Kenny Kramer
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Born Name:
Kenny Kramer
Born Date: May 1943
Born Place: Bronx, New York City
Died Date:
Died Place:
Occupations: Stand-up comedian, writer
Brief Biography: Kenny Kramer is the real-life inspiration behind the eccentric character Cosmo Kramer from the hit television sitcom Seinfeld. He lived across the hall from Seinfeld co-creator Larry David in a Manhattan apartment building in the 1980s.
Early Life and Career:
He dropped out of high school at 17 to pursue a multifaceted, unconventional career. Prior to his pop culture fame, he worked as a magazine salesman, a drummer in the Catskills, and a stand-up comedian. He also managed a British reggae band and invented a commercially successful line of electronic "disco jewelry" that allowed him to live comfortably for several years after the disco era faded.
The Seinfeld Connection:
During the 1980s, Kramer and Larry David were neighbors in Manhattan Plaza, a federally assisted performing arts complex. David found Kramer's erratic habits, inventive hobbies, and sudden intrusions highly entertaining, and used him as the blueprint for Cosmo Kramer. When the show was being developed, Kramer wanted to play himself on TV, but the creators opted to cast professional actor Michael Richards instead.
Reality Tours and Politics:
Following the massive success of Seinfeld, Kramer capitalized on his real-life fame by launching "Kramer’s Reality Tour" in New York City. The bus tour takes fans to actual locations featured in the sitcom and includes behind-the-scenes trivia. The tour became a staple for tourists and even inspired an episode of the show where Kramer launches "The Peterman Reality Tour". Beyond comedy and tourism, Kramer entered the political arena. He ran for Mayor of New York City in 1997 and again in 2001 as the Libertarian Party candidate.
Born Date: May 1943
Born Place: Bronx, New York City
Died Date:
Died Place:
Occupations: Stand-up comedian, writer
Brief Biography: Kenny Kramer is the real-life inspiration behind the eccentric character Cosmo Kramer from the hit television sitcom Seinfeld. He lived across the hall from Seinfeld co-creator Larry David in a Manhattan apartment building in the 1980s.
Early Life and Career:
He dropped out of high school at 17 to pursue a multifaceted, unconventional career. Prior to his pop culture fame, he worked as a magazine salesman, a drummer in the Catskills, and a stand-up comedian. He also managed a British reggae band and invented a commercially successful line of electronic "disco jewelry" that allowed him to live comfortably for several years after the disco era faded.
The Seinfeld Connection:
During the 1980s, Kramer and Larry David were neighbors in Manhattan Plaza, a federally assisted performing arts complex. David found Kramer's erratic habits, inventive hobbies, and sudden intrusions highly entertaining, and used him as the blueprint for Cosmo Kramer. When the show was being developed, Kramer wanted to play himself on TV, but the creators opted to cast professional actor Michael Richards instead.
Reality Tours and Politics:
Following the massive success of Seinfeld, Kramer capitalized on his real-life fame by launching "Kramer’s Reality Tour" in New York City. The bus tour takes fans to actual locations featured in the sitcom and includes behind-the-scenes trivia. The tour became a staple for tourists and even inspired an episode of the show where Kramer launches "The Peterman Reality Tour". Beyond comedy and tourism, Kramer entered the political arena. He ran for Mayor of New York City in 1997 and again in 2001 as the Libertarian Party candidate.