Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards) brought a manic goofiness to “Seinfeld” for its entire nine-season run, but the character’s personality might have been much more subdued if not for an early production decision. In the pilot, Kramer appears with a large retriever named Ralph, who tackles George (Jason Alexander) onto Jerry’s couch before scurrying off into the bathroom and never being seen again.
The dog was quickly written out after Larry David decided the logistical challenges of working with a large animal on set weren’t worth it. Richards later discussed the decision in his memoir “Entrances and Exits,” explaining that he intentionally modeled some of Kramer’s behavior after Ralph. “If I can’t have a dog, I’ll be a dog! … I’ll play the guy as a dog coming into Jerry’s apartment as playful, friendly dogs do, a dog spirit bounding through the door, sniffing, curious, wondering what’s going on in here.”
Richards did just that for the rest of the series, often bursting into Jerry’s apartment with limbs flying in all directions before searching intently for a snack — just like an exuberant retriever.
Michael Richards also had other inspirations for Kramer
In another passage in his book, Richards compared performing as a comedian to canine behavior. “Stand-up comedy, which is live and a form of theater, is, for me, usually improvisational and raw, a place where I let it all out, like a dog off leash.” He brought that same energy to “Seinfeld,” using the physical style he developed after Ralph was written out of the pilot.
Richards also drew inspiration from other performers. In an interview with Forbes about his memoir, he cited entertainers like Red Skelton, Harpo Marx, and Jacques Tati as influences on Kramer, helping shape the character’s exaggerated movements.
Though the pilot has been cited among episodes you might want to skip on your next rewatch, revisiting it today gives you two rare treats: you get to see Ralph’s brief appearance, and Jerry refers to Richards’ character as “Kessler.” That name was used as a placeholder for the pilot script while Seinfeld and David worked out a deal with Kenny Kramer to use his name. Kramer was David’s former neighbor and had hoped to play himself.