Where is Cosmo Kramer from Seinfeld? What will Michael Richards do in 2023?

Anyone who watched television in the 1990s or is currently a fan of 1990s television probably remembers Michael Richards as Jerry Seinfeld’s goofy neighbor from the popular series Seinfeld. For a while, he would become known for his role in the show, which made him popular.

What was he like before Seinfeld, and why don’t we hear more about him?

Richards has had a long career, but most of it has been devoted to stand-up comedy. In the 1980s, Richards was best known for his stand-up routine and his guest appearances on a number of then-popular shows.

His big break came when he made a cameo on Billy Crystal’s comedy show. He was a mainstay on the ABC program Fridays and rose to fame as well.

Richards also appeared in a few small roles in various 80’s and 90’s films such as Coneheads and UHF, but Seinfeld would remain his main claim to fame until an incident at The Laugh Factory in 2006 completely ruined his career.

The Laugh Factory Incident

By 2006, Richards had resumed his stand-up career and was performing a show at a renowned Laugh Factory venue. A heckler interrupted Richards midway through the performance.

When interrupted, Richards yelled obscenities at the audience and turned on the audience who had called him out for using the “N-word” before using racial slurs against the person who interrupted him.

Richards was harshly criticized on social media and other places when the entire outburst was caught on camera by a reporter from the entertainment news program TMZ and later aired. Richards therefore formally retired from stand-up comedy in 2007.

Apologies from Michael Richards

A few days after the Laugh Factory incident, Keith Richards tried to make a sincere apology on The Late Show With David Letterman, where Jerry Seinfeld was a guest that night.

Unfortunately, the audience at the event interpreted the whole affair as a comedy and began laughing during Richards’ apology, presumably due to the seriousness of the incident and his demeanor at the event.

As a result, Richards’ attempts to make amends for the tragedy were never really taken seriously.

The reaction of the Seinfeld cast to the incident

While several performers enjoyed Richards on the Seinfeld set, the majority of them were quick to criticize him for his behavior, extending words of support and encouragement to those offended by the racial outburst.

Jerry Seinfeld, who expressed regret over the incident but insisted that Richards should not be blamed as it was typical of his comedic style, was Richards’ most ardent supporter.

Seinfeld reflects on the incident

Jerry Seinfeld has mentioned the incident a few times over the years, and he even invited Richards to speak about it on his program Comedians in Cars Having Coffee.

Seinfeld has revealed that he is aware of how such an event can harm individuals and how difficult it can be to recover from it, even as he continues to support his friend and fellow comic despite the situation.

Richards was able to explain how he had learned from his actions and how those statements had changed him, damaged him emotionally and made him think about his own career and comedic style in the part of his show where he and Richards candidly discussed the matter.

Seinfeld fans

Even after all these years, Seinfeld fans’ opinions of Richards are still divided after the incident. While many of his followers have pardoned him and said he got his sentence, others believe that because of the inappropriate outburst, he actually deserved the criticism and backlash he received.

Richards may still be a fan favorite, but he has decided not to make a comedic comeback so far and has remained fairly inactive.

What is Michael Richards doing now?

Richards had ended his comics career after the tragedy, though he still managed to make a few TV and movie appearances.

Appearing on Curb Your Enthusiasm in 2009, Richards made fun of himself for the Laugh Factory incident on the program.

Alongside Kirstie Alley, Richards won a major role in the 2012 television series Kirstie, but it was canceled after just one season.

Richards’ most recent performance was as Daddy Hogwood in the 2019 indie film Faith, Hope, and Love, which had a modest budget.

Richards has not appeared on screen since and almost never appears in public.

Other than Richards, most of the Seinfeld performers were able to go on to have successful careers, despite the fact that none of them could match the show’s immense success in the 1990s.

The incident caused irreparable damage to his career, which was ultimately sustained only through sporadic minor appearances.