8 Actresses Who Played Jerry’s Girlfriends on ‘Seinfeld’ & Went On to Bigger Things
Seinfeld was not only one of television’s most popular comedies ever, but also a launching pad for guest stars to move on to even bigger things in their careers, especially the all-star cast of actresses who played Jerry’s various love interests over the years.
Over the series’ nine-season run, Jerry had over 70 girlfriends/dates. They’d appear on the show, inevitably get dumped by Jerry for something completely neurotic, and — yadda, yadda, yadda — we’d get to know them in a whole new light on a different TV show or elsewhere. For many of these talented stars, getting dumped by Jerry in the fictional world may have been the best thing to ever happen to them!
Seinfeld’s Ex-Girlfriends Who Eventually Became Famous (In Real Life)
Teri Hatcher (Season 4, “The Implant” and Season 9 “The Finale”)
Before moving into the spotlight on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Desperate Housewives, Teri Hatcher played the smart and beautiful Sidra Holland on Seinfeld, a woman whose only flaw was her amazing figure that prompted Jerry to investigate whether her breasts were augmented. Her break-up line – “They’re real, and they’re spectacular” – is one of the show’s most memorable parting shots ever.
She would later return to testify against the gang in the finale.
Christine Taylor (Season Eight, “The Van Buren Boys”)
Well on her way to an amazing film career that would include classic comedies like Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, The Wedding Singer, The Craft and The Brady Bunch Movies, Christine Taylor played a seemingly perfect girlfriend named Ellen on this memorable episode. In fact, in typical Seinfeld fashion, Ellen’s demise on the show was caused by her own perfection, as Jerry eventually deemed her too good to be true.
Kristin Davis (Season 9, “The Serenity Now”)
Just before leaping into superstardom as Charlotte York on Sex and the City, Kristin Davis played Jenna, a woman whose sense of humor and nerdish love of superheroes made her particularly well-suited for Jerry. Unfortunately, their relationship was doomed after he accidentally broke one of her beloved childhood toys – an overreaction that only Jerry himself could likely appreciate.
Courteney Cox (Season 3, “The Wife”)
Dan Zaitz/Castle Rock Entertainment / Courtesy Everett Collection
Before bonding with five other Friends on her own show, the future Monica Gellar played Meryl, with whom Jerry engages in a fake marriage experiment. After a brief period of imaginary wedded bliss, their relationship ends up crumbling from the pressure of commitment, and they decide to break it off (shocking, we know!)
Lauren Graham (Season 8, “The Millennium”)
She’d eventually win our hearts three years later as a Lorelai Gilmore on The Gilmore Girls, but first, Lauren Graham was “Valerie”, a girlfriend to Jerry – albeit one with a unique ranking system on her speed dial list (remember those?) In fact, Jerry’s discovery that he’d been outranked on that list by Valerie’s stepmother was the beginning of another ridiculous end for yet another relationship.
Jane Leeves (Season 4, “The Virgin” and “The Contest” and Season 9 “The Finale”)
Greg Schwartz/Castle Rock Entertainment / Courtesy Everett Collection
Marla Penny was not destined to last as Jerry’s girlfriend, but her virginal ways drove two of the show’s most iconic episodes ever. No worries for Leeves’ career – she’d find her footing playing Daphne Moon for 11 successful seasons on another monster NBC hit, Frasier.
She would later return to testify against the gang in the finale.
Janeane Garofalo (Season 7, “The Invitations”)
Carin Baer/Castle Rock Entertainment / Courtesy Everett Collection
One of the 90’s most popular stand-up comedians (also starring in Reality Bites and other classic movies), Garafalo touched down on Seinfeld as Jeannie Steinman, a fellow stand-up of Jerry’s whom he falls in love with because she’s just like him (even down to the initials), only to call it off when he realizes that he actually hates himself and needs someone as different from him as possible.
Lori Loughlin (Season 9, “The Apology”)
Best known as Becky (of “Uncle Jesse and Becky forever”) on Full House and its Netflix reboot, Loughlin made a pit stop on Seinfeld to play Patty, a short-lived partner of Jerry’s who worked hard to get the carefree, superficial man-child to dig deeper into his feelings and express himself emotionally. In typical Seinfeld fashion, her efforts backfired, causing him to over-reveal his deepest, darkest feelings about his friendships and their obviously doomed relationship.
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Puzzler '80s Comedy Classics
Vol 1, Issue 6
This issue is packed with puzzles and trivia from all your favorite '80s sitcoms.
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