As if appearing on Friends wasn't enough stress for Kristin Davis, she also got to appear on multiple episodes of Seinfeld, shooting scenes alongside Jerry Seinfeld himself. As we're going to reveal in the following, guest-star roles on the sitcom weren't always the easiest, and they came with a lot of pressure given the massive audience Seinfeld was able to reach throughout the years.
In the following, we're going to take a closer look at troubling guest stars, and how Kristin Davis felt about her role on the show. Davis was a major fan of the show, however, that also added to the pressure of it all. Not only that, but Davis also revealed that Jerry didn't help to settle to nerves, and instead, did the opposite constantly reminding her how many people were going to watch the performance.
Guest-Stars On Seinfeld Had Mixed Experiences Working On The Show
Sure, taking part in an episode or episodes of Seinfeld was a career-changing gig. However, on the flip side, it could've also turned into a major dud for an actor's career. That was the case for Heidi Swedberg who received negative reviews from Jason Alexander and the rest of the cast.
Alexander revealed in his memorable rant, “I couldn’t figure out how to play off of her. Her instincts for doing a scene, where the comedy was, and mine were always misfiring. And she would do something, and I would go, ‘OK, I see what she’s going to do — I’m going to adjust to her.’ And I’d adjust, and then it would change.”
Alexander later admitted to being overly harsh, and apologized to the actress.
Other guest stars were also met with mixed reviews. It was said that Lawrence Tierney in particular terrorized the cast behind the scenes. The actor apparently carried around a weapon and threatened Jerry jokingly backstage. A surprise to nobody, the late actor wasn't invited back to the sitcom in the later years...
As for Kristin Davis, she got to live her dream on Seinfeld, however, Jerry added some stress to her role.
Jerry Seinfeld Put Pressure On Kristin Davis, But Her Experience Was A Positive One
At the time, Kristin Davis was advised from her team to pivot from soap operas to comedy, in order to avoid getting typecast. Davis agreed with the idea, and was overjoyed when an opportunity came knocking with Seinfeld, given how much she loved the series.
“I loved ‘Seinfeld,’ and I watched ‘Seinfeld’ super religiously,” she said with Today.
However, getting on Seinfeld was no easy task for Davis, and it took multiple auditions before she finally appeared.
"Seinfeld was tippy-toppy tippy-toppy comedy. So I must have read for Seinfeld five times? Six times? Like, so many times. Whatever part, if they called me in, I would go. There'd be everybody you knew there.”
Davis got the role and with it came some serious nerves, which was to be expected. However, the actress revealed Jerry didn't help to settle her nerves one bit.
"So then the audience comes. It's the night of filming. And right before action, Jerry leans over and he whispers, ‘38 million.’ And I'm like, ‘What?’ And he says, ‘38 million people watching.’ ‘What are you doing to me?’ I was like, ‘I can't function like this.’”
She continues, “He just felt that was so funny,” she continued. “And so every time he had a chance he'd be like, ‘38 million.’ And I'm like, ‘Oh my God. Oh my God. I'm so nervous.’ So that's how Jerry found his fun. Scaring the guest stars to death."
Ultimately, Davis did mention that Jerry was super supportive, while the experience was one she'll never forget.
Kristin Davis Agreed To A Return To The Sitcom Because Of Jerry Seinfeld's Request
During the final season, Davis found herself back on Seinfeld for yet another cameo. According to Davis, it was Jerry's request to have her back on the show, and she instantly agreed to it. Jerry told the actress his vision, which was that people in New York often times run into their exes given how small it is.
Davis went into detail, “The reason I got to go back was because Jerry and I had this conversation about how, here he was doing the show about people who live in New York, yet they never ran into their exes,” she explained.
“And normally in New York, you always run into your exes, because it's kind of a small place and you're walking around the same areas, and you're at the same restaurants. I was just so excited to get to go back and be on the set. I was like, ‘Yes.’”
We assume Jerry made Kristin's life a little easier during her return, without constantly reminding her of the amount of viewers...
