Cosmo Kramer Unmasked – Book and Film Globe

Michael Richards played one of television’s funniest characters, Cosmo Kramer from Seinfeld, Jerry’s wacky, lovable neighbor. Now Richards has released his memoir, Entrances and Exits. No wonder, it’s a must-read for Seinfeld fans. As a casual viewer of the show, I found it gripping. Richards has a very compelling story and he tells it with a lot of feeling and empathy, mistakes, tears and all. And yes, he talks at length about his unfortunate breakdown at the Laugh Factory.

Michael Richards almost was never born. His mother wanted to abort him in Mexico, but her chaperone died before she could. She next sought out a family to adopt, but got cold feet and took Michael home, where he lived with her and her parents. It was not an idyllic life. Michael’s grandfather, the only man in his life, died young. Sadly, his grandmother lost her mind and was often wandering the streets. Michael’s mere presence, however, halted her decline. He remembers her hugging him while his grandfather begged her to “live for the boy!” This is intense, haunting stuff.

After his grandmother’s institutionalization, Michael was left mostly on his own, living off television and wandering the hills near his home in Los Angeles. His mother worked a lot and his father was out of the picture. When Michael asks his mother about his father’s absence, she is evasive. Michael spends hours thinking about his father. Who is my father? Is he alive? If he’s dead, how did he die? The mystery surrounding Michael’s father is the thread that keeps you hooked for much of the book, so I won’t give away the answer here. I will say, however, that it is incredibly poignant and explains so much about Michael, including what happened that horrific night at the Laugh Factory.

Somehow, Michael finds his way into comedy at an early age. It allows him, a self-proclaimed introvert, to socialize with other people. Eventually, he appears with Ed Begley Jr. in the Troubador, the famous Hollywood nightclub, in strange, sometimes embarrassing comedy pieces. He also does theater. It’s inevitable: acting is his future.

But then life takes an unexpected, Kramer-like turn.

Michael is drafted into the Army. He trains to be a medic, but ends up in the Army’s traveling theater troupe. Incredibly, the Army allows him to “play” a colonel the whole time to help him get into the role. Think of Donald Sutherland (RIP) in The Dirty Dozen. Yes, it’s all very Kramer, pre-Kramer.

After an honorable discharge, Michael returns to comedy, specifically stand-up, but it doesn’t suit him very well. Michael prefers to play characters, and the anger he struggles with manifests itself on stage. At one point, he sets himself on fire in the middle of the show. Luckily, Jay Leno puts him out. Robin Williams recommends that he seek therapy to deal with his family problems. Meanwhile, Sam Kinison, the comedian who sweeps the room with his caustic slapstick, sees a soul mate.

After a guest spot on Fridays, a late-night sketch comedy show with Larry David, Michael lands the role of Kramer and immerses himself in the role. As far as insider information on Seinfeld goes, Entrances and Exits doesn’t disappoint, but it didn’t blow me away either. Making comedic television is tedious and not nearly as fun as the actual performances. Michael’s best and funniest television story, in my opinion, happens during a guest spot on Miami Vice. It involves jet lag and too much Cuban coffee. An ambulance is called. Don Johnson is beside himself. It’s all very Kramer-esque. Where Michael Richards ends and Kramer begins is a damn question.

During Seinfeld’s heyday, Michael occasionally makes the rounds in Hollywood, but he never feels comfortable doing so. At a Billy Crystal party, Michael feels particularly uncomfortable and jumps into the pool fully clothed and stays underwater for over a minute. Kramer is a wonderful, lucrative character for Michael, but it’s also a mask to hide his insecurities.

After Seinfeld, some writers pushed him onto The Michael Richards Show. With that name, how could the show not flop? Although The Michael Richards Show is terrible television, it is a wonderful read. After a chance encounter with George Carlin, Michael is inspired to return to stand-up. He makes progress, but then a heckler tells Michael he isn’t funny during a late-night performance, and that triggers all of his insecurities as well as his anger. Michael attacks and uses the N-word.

CUT TO BLACK.

It’s been 18 years since Michael Richards blew up at the Laugh Factory and went viral. He apologized… and disappeared. He went on spiritual retreats abroad. (Even before the Laugh Factory fiasco, Michael was a spiritual, philosophical man, and he spends a lot of time discussing those thoughts in the book.) Michael remarries. Michael lives in New York City, which happens to be in Jerry’s neighborhood. He defeats The Big C. Now Michael has finally taken off the Cosmo Kramer mask and told his story, as well as many of his innermost thoughts. This is no joke.