved with George, kindling an instant mutual attraction because they share a couple of specific quirks, such as a love of deli meats and a preference for watching TV while having sex.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Kellie Waymire appeared in mostly supporting roles in indie movies and network television shows, including "Friends," "NYPD Blue," and "Six Feet Under." In November 2003, Deseret News reported that Waymire died suddenly at her Los Angeles home from a previously undiagnosed and undisclosed medical issue. Waymire was 36 years old.

The titular old man in the Season 4 "Seinfeld" episode, "The Old Man" is played by Bill Erwin. After the gang uncharacteristically signs up to volunteer their time with a nonprofit service to assist lonely elderly people, Jerry is assigned Sidney Fields, a cantankerous old jerk who insults his helper and calls him names, and becomes convinced that he's going to murder him (and then teases him when he doesn't actually kill him).

Kramer and Newman manage to destroy Sid's teeth with a garbage disposal, and after a trip to the dentist, he runs away and later resurfaces hanging out at Monk's Café. Sid makes one more cameo appearance later in the "Seinfeld" run, watching the TV show Jerry and George make about their lives. True to form, Sid badmouths Jerry to his housekeeper.

Erwin was primarily a stage actor, a veteran of several decades of the Los Angeles-area theater scene, according to CBS News. He was also a prolific cartoonist, and guest-starred on lots of TV shows in the '80s and '90s, capped with his Emmy-nominated turn in "Seinfeld." Erwin's son, Mike, told the Associated Press (via the Toronto Star) that his father died on December 29, 2010 from factors related to the actor's advanced age. "He just ran out of gas," Mike Erwin said of his father, who died at the age of 96.

Veteran comic performer and actor Jerry Stiller is best known for his recurring role as the perpetually apoplectic Frank Costanza, father of George, in "Seinfeld," but he wasn't the first person to play the part. Frank first shows up in the Season 4 episode, "The Handicap Spot." Some mutual friends of the primary foursome get engaged, and Jerry, Elaine, Kramer, and George agree to buy the couple a big-screen TV and borrow a car from George's father to go pick it up. George parks it in a handicapped-reserved spot, and it imperils a woman in a wheelchair, and an angry mob forms and destroys the car. Ultimately, Frank is arrested for illegal parking when he's at an event honoring his achievements in community service.

Before Stiller portrayed Frank, John Randolph did. An activist and actor since the 1930s, Randolph was in the original American stage production of "The Sound of Music" and won a Tony Award for his work in Neil Simon's "Broadway Bound." Randolph appeared in nearly 200 movies and TV shows and was best known for his late-career work, as Roseanne's father in "Roseanne," Tom Hanks' character's grandfather in "You've Got Mail," and Clark Griswold Sr. in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." Randolph died in February 2004 at home in Hollywood, his family told the Los Angeles Times. The actor was 88 years old.

George Costanza, a lazy, obnoxious, and cantankerous ne'er-do-well, finds himself in a succession of great jobs throughout "Seinfeld," all of which he inevitably messes up and loses. Probably the best and most high profile of all of his gigs is when he lands in the front office of the New York Yankees. In the Season 5 episode, "The Opposite," George is interviewed by a tough hiring manager for the baseball team, Mr. Cushman, who is so impressed by George's resume and candor that he sends him through to team owner George Steinbrenner.

Actor Paul Gleason made a niche out of playing smug, retreating, and guarded authority figures, particularly in '80s movies. He played LAPD Deputy Chief Robinson, who hindered more than helped John McClane in "Die Hard," the resentful Vice Principal Vernon in "The Breakfast Club," and nasty operative Clarence Beeks in "Trading Places." Susan Gleason, Gleason's wife, told Backstage that her husband had been diagnosed with mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer related to the inhalation of asbestos. In May 2006, Gleason died at a hospital in Burbank, California, at age 67.

Kramer is the most inscrutable and mysterious of all the major "Seinfeld" characters, and even the most vital parts of his backstory and identity are doled out slowly over the show's run, and even then, just barely. For example, in the early seasons of the series, Kramer occasionally mentions his mother, and that she has a problem with alcohol. Babs Kramer doesn't appear on camera until the middle of Season 6 in the episode, "The Switch," at which point she's two years sober. She works as a restaurant bathroom attendant, and lets slip to George that Kramer actually has a first name, never uttered in the show, which she reveals is Cosmo. Babs returns in the "Seinfeld" finale as a courtroom observer in the trial of her son and his criminally negligent friends.

By the time she made it to "Seinfeld" as Kramer's mother, episodic television was familiar territory for actor Sheree North. In the early '60s, she appeared in episodes of everything from "Gunsmoke" to "Burke's Law" to "The Untouchables," and spent the '70s similarly landing guest arcs in detective dramas including "Kojak" and "Barnaby Jones." North received two Emmy nominations, for a guest spot in "Marcus Welby, M.D." and for her leading role in a comedy for "Archie Bunker's Place." In November 2005, CBS News reported that North died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. According to the actor's daughter, she suffered fatal complications following surgery. North was 72.

George winds up needing to use a cane after he attempts to shave with butter and sprains a leg in the Season 9 premiere, "The Butter Shave." Then he lands one of last of the many jobs he takes on over the course of the show, at a playground equipment company called Play Now. He's hired by the very welcoming Mr. Thomassoulo, who appears again in the episode, "The Voice" to fire George, the source of disdain and hatred among all the other employees. Kramer gets involved, injures one of Mr. Thomassoulo's employees, and a lawsuit forces the man's company to go bankrupt.

Well before his short stint in "Seinfeld," Gordon Jump made an impression on viewers with important and visible TV roles. For four seasons in the '70s and '80s, he played radio station manager Arthur Carlson in "WKRP in Cincinnati," Maggie Seaver's father in "Growing Pains," and Mr. Horton, the predatory bike shop owner in a serious two-part "Diff'rent Strokes." He also enjoyed a long stint as the comically underworked Maytag Repairman in a number of TV commercials, per the New York Times. Jump's family told the Los Angeles Times that the actor had pulmonary fibrosis, a condition characterized by air sac scarring in the lungs, which leads to fatal respiratory or heart failure. That factored into Jump's death at age 71 in 2003 at his home in California.