Jerry Seinfeld is an actor and comedian who made his stand-up debut at an open mic night in 1976 and appeared on The Tonight Show in 1981. After starring in his own television special in 1987, he developed the sitcom Seinfeld for NBC with fellow comedian Larry David. The sitcom ran for nine seasons and was the highest-rated show in the United States when the final episode aired in 1998. He later created the reality show The Marriage Ref and the interview series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
Jerome Seinfeld was born on April 29, 1954, in Brooklyn, New York. Seinfeld's interest in comedy was sparked at an early age through the influence of his father, a sign maker who was also a closet comedian. By age eight, Seinfeld was putting himself through rigorous comic training, watching television day and night to study the techniques of comedians. Over the years, he developed a unique comedy style that centered on his wry observations on life's mundanities.
Seinfeld studied communications and theater at Queens College, City University of New York. Shortly after graduation in 1976, he made his stand-up debut at an open mic night in the Catch a Rising Star nightclub. He worked his way up to an appearance on The Tonight Show in 1981, which gave Seinfeld his first national exposure. By the late 1980s, he was one of the highest-profile stand-up comedians in the United States.
Seinfeld married public relations executive Jessica Sklar on December 25, 1999. The couple has three children.
