If you are a fan of the 90s sitcom Seinfeldyou probably imitated at some point Jerry Seinfeldwhen he says “Newman!” referring to Wayne Knight, the downstairs postal worker who is friends with Kramer, but is apparently the arch nemesis of the show’s main character. We never find out why Jerry has this animosity towards Newman, so naturally, both Seinfeld and Knight have been questioned about it over the years.
Knight was originally only supposed to appear in one episode of the show, but both Seinfeld and the show’s creator, Larry Davidhe saw the character value he brought to the show, and was written as a recurring one.
Seinfeld explained in an interview with CBS News (via /Film) that he believes Newman was a natural antagonist for him on the show.
“It was an instinctive dislike for the character. He was the first person who came on my show to sabotage me in any way, so why shouldn’t I hate him forever for it?”
He went on to add:
“The real answer, why I hated Newman, is because it seemed funny to me to hate Newman. Everyone has an eccentric friend who is out there. And their friend in outer orbit is someone you can’t deal with. So that was the reasoning. That was no real reason to hate Newman. He never did anything bad to me, he was just fun. It was fun to hate him.”
It was definitely a fun dynamic in the series. And it makes sense that Jerry has a nemesis, because why not? It’s the show about nothing that has a little bit of everything.
by Jessica Fisher
Source: Geek Tyrant
Bernice Bonaparte is an author and entertainment journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a passion for pop culture and a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest entertainment news, Bernice has become a trusted source for information on the entertainment industry.
