Why Julia Louis-Dreyfus Replaced This Forgotten Character on ‘Seinfeld’
Imagine a world where Seinfeld captured the adventures of Jerry, George, Kramer and … Claire? That almost came to be. In a piece of television “What if?” trivia, it was Lee Garlington , rather than Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who originally appeared as the main female character opposite Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards in the pilot episode of the “show about nothing.”
Garlington, 72, had accumulated a handful of noteworthy roles in the 1980s, appearing in films like Psycho II, Cobra, and Field of Dreams and shows like Sledge Hammer!, Hill Street Blues and The Golden Girls. And in 1989, she landed the part of Claire in a show called The Seinfeld Chronicles. Garlington played a waitress at Pete’s Luncheonette who was a friend of George Costanza. But, test audiences didn’t react well to the pilot in general, forcing the show’s creators to make some major changes.
One change: the neighbor’s name went from “Kessler” to “Kramer.” Pete’s Luncheonette gets switched with Monk’s Café. And another change? No more Claire.
“[W]hen we shot the pilot, I was the girl in Seinfeld,” Garlington told HuffPost in 2013. “They didn’t pick up my contract.”
Why did Claire get the pink slip? There are rumors that Garlington tried to rewrite writer Larry David‘s dialogue for the scene. Comic Book Resources reports that Seinfeld confirmed Garlington did rewrite her words, but it wasn’t a big deal. The changes were likely because Claire would have been stuck at the diner. Instead, the show needed a female lead who could go on the escapades with the gang.
“I think I watched two episodes in 10 years just because I had friends on it or something,” Garlington told HuffPost. “It didn’t bother me the first five years.”
“But the second five years drove me nuts. I don’t know why. I still see Jason [Alexander] regularly. He’s best friends with a friend of mine and I’ve never talked about it with him, but I’m sure for him he’s like, ‘Oh, poor Lee! Poor Lee!” she said with a laugh. “Oh, it’s funny.”
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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