Jason Alexander, best known as George Costanza from the hit TV series "Seinfeld," went on "The Howard Stern Show" to discuss his upcoming role in Larry David's Broadway show, "Fish in the Dark," starting June 9. Alexander will take the lead and hopefully reignite the magic that was once unstoppable between David and the "Seinfeld" actors.
During the interview, Stern asked Alexander about the story arc involving George's engagement to Susan Ross, played by Heidi Swedberg. George was initially into the engagement, but later tried desperately to sabotage the relationship by smoking, asking for a prenuptial agreement and trying to score a coffee date with Marisa Tomei.
In the seventh season closeout, Susan dies after licking poisonous envelopes - hey, they were cheaper! - when writing out invitations to the wedding. Alexander told Stern that Susan was killed off because the two actors were unable to connect.
ICYMI, here's Jason Alexander from today's Howard Stern Show on why "Seinfeld" killed off Susan. #Howard
Posted by The Howard Stern Show on Wednesday, June 3, 2015
"I love [Swedberg]. She's a terrific girl. I love her ... I couldn't figure out how to play off of her," Alexander told Stern. "Her instincts for doing a scene, where the comedy was, and mine were always misfiring. And she would do something, and I would go, 'OK, I see what she's going to do, I'm going to adjust to her,' and then I'd adjust, and she'd change."
"I had done three episodes with her, and Larry calls me up at the beginning of the season and goes, 'Good news: I've got a great arc for you this season - you're gonna get engaged.' Oh, that's great! Who do I get engaged to? 'Susan.' And I went, 'Oh, great. Who's playing George?' Because it was such a disaster," Alexander said.
Alexander went on to say how the core cast would often go to dinner after filming. One evening, Alexander was complaining about the lack of chemistry between George and Susan. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jerry Seinfeld just ignored Alexander's worries, but, according to Alexander, after they started sharing scenes with Swedberg, Seinfeld and Louie-Dreyfus noted a similar problem.
"Julia said, 'I know, don't you want to just kill her?' And Larry went, 'Kebang,'" Alexander said.
Swedberg still had plenty of work after her time as Susan Ross. She also appeared on shows like "ER," "Gilmore Girls," "Bones," "Wizards of Waverly Place" and "Hawthorne."
