Maybe it was the hair that gave him away first.
That unmistakable crown of silver curls — the same wild mane that once came barreling through Jerry Seinfeld’s apartment door for nine seasons — was spotted weaving through Melrose Place on Sunday, May 10, as Michael Richards made his first public appearance in two years. Page Six captured pics of the Emmy-winning actor, which you can check out here.
The 76-year-old “Seinfeld” alum, photographed in a dark jacket, jeans and thick-soled boots, was on a quiet solo shopping trip over Mother’s Day weekend. Strolling solo, it was the first time cameras have caught him since the May 2024 premiere of Jerry Seinfeld’s Netflix film “Unfrosted.” That appearance, supporting his longtime friend, was itself his first red carpet in eight years.
For a guy who once admitted he “canceled himself out,” it’s a notable resurfacing.
More on the Career of Richards
GettyCosmo Kramer remains one of the most iconic characters in sitcom history, and Richards took home three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series during the show’s run from 1989 to 1998.
His career didn’t start there, though. Richards cut his teeth on Billy Crystal’s first cable special in 1979 and became a regular on ABC’s late-night sketch series “Fridays,” where he sharpened the rubber-limbed physical comedy that would later define his role as Kramer. He also made appearances in several films, including “So I Married an Axe Murderer,” “UHF,” “Coneheads,” “Problem Child” and “Airheads.”
Richards reunited with the “Seinfeld” gang on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” in 2009, and he also played Frank on Kirstie Alley’s “Kirstie” in 2013. Most recently, Richards popped up in the 2019 rom-com “Faith, Hope & Love.”
Why Sightings of Michael Richards Have Become So Rare
Richards has been candid about why he stepped away from the spotlight. A 2006 onstage meltdown at L.A.’s Laugh Factory, during which he hurled racial slurs at hecklers, derailed his stand-up career and sent him into what he’s described as an “exodus” from show business.
“I canceled myself out,” he told the “Today Show” in 2024. “Get away from show business to see what the heck is going on inside me to have been so despicable that night.”
In the years since, he has apologized publicly, called civil rights leaders Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson personally to atone, and built a quieter life with his wife of 16 years, Beth Skipp, and their son, Ben. He also has an adult daughter from his first marriage.
He also dealt with a huge personal struggle when he was hit with a 2018 stage-one prostate cancer diagnosis. Richards said the subsequent surgery saved his life. “If I hadn’t, I probably would have been dead in about eight months,” he told People Magazine in 2024.
Richards hasn’t signaled a return to acting, and by all accounts he seems happy out of the spotlight, focused on his family. Thus, Sunday’s outing was just that — an outing. But for “Seinfeld” fans, it was good to see Kramer out and about.
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