Chris Rock Nearly Played One Of Seinfeld's Most Iconic Characters
Chris Rock has worked pretty hard to prove he is a comedic genius, and his efforts have yielded him a wealth of success. Over the years, he has amused audiences with some truly memorable characters, and his vast array of impressive credits within the comedy genre further prove his ability as a laugh riot machine.
The stand-up comic and co-creator of the Emmy-nominated series "Everybody Hates Chris" has been revered by Rolling Stone as one of the best comedians of all time. But it's no secret that most people know him for his work in movies and television. He started with small parts in "Miami Vice" and "Beverly Hills Cop II" before ascending to the level of leading man in the comedy world. Some of his more notable works on the big screen include "Top Five," "Down to Earth," and "Grown-Ups." He also voices the zebra character Marty from the "Madagascar" films. But it is not all fun and games, as the actor has taken on serious roles in the crime drama series "Fargo" and the "Saw" franchise spinoff "Spiral."
The man has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, both in front of and behind the camera. Rock has been a prolific player in Hollywood since he entered the business, and at one point early in his career, he was considered for a major part in the iconic series "Seinfeld."
Chris Rock was in talks to play George Costanza on Seinfeld
Jason Alexander was not the first pick to play the role of George Costanza. While Jerry Seinfeld debunked rumors that Paul Saffer was ever in the running, it has been confirmed that the titular comedian did beg Jake Johanssen at one point to play the part, only to have him refuse. But it seems Chris Rock was also a contender for the iconic role.
Alexander mentioned other actors that were in the running on the Howard Stern show in 2015 (via E! Online), telling the host that Danny DeVito and Chris Rock were among the choices. While not knowing for sure what went down, he expressed his thoughts on why Rock didn't end up as George, "Why Chris wouldn't do it? I don't know, maybe it didn't get to an offer stage. I don't know."
In an interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Rock was asked if he was ever considered for the part of George. The comedian responded that there were talks with NBC about starring in "Seinfeld," but in the end, he believes they went in the right direction with Alexander, saying, "But let's just say the good people at 'Seinfeld,' they made the right choice. [Jason Alexander's] good. He's amazing."
While it would have been interesting to see if the comedian would have been a master of his domain or recruited as a hand model, Rock believes Alexander was the perfect choice for the role on "Seinfeld."