“Seinfeld” was just another risky TV experiment before it became the gold standard of sitcom chaos. Premiering in 1989 and co-created by Larry David, the series built its legacy as the ultimate “show about nothing,” following the everyday misadventures of a tight-knit (and wildly neurotic) friend group in Manhattan.
At the center was Jerry Seinfeld playing a fictionalized version of himself, alongside Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), George (Jason Alexander), and Kramer (Michael Richards). Together, they delivered the kind of everyday absurdity fans still quote decades later.
But here’s the wild part: George Costanza almost had a very different face; and honestly, the multiverse of it all is kind of blowing our minds.
The Casting Tea You Didn’t Know You Needed
During a recent episode of his podcast, “Really? No, Really?,” Alexander and co-host Peter Tilden chatted with Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, who literally wrote the book on the show’s cultural footprint: “Seinfeldia: How a Show About Nothing Changed Everything.”
Alexander shared that Larry Miller auditioned at the same time he did; and he genuinely thought Miller had the inside track thanks to his connection with Seinfeld.
Then Armstrong casually dropped the kind of trivia that makes longtime fans sit up real fast. “I know some of the people that they either offered the role to or…” says Armstrong. “So, I know about Chris Rock. I know about Danny DeVito. I know about Paul Schaefer. And I know about, um, Rosie O’Donnell.”
After being asked if there were any other “notable people” in the running, Armstrong replied, “The only other one that I remember because it was so off the beaten path was Buscemi — Steve Buscemi.”
Yep, that happened.
The George Costanza Alternate Universe (We’re Not Ready)
Let’s be real; every single one of these names would have taken George in a wildly different direction.
Chris Rock would have brought that razor-sharp, rapid-fire energy to the role of George. By the ’90s (and especially the 2000s), he wasn’t just big; he was everywhere. Between his stand-up dominance, Oscar hosting gigs, and creating “Everybody Hates Chris,” Rock built the kind of cultural footprint that screams megastar.
GettyOn the other hand, as a total household name with serious staying power, Danny DeVito would’ve leaned fully into chaotic gremlin mode… and honestly? Tempting. From “Taxi” to “Batman Returns” to the gloriously unhinged energy of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” DeVito has long had the recognition and résumé to back up the megastar label.
GettyAs for the rest of the almost-Georges, the alternate-universe energy only gets more interesting.
- Rosie O’Donnell could have completely flipped the character dynamic in the most fascinating way, but was destined for “The Rosie O’Donnell Show.”
- Known for his work on “Fargo,” Steve Buscemi feels like the most off-the-wall pick, but weirdly, you can kind of see the vision.
- And Paul Shaffer, who has become famous for his work on the “Late Show with David Letterman,” being in the mix is the kind of deep-cut trivia sitcom fans live for.
Still, it seems like the universe knew what it was doing. Alexander’s version of George (equal parts panic spiral, petty king, and painfully relatable mess) is basically sitcom perfection.
Would the show have still worked with one of these stars? Maybe. Would it have been the same? Not a chance. And to be truthful… we’re kind of glad the casting gods got this one right.
