Editing Michael Richards (section)

==Career==
=== 1979–1989: Early career ===
[[File:MichaelRichards1983.jpg|thumb|180px|Richards in 1983]]
Richards got his big TV break in 1979, appearing in [[Billy Crystal]]'s first cable TV special. In 1980, he began as one of the cast members on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC's]] ''[[Fridays (TV series)|Fridays]]'' television show, where [[Larry David]] was a fellow cast member and writer. It included [[Fridays (TV series)#Andy Kaufman incident|a famous instance]] in which [[Andy Kaufman]] refused to deliver his scripted lines, leading Richards to bring the [[cue card]]s on screen to Kaufman, who responded by throwing his drink into Richards' face, causing a small riot (Richards later claimed he was in on the joke).<ref name="fac">[http://archive.firstamendmentcenter.org/about.aspx?id=12083 Michael Richards 'Speaking Freely' transcript] via [[First Amendment Center]], Recorded February 28, 2002, in Aspen, Colorado {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331131924/http://archive.firstamendmentcenter.org/about.aspx?id=12083 |date=March 31, 2012 }}</ref> The film ''[[Man on the Moon (film)|Man on the Moon]]'' featured a re-enactment of the [[Fridays (TV series)#Andy Kaufman incident|Andy Kaufman incident]] where Richards was portrayed by actor [[Norm Macdonald]].<ref>{{cite video|url=http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/544255131b|title=Andy Kaufman on Fridays from FridaysFan|publisher=Funnyordie.com|date=February 11, 2008|access-date=February 10, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/michael-richards-2|title=Michael Richards – First Amendment Center – news, commentary, analysis on free speech, press, religion, assembly, petition|access-date=August 29, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808113050/http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/michael-richards-2|archive-date=August 8, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1981, he appeared in the ''[[It's a Living]]'' episode "Desperate Hours".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWCgW7IhXDo&list=ELy7GJXS4poVrMUPbh4x0pUg | title=Desperate Hours | website=[[YouTube]] | date=April 20, 2023 }}</ref> In 1986, Richards had a minor role in the cult satirical TV miniseries ''[[Fresno (miniseries)|Fresno]]'', playing one of a pair of inept criminal henchmen. That same year he auditioned to play [[Al Bundy]] in the TV series ''[[Married... with Children]]'', but he was passed over for [[Ed O'Neill]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Michael Richards |url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/michael-richards/bio/3030192136/ |access-date=2023-01-13 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}}</ref> In 1989, Richards had a supporting role in [["Weird Al" Yankovic]]'s comedy film ''[[UHF (film)|UHF]]'' as janitor Stanley Spadowski. On television, he appeared in ''[[Miami Vice]]'' as an unscrupulous [[bookie]]; in ''[[St. Elsewhere]]'' as a television producer making a documentary about Dr. Mark Craig; in ''[[Cheers]]'' as a character trying to collect on an old bet with [[Sam Malone]]; and made several guest appearances with [[Jay Leno]] as an accident-prone fitness expert.

According to an interview with executive producer David Hoberman, ABC first conceived the series ''[[Monk (TV series)|Monk]]'' as a procedural police comedy with an [[Inspector Clouseau]]-like character suffering from [[obsessive–compulsive disorder|obsessive-compulsive disorder]]. Hoberman said ABC wanted Richards to play [[Adrian Monk]], but he turned it down.<ref>from "Mr Monk and His Origins," a special feature packaged with the Season One DVDs.</ref>

===1989–2005: ''Seinfeld'' and rise to prominence===
[[File:Michael Richards Jerry Seinfeld.jpg|thumb|Richards with [[Jerry Seinfeld]] at the [[44th Primetime Emmy Awards]] in 1992]]

In 1989, Richards was cast as [[Cosmo Kramer]] in the [[NBC]] television series ''[[Seinfeld]]'', created by fellow ''Fridays'' cast member [[Larry David]] and comedian [[Jerry Seinfeld]]. Although it got off to a slow start, by the mid-1990s it had become one of the most popular [[Situation comedy|sitcoms]] in television history. It ended its nine-year run in 1998 at No. 1 in the [[Nielsen ratings]]. In ''Seinfeld'', Kramer is the neighbor across the hall of the show's [[Jerry Seinfeld (character)|eponymous character]], and is usually referred to only by his last name. His first name, Cosmo, was revealed in the sixth-season episode "[[The Switch (Seinfeld)|The Switch]]".

Richards won more Emmys than any other ''Seinfeld'' cast member, taking home the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1993, 1994, and 1997 for his role as Kramer. When referring to speculation that he would launch a [[Spin-off (media)|spin-off]] to ''Seinfeld'' about Kramer, Richards said he was not interested in doing so.<ref name="background">Davis, Ivor (May 30, 1997). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/ventura-county-star-fame-is-a-trial-fo/138203047/ Fame is a 'Trial' for Michael Richards]. ''Ventura County Star''.</ref> During the run of ''Seinfeld'', Richards made cameo appearances in several TV shows; he played himself in Episode{{nbsp}}2 of Season{{nbsp}}1 "The Flirt Episode" (1992) of the [[HBO]] series ''[[The Larry Sanders Show]]''. He also had a [[cameo role]] in the comedy thriller film ''[[So I Married an Axe Murderer]]'', credited as "insensitive man". In 1996, Richards made a cameo in Epcot's [[Universe of Energy#Ellen's Energy Adventure (1996–2017)|Ellen's Energy Adventure]], where he portrayed a caveman discovering fire. He played radio station employee Doug Beech in ''[[Airheads]]'', and co-starred with [[Jeff Daniels]] as an actor pretending to be a lawyer in 1997's ''[[Trial and Error (1997 film)|Trial and Error]]''. He also made guest appearances on ''[[Miami Vice]]'', ''[[Night Court]]'' and ''[[Cheers]]''.

In 2000, two years after the end of ''Seinfeld'', Richards began work on a new series for NBC, his first major project since ''Seinfeld''{{'}}s finale. ''[[The Michael Richards Show]]'', for which Richards received co-writer and co-[[Television producer|executive producer]] credits, was conceived as a comedy/mystery starring Richards as a bumbling private investigator. When the first pilot failed with test audiences, NBC ordered that the show be retooled into a more conventional, office-based sitcom before its premiere. After a few weeks of poor ratings and negative reviews, it was canceled. Critics said the show was too "Kramer-esque" and Richards invoked the so-called "[[Seinfeld#The Seinfeld "curse"|''Seinfeld'' curse]]" as to why the show failed.<ref name="background"/>

Starting in 2004, he and his fellow ''Seinfeld'' cast members provided interviews and audio commentaries for the ''Seinfeld'' DVDs. Richards stepped down from providing audio commentary after Season{{nbsp}}5, though he continued to provide interviews.

=== 2006–2012: Laugh Factory incident and aftermath===
During a performance on November 17, 2006 at the [[Laugh Factory]] in Hollywood, California, Richards launched into a racist rant in response to repeated heckling and interruptions from a small group of Black and Hispanic audience members. Richards was recorded shouting "He's a [[nigger]]!" several times and making references to [[Lynching in the United States|lynching]], ''[[Planet of the Apes]]'', and the [[Jim Crow laws]].<ref name="TMZ-2006"/><ref name="Vibe">{{cite web|url=http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2006/11/comedian_michael_kramer_richards_goes_into_racial_tirade/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061231201005/http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2006/11/comedian_michael_kramer_richards_goes_into_racial_tirade/|archive-date=December 31, 2006|title=Comedian Michael "Kramer" Richards Goes into Racial Tirade, Banned From Laugh Factory|access-date=November 21, 2006|publisher=[[VIBE]].com|year=2006|author=Mariel Concepción|work=News wire}}</ref><ref name="washingtonpost.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/21/AR2006112100242.html |title="Seinfeld" Comic Richards Apologizes for Racial Rant |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date= November 21, 2006|access-date=October 12, 2010}}</ref><ref name="Canadian Broadcasting Corporation">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/richards-deeply-deeply-sorry-for-racial-slurs-1.618610|title=Richards 'deeply, deeply sorry' for racial slurs|access-date=November 20, 2006|publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]|work=CBC arts | date=November 20, 2006}}</ref><ref name="Reuters-2006">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-richards-idUSN2041340020061120|title="Seinfeld" Star Richards Under Fire For Racial Outburst|access-date=June 28, 2013|publisher=Reuters|work=News wire|date=November 20, 2006}}</ref> <!-- NOTE TO EDITORS: SEE REMARKS ABOVE THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH ABOUT CONSENSUS ON THE LAUGH FACTORY INCIDENT, AS IN TALK ARCHIVE 2. CONSENSUS SECTION CONTINUES BELOW -->Kyle Doss, a member of the group that Richards addressed, said the group had arrived in the middle of the performance and were "being a little loud." According to Doss:

{{Blockquote|text=[Richards] said, "Look at the stupid Mexicans and blacks being loud up there." That's the first thing he said. And then he kept on with his bit. And then, after a while, I told him, "My friend doesn't think you're funny." And then when I told him that, that's when he flipped me off and said, "F-you N-word." And that's how it all started.|sign=Kyle Doss|source=Interview on ''[[The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer|The Situation Room]]''<ref name="CNN-transcripts"/>|title=}}<!-- END OF CONSENSUS SECTION, WHICH COVERS THE LAUGH FACTORY INCIDENT. SEE TALK ARCHIVE 2. NEW DEVELOPMENTS SINCE FEBRUARY 2007 MAY BE ADDED AFTER HERE -->

The incident remained unknown to the larger public for three days until a [[cellphone]] video filmed by a member of the audience was obtained and released by [[TMZ]]. On November 20, after the video made rounds around the news, [[Jerry Seinfeld]] invited Richards to appear via satellite during a broadcast of the ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'', where Richards was recorded saying: "I'm not doing too good. I lost my temper on stage, I was at a comedy club trying to do my act and I got heckled and I took it badly and went into a rage. And uh, said some pretty, uh, nasty things to some Afro-Americans."<ref name="CNN-transcripts2">{{cite news|url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0611/21/cnr.01.html|title=CNN Newsroom|access-date=February 16, 2007|publisher=[[CNN]].com|year=2006}}</ref> Many studio audience members laughed as Richards began his unscripted explanation and apology, thinking it was a [[Bit (comedy)|bit]], leading Seinfeld to reprimand them, saying: "Stop laughing. It's not funny." Richards said he had been trying to defuse the heckling by being even more outrageous but it had backfired. He later called civil rights leaders [[Al Sharpton]] and [[Jesse Jackson]] to apologize.<ref name="CNN-transcripts">{{cite news|url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0611/22/sitroom.03.html|title=''The Situation Room'' transcript|access-date=December 4, 2006|publisher=CNN|year=2006|work=[[The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer|The Situation Room]]}}</ref><ref name="CNN-article">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/22/sharpton.richard/index.html|title= Sharpton: Comedian's apology not enough|access-date=April 22, 2007|work=[[CNN]] |date=November 23, 2006 }}</ref> He also appeared as a guest on Jackson's syndicated radio show.<ref name="CBS-2007">{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jesse-jackson-talks-to-michael-richards/|title=Jesse Jackson Talks To Michael Richards: Jackson Says Apology For Actor's Racist Rant Is Only A Beginning Before Healing|access-date=April 23, 2007|publisher=CBS|work=News wire | date=November 25, 2006}}</ref> Doss stated that he did not accept Richards's apology, saying: "If he wanted to apologize, he could have contacted&nbsp;... one of us out of the group. But he didn't. He apologized on-camera just because the tape got out."<ref name="CNN-article"/><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VFGv0mdckM Kyle Doss wants reparations for Kramer calling him a nigger] at YouTube</ref>

Richards' popularity among the general public declined after the tape was released. A [[Gallup Inc.|Gallup]] poll conducted in late November found that only 41 percent of Americans still held a favorable view of Richards. By contrast, other ''Seinfeld'' cast members' favorability ratings were in the 70s and 80s.<ref name="poll">Newport, Frank (December 1, 2006). [https://news.gallup.com/poll/25657/Gauging-Impact-Michael-Richards-Incident.aspx Gauging the Impact of the Michael Richards Incident]. ''[[Gallup Inc.]]''.</ref> The same poll also found that 45 percent of non-whites expressed a negative view of Richards due to the incident.<ref name="poll"/> The incident was parodied on several TV shows, including ''[[Mad TV]]'', ''[[Family Guy]]'', ''[[With Apologies to Jesse Jackson|South Park]]'', ''[[Extras (TV series)#US and UK version differences|Extras]]'' and ''[[WWE Raw|Monday Night Raw]]''. In the ninth episode of the seventh season of ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]'', Richards appeared as himself and poked fun at the incident. In 2008, rapper [[Wale (rapper)|Wale]] referenced the incident and used recordings of the incident as well as Richards' apology, in the song "The Kramer" on ''[[The Mixtape About Nothing]]'' album.

One year after the incident, Richards voiced character Bud Ditchwater in the animated film ''[[Bee Movie]]'', which starred and was produced by [[Jerry Seinfeld]]. In 2009, Richards and the other main ''Seinfeld'' cast members appeared in the seventh season of ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-seinfeld-cast-curb-your-enthusiasm,0,1065194.story |title='Curb Your Enthusiasm' hosts a 'Seinfeld' reunion |date=March 6, 2009 |publisher=Zap2it |access-date=July 23, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090714021730/http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-seinfeld-cast-curb-your-enthusiasm%2C0%2C1065194.story |archive-date=July 14, 2009 }}</ref> In 2012, he appeared in the comedy web series ''[[Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee]]'', hosted by Seinfeld, in which he remarked on the 2006 incident.<ref>{{cite web |title=Richards appears on ''Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee'' |url=http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/michael-richards-its-bubbly-time-jerry/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002001805/http://www.comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/michael-richards-its-bubbly-time-jerry/ |archive-date=October 2, 2012 |access-date=October 7, 2012}}</ref> In the episode, Richards explained that the outburst still haunted him and was a major reason for his retirement from stand-up.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/michael-richards-its-bubbly-time-jerry |title=Michael Richards It's Bubbly Time, Jerry – Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee by Jerry Seinfeld |publisher=Comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com |access-date=May 13, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140511134913/http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/michael-richards-its-bubbly-time-jerry/ |archive-date=May 11, 2014}}</ref>

===2013–present: Recent years===
In 2013, Richards was cast to play Frank in the sitcom ''[[Kirstie (TV series)|Kirstie]]'', costarring [[Kirstie Alley]] and [[Rhea Perlman]]. It premiered on [[TV Land]] on December 4, 2013<ref name=HollywoodReporter/> and was canceled after one season.<ref>{{cite web|title=TV Land cancels 'Kirstie'|url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/07/29/kirstie-canceled-tv-land/|publisher= Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc.|access-date=July 30, 2014}}</ref> In 2014, Richards appeared as the president of Crackle in a trailer for Season{{nbsp}}5 of ''Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee''. Seinfeld said the trailer's storyline would be expanded on in one of the episodes.

In 2019, Richards played Daddy Hogwood in the romantic comedy ''[[Faith, Hope & Love]]'' starring [[Peta Murgatroyd]] and Robert Krantz.<ref>{{cite web |title=Seinfeld's Kramer (Michael Richards) meets @DancingABC's @PetaMurgatroyd ! It's all laughs behind the scenes of Faith, Hope, & Love. Follow us to stay updated! #fhlmovie |url=https://twitter.com/fhl_movie/status/941456554380922880?lang=en |website=twitter.com}}</ref>

In June 2024,<ref>{{cite web |title=Seinfeld's Michael Richards to Release New Memoir in 2024 (Exclusive) |url=https://people.com/seinfeld-michael-richards-new-memoir-exclusive-8387338 |website=people.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Seinfeld star Michael Richards to release memoir |url=https://www.gjsentinel.com/lifestyle/entertainment/seinfeld-star-michael-richards-to-release-memoir/article_470a5b46-4068-5352-9d13-b4a6f339c814.html |website=www.gjsentinel.com |last1=Celebretainment |first1=By }}</ref> Richards released a memoir entitled ''Entrances and Exits''.<ref>{{cite web |title='Seinfeld' star Michael Richards addresses outburst that led to 'lifelong spiritual quest' |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/seinfeld-star-michael-richards-addresses-outburst-led-lifelong-spiritual-quest |website=www.foxnews.com|date=November 7, 2023}}</ref>