Summary
- Seinfeld is celebrated for its handling of tough topics, notable guest stars, and enduring jokes.
- Jerry Seinfeld had multiple on-screen love interests, with most only lasting a single episode.
- Marlee Matlin, an accomplished actress, guest-starred in a turning point episode of Seinfeld, showcasing the show's willingness to tackle tough subjects.
Seinfeld is still revered today for the way it tackled tough topics, brought in noteworthy guest stars, and introduced audiences to jokes that would withstand the test of time. Not only did the show make Jerry Seinfeld rich, but it also helped spur the careers of countless guest actors, as well as the main cast.
Seinfeld went through a ton of guest actors, mostly due to rotating through different actresses who played Jerry's various girlfriends throughout the show. Of all of them, many were famous, but only one was already an icon before she ever appeared on the series.
Jerry Seinfeld Had A Long List Of Celebrity Girlfriends On 'Seinfeld'
Given that he was the show's lead, it's not surprising that Jerry Seinfeld (the character) had plenty of on-screen love interests. To be fair, so did George and Elaine, but Jerry had at least 18 throughout the show's run—and most only lasted a single episode.
The girlfriend guest list included celebs like Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Coolidge (who lied to get the role), Courteney Cox, Kristin Davis, who was really nervous about the gig, Debra Messing, Amanda Peet, and Marcia Cross.
Many of the actresses made many other claims to fame besides being Jerry's girlfriend, of course, though an appearance on Seinfeld was nothing to scoff at, at the time. But by the time she appeared as Jerry's girlfriend "Laura," one actress was already massively accomplished—and the show was only a blip on the radar for her.
Marlee Matlin Was An Icon Before She Guest-Starred On 'Seinfeld'
Marlee Matlin may not be a name that is as well-known as Jerry Seinfeld's, but she has made waves in her career all the same. By the time she appeared in "The Lip Reader" during Seinfeld's fifth season, Marlee had already earned esteemed acting awards.
In fact, she was the first deaf person to ever win an Academy Award, which she did in 1986. The second-ever deaf actor to win an Academy Award (and the first man) was Troy Kotsur in 2022, for best supporting actor in CODA (which Marlee also appeared in).
And while fans of Matlin might recognize her best as Melody Bledsoe, Emmett's mom on Switched at Birth. That show discussed difficult topics, as it explored what happened when two babies—one who became deaf and one who was hearing—were switched at birth, only for the secret to be discovered when they became teens.
The show was notable for its time (it came out in 2011) because it featured a diverse cast, many of whom were deaf. Of course, one of the lead actresses was not deaf; Katie Leclerc was diagnosed with Ménière's disease, which can cause hearing loss, but at the time was able to hear.
But Marlee, and other deaf cast members (including Sean Berdy, Blair Redford, Anthony Natale, Ryan Lane, Stephanie Nogueras, Daniel Durant, and Nyle DiMarco) worked together to ensure that Katie's portrayal of Daphne was "respectful and done correctly."
Marlee didn't win any awards or nominations for Switched at Birth, but the show introduced her to a whole new generation of fans—those who might've missed Children of a Lesser God, her iconic Academy Award-winning performance.
Seinfeld's "The Lip Reader" Episode Was A Turning Point For Matlin
Though Marlee Matlin was already a recognized actress by the time she appeared on Seinfeld in 1993, "The Lip Reader" was something of a turning point. Given the show's willingness to explore tough topics (and even NSFW ones Larry David threatened to quit over), but also its penchant for humor, there was no telling how the episode would come out.
Fortunately, Seinfeld's team, including Carol Leifer, who wrote the episode (it was her first-ever script for Seinfeld), were careful about introducing a deaf character who would only be "used" by the main trio of characters.
As it turned out, Elaine was the comedic relief of the episode, what with faking that she was deaf to avoid talking to her driver (a scenario inspired by Leifer's experiences). Though the episode was funny (because it's Seinfeld, of course), it wasn't at Marlee's expense.
While George and Jerry tried to talk about "Laura" while in her presence, even covering their mouths to avoid her being able to lip-read, Laura successfully figures out their conversation. This is, however, after Jerry tells George that Laura is "not a novelty act, George, where you hire her out for weddings and bar mitzvahs."
Ultimately, Laura agrees to the lip-reading gig, to figure out why George's girlfriend dumped him, but Kramer ruins it all with his poor ASL interpreting.
The highly-rated episode didn't win any awards, but it was notable both for Matlin's career (she had just begun a long run on Picket Fences when she appeared on Seinfeld) and cementing Seinfeld's place as a forward-thinking sitcom.
Matlin later appeared in everything from The West Wing to The Celebrity Apprentice, before landing her longest-running role on Switched at Birth.
