If you think “Seinfeld” was all about its fabulous foursome of Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards, I envy you. That means They have nine unsuitable seasons Sitcom Genius is waiting for you streaming (or you could just buy the entire series on Blu-ray and own every episode for probably the rest of your life, assuming you store the discs properly). If there’s a “Seinfeld” fanatic in your life, you probably know that frequently recurring characters like The Weaselly Newman (Wayne Knight), George’s eccentric parents (Jerry Sterner and Estelle Harris), and standouts like the Soup Nazi (Larry Thomas ), but like the Soup Nazi (Larry Thomas) Do you know Deadpan Majesty by David Puddy?
Portrayed by Patrick Warburton (to his father’s dismay) David Puddy first appeared in the classic Season 6 episode “The Fusilli Jerry”. Puddy is Jerry’s friend and mechanic who violates an unwritten rule when he steals Jerry’s coital movement while having sex with Elaine. This sets up a series of fun little complications, so no one was upset when Puddy returned in a subsequent episode donning New Jersey Devils face paint. At this point, the strange but lavishly decent Puddy seemed destined for recurring status. He was a perfect straight-faced foil for Elaine and was obsessed with quirks that could be exploited for big laughs further down the line.
So why did Puddy suddenly leave and only return in the show’s final season?
Another sitcom commitment caused Warburton’s two-year absence from Seinfeld
In a 2013 interview with AV ClubWarburton revealed that his long absence from “Seinfeld” came after joining the cast of the sitcom “Dave’s World” in 1995. Based on writer Dave Berry’s nationally syndicated humor columns, the series ran until 1997. Warburton was out of circulation for two years. As he told AV Club:
“(I) got a few calls about doing more ‘Seinfeld,’ but I just couldn’t do it. That was frustrating. But then they canceled ‘Dave’s World,’ and then Jerry approached me about one to make the final season of ‘Seinfeld’.”
And that only happened because Warburton did an American Express commercial with Seinfeld, where he provided the voice of the sitcom star’s favorite superhero, Superman. Per Warburton:
“(I) was on set that he just threw it out there. He’s like, ‘Do you want to come back on the show next season?’ To which I replied, “Let me check my schedule.” Yes, it was great to have the door open again because, as I said, it was very frustrating not to be able to come back and with Jerry and the gang on the No. 1 show on television because I was tied to another contract'”
Warburton appeared in eight episodes this season (including the controversial finale), which raised his profile and allowed him to star as a Havoc-writing superhero on Fox’s tragically short-lived superhero sitcom in 2001. To date, Warburton’s finest hour is probably his voice portrayal of Kronk in Disney’s animated classic “The Emperor’s New Groove.” And none of it would have ever come around if he hadn’t stolen Jerry’s train from “Seinfeld.”
