10 Roles Written For Actors That Didn't Play Them
4. Paul Shaffer Was Offered George Constanza
Without the popularity of Seinfeld, it's unlikely Jason Alexander would be remembered for much of his careeer - unless you're a huge orangutan fan and can't get enough of Dunston Checks In. But his performance as the neurotic, compulsive liar George Costanza made him a staple of 90s television.
The show was equally kind to all of its cast, even Michael Richards until his sudden, out-of-the-blue racist rant. Until recently, however, it was less than fair to its creator, Larry David. Until Curb Your Enthusiasm, David served as the man behind the curtain, the network heads opting for Jerry Seinfeld to serve as his avatar.
And they toyed with his choices in casting as well. For Constanza, a character initially based more on David than Seinfeld himself, David wanted the bespectacled Paul Shaffer for the role, but the musician wouldn't leave his gig as David Letterman's bandleader. Other auditions included actors of colour like David Allen Grier and even Chris Rock - which would have shaken up the show's very white cast.
Alexander finally sealed the role when he realized the character was more David and less Woody Allen-lite. Ironically, David would later serve as an Allen-like character in Whatever Works.