Michael Richards, the iconic Cosmo Kramer from the beloved sitcom Seinfeld, was born on July 24, 1949, in South Los Angeles, California, to Phyllis Nardozzi, an Italian-American medical records librarian, and William Richards, an electrical engineer.
Growing up, Michael showcased his early talent for performance as a top Forensic League competitor during grade school. He went on to star in multiple high school and college productions while working as an ambulance attendant and hospital orderly.
During the Vietnam War, Michael trained as a medic in the US Army and was appointed writer and director of plays on drug abuse and race relations for the Army's V-Corp Training Roadshow. He later attended the California Institute of the Arts and was mentored by renowned performance art guru Allan Kaprow.
Michael graduated from Evergreen State College in Washington with his BFA in drama and began his career by performing with the San Diego Repertory Company. He was later discovered by Budd Friedman, founder of the Improv comedy club and talent manager Charles H. Joffe, and went on to star in regional productions, Off-Broadway, and in London's West End.
In addition to his comedic roles, Michael performed regularly in comedy clubs during the late 1970s and 1980s, driving a school bus by day. He was inspired by the physical comedy of legends such as Charles Chaplin and Jacques Tati, and paid his dues on the comedy circuit until comedian Billy Crystal gave him a break on one of his comedy specials.
Michael earned a regular spot on the sketch comedy series Fridays, where he created the character of Battle Boy, and appeared in minor slapstick films such as Young Doctors in Love and Transylvania 6-5000. He worked regularly as a dramatic "heavy" in television throughout the 1980s in shows such as Miami Vice, St. Elsewhere, and Hill Street Blues.
After a recurring role on the offbeat comedy series Marblehead Manor, Michael's big break came in 1989 when he was cast as Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld. The frenzied character earned him three Emmy awards, SAG awards, and instant cult status.
He followed this success with his own short-lived series, The Michael Richards Show, and the role of Micawber in a TV version of David Copperfield. Subsequent film credits include the cult classic UHF, Problem Child, Airheads, Unstrung Heroes, and Trial and Error.
TV work in the millennium has been sporadic, with appearances as himself in several episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm and a regular role in Kirstie Alley's brief comedy series Kirstie. He also made an isolated film appearance in the romantic comedy Faith, Hope & Love.
