Entrances and Exits

April 1, 2024
Cosmo Kramer tells his story. The creation and portrayal of Kramer, the wacky neighbor who slid his way into TV history on Seinfeld, serves as the center of Richards' detailed yet guarded memoir. Don't expect a lot of belly laughs. There are more references to 13th-century Persian poet Rumi, comparative mythology professor and author Joseph Campbell, and trailblazing Black architect Paul R. Williams than there are actual jokes. The author ably chronicles his difficult early life before stardom, including his brief service in the Army, degree in drama from Evergreen State College, and improv work with Ed Begley Jr. Even when Richards found success on Seinfeld, he still worried. When actor Elliott Gould told him, "Enjoy it while it lasts," Richards wondered if it was an insult as he learned to deal with his newfound celebrity. It turns out that Gould was offering sage advice. While Richards delves deeply into his infamously meticulous preparations for Kramer's character--sometimes even outlining changes from one episode to the next--he doesn't provide many details about his mistakes. He only mentions the collapse of his first marriage in passing, and he sort of yadda-yaddas past his well-publicized 2006 meltdown at the Laugh Factory in response to a heckler. "He went low and I went even lower," he writes. "We both ended up at the bottom of the barrel." The author takes responsibility for all the racial slurs, claiming that anger got the best of him. However, he fails to explain why he used those specific words. Richards often says he has a hard time being authentic and letting people know the real him, and this book doesn't change that much. Jerry Seinfeld provides the foreword. Kramer was Seinfeld's "hipster doofus," but his average memoir shows how serious Richards was about being funny.

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June 28, 2024

Emmy Award winner Richards, who played Kramer on the hit TV show Seinfeld, begins his memoir with stories about his California upbringing with a grandmother with schizophrenia who took care of him while his mother worked. As a child, Richards was told his father died in World War II, but he later learned that his mother's pregnancy was the result of a rape. As he grew up, Richards discovered his penchant for physical comedy and a love of theater. Stage performances and stand-up comedy led to his being cast in the 1980s TV comedy sketch show Fridays, alongside future Seinfeld cocreator Larry David. Richards is an engaging storyteller, whether sharing his adventures in the U.S. Army's V Corps Training Roadshow; his interest in literature, dreams, and spirituality; or the number of Cuban coffees he consumed to stay awake as an extra on Miami Vice. He also discusses the development of Kramer's character and goes behind the scenes of Seinfeld episodes. The memoir doesn't neglect to discuss Richards's life after Seinfeld, including a canceled sitcom and his racist rant to a heckler at the Laugh Factory in 2006, which led to introspection and a self-imposed exodus from the spotlight. VERDICT Comedy fans will enjoy this revealing memoir that proves there's much more to Richards than Kramer.--Denise Miller

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