Michael Richards rarely gives interviews, partially because of The Incident. But it’s also because he’s an introvert who would decompress after tapings of Seinfeld by sitting at the bottom of his pool. But he’s been making the press rounds to discuss his new memoir, Entrances and Exits, where he writes at length about his time on the Jerry Seinfeld- and Larry David-created sitcom.
In one chapter, Richards shared why tough-guy character actor Lawrence Tierney, who played Elaine’s father in season 2’s “The Jacket,” never appeared in another episode. “He made an impression by actually swiping one of the butcher knives from Jerry’s kitchen,” he wrote, according to The Daily Beast. Seinfeld banned Tierney from the set, although he and David would joke that “if you aren’t good, we’re going to invite Lawrence Tierney back.”
Tierney sounded like a scary dude. A few years ago, former The Simpsons showrunner Josh Weinstein shared a timeline of the actor “terrorizing the Simpsons staff” when he guest starred as Don Brodka in “Marge Be Not Proud” from season 7. “Noon: Car arrives at Fox. Tierney steps out, driver says he refuses to take him back & speeds off. It’s raining” is how the thread begins. Here’s how it ends: “It was the most nervewracking record ever.”
It’s the 25th anniversary of Marge Be Not Proud, one of my favorite episodes
Here’s a timeline of Laurence Tierney (Don Brodka) terrorizing the Simpsons staff:
Noon: Car arrives at Fox. Tierney steps out, driver says he refuses to take him back & speeds off. It’s raining.
1/6 pic.twitter.com/Y2VkGBytbG— Josh Weinstein (@Joshstrangehill) December 18, 2020
Here’s Tierney’s Seinfeld appearance:
Entrances and Exits is available to read now.
(Via The Daily Beast)