Seinfeld stars’ tribute to Jerry Stiller: ‘He made everything funnier’
Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jason Alexander have lauded their “hilarious” Seinfeld co-star Jerry Stiller, who has died at the age of 92.
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Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jason Alexander have paid tribute to their beloved late co-star, Jerry Stiller, who has died at the age of 92.
Jerry Stiller famously played George Costanza’s overbearing father Frank in the classic sitcom.
“Jerry Stiller’s comedy will live forever,” tweeted Seinfeld, who earlier shared a photo of himself posing with a vinyl record of Jerry’s appearance on the Ed Sullivan show with his wife, comedian Anne Meara.
— Jerry Seinfeld (@JerrySeinfeld) May 11, 2020
Jerry Stiller's comedy will live forever.
— Jerry Seinfeld (@JerrySeinfeld) May 11, 2020
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who played Elaine on Seinfeld, posted a hilarious outtake clip from the show. The clip shows Louis-Dreyfus and Alexander in fits of laughter during the famous “you wanna a piece of me?” episode. While the two can barely speak, Stiller doesn’t break stride and stays in character, making it all the more funny.
The truth is that this happened all the time with Jerry Stiller. He was so funny and such a dear human being. We loved him. RIP Jerry Stiller.https://t.co/kXL14zMKeX
— Julia Louis-Dreyfus (@OfficialJLD) May 11, 2020
“The truth is that this happened all the time with Jerry Stiller. He was so funny and such a dear human being. We loved him,” said Louis-Dreyfus. “RIP Jerry Stiller.”
Such sad news that my beloved friend, Jerry Stiller, has passed. He was perhaps the kindest man I ever had the honor to work beside. He made me laugh when I was a child and every day I was with him. A great actor, a great man, a lovely friend. #RIPJerryStiller I Love you.
— jason alexander (@IJasonAlexander) May 11, 2020
Yeah. I adored this man. pic.twitter.com/4YiaTLJh4C
— jason alexander (@IJasonAlexander) May 11, 2020
“He was as much a second father to me as any friend could be, the most loving, gentle, kind, humble and generous man,” Jason Alexander, who played George Costanza, told The New York Post.
“I cherish every moment in his company. Stiller and Meara are together again and heaven is funnier for it. My condolences to Ben and Amy and their families. And finally to my TV dad and dear, dear friend — serenity now.”
The comedy actor’s death was announced by his son, actor and director Ben Stiller, on Twitter.
I’m sad to say that my father, Jerry Stiller, passed away from natural causes. He was a great dad and grandfather, and the most dedicated husband to Anne for about 62 years. He will be greatly missed. Love you Dad. pic.twitter.com/KyoNsJIBz5
— Ben Stiller (@RedHourBen) May 11, 2020
In a moving post, Ben Stiller said his father — who he described as “a great dad and grandfather” and “dedicated husband” — had died of natural causes.
Seinfeld writer Carol Leifer, who is often referred to as “the real Elaine,” shared a photo with Stiller in memoriam.
“What a JOY to work with this man, writing all those seasons on ‘Seinfeld,’” Leifer said. “He made everything funnier!”
Seth Rogen, Ricky Gervais, Jon Cryer and Ben Schwartz were among the celebrities offering condolences in response to Ben Stiller’s post on Twitter.
“So sorry. He made me laugh till I cried on many occasions,” Rogen wrote on Twitter. Gervais said, “So sorry for your loss, Ben,” while Cryer wrote, “I’m so sorry to hear this. He was so loved.”
After Seinfeld, he took on the role of Arthur Spooner in the comedy smash The King of Queens where he played the father of Leah Remini’s character. Remini shared some behind-the-scenes photos from set.
A sad morning..
— Carol Leifer (@carolleifer) May 11, 2020
Woke up to hear that the great Jerry Stiller is gone. What a JOY to work with this man, writing all those seasons on “Seinfeld.†He made everything funnier!
Here we are on set with Estelle Harris shooting “The Rye.â€
A prince of a guy. Rest In Peace, sweet Jerry. pic.twitter.com/Xdakk3EqKa
“I was lucky enough to work with Jerry Stiller, playing his daughter for 9 years on The King of Queens, but even luckier to know him, the man, the husband, the gather, the grandfather,” Remini wrote.
“I will be forever grateful for the memories, the fatherly talks off screen and for the many years of laughter, the kindness he had shown to me and my family.”
Kevin James, who portrayed the husband of Remini’s character on the show, referred to Stiller as “one of the most kind, loving, and funny people to ever grace this earth.
Stiller also regularly appeared in his son Ben Stiller’s films, including Zoolander and Zoolander 2, as well as The Heartbreak Kid, Heavyweights and Hot Pursuit.
Jerry Stiller was as New York as they come. To my friend Ben who, like his father, is a New Yorker through and through I extend my deepest condolences. Jerry will be missed. https://t.co/KXLi9eEk7c
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) May 11, 2020
Stiller’s wife of 62 years, actor and comedian Anne Meara, died in 2015 at the age of 85.
In the 1960s, the New York-born pair charmed TV audiences as the husband and wife comedy duo Stiller and Meara.
They appeared frequently on a string of TV shows, including the popular Ed Sullivan Show.
Born Gerald Isaac Stiller in Brooklyn in 1927, the comedy star took up acting after returning from US Army service during World War II.
He married Anne Meara in 1954 after a chance meeting at her agent’s office.
By 1961, he and his wife were performing in nightclubs in New York as a comedy duo, and were considered a “national phenomenon”, said The New York Times.
The pair had two children, daughter Amy, born in 1961, and son Ben, born in 1965.
Stiller attributed the success of his long marriage to Meara to “hanging together”.
“We managed to hang in there. Today when people get married there’s a tendency to run away when things get tough. There is a lot of strength in hanging together.”