Funnyman Jason Alexander has issued a public apology to his former Seinfeld co-star Heidi Swedberg after he suggested her character had been killed off because he found the actress too difficult to work with.
The actor, who played George Costanza in the sitcom, hit headlines this week (beg01Jun15) after he opened up to U.S. shock jock Howard Stern about his former onscreen fiancee, whose character Susan died after licking poisonous glue on her wedding invitation envelopes.
He told the DJ working with Swedberg was “like punching into jello”, adding, “I couldn’t figure out how to play off of her. Her instincts for doing a scene, where the comedy was, and mine were always misfiring… (My co-stars) they go, ‘You know what? It’s f***ing impossible’.”
However, Alexander has now written a lengthy essay apologising to Swedberg and clarifying his comments about their time together on the show, which ran from 1989 until 1998.
In the note, posted on his social media accounts, he writes, “Ok folks, I feel officially awful… I retold a story I had told years ago about my personal difficulties and insecurities in playing George against the Susan that Heidi Swedberg created… I and the cast really liked and like Heidi. She is a kind, lovely person who undoubtedly worked really hard to create Susan… I just felt I was on uncertain ground in how to play off that character and I was always concerned that it wasn’t working…”
“In telling this story, it sounds like we are putting a heavy burden on Heidi. I, personally, am not… She was generous and gracious and I am so mad at myself for retelling this story in any way that would diminish her… No one that I am aware of, including myself, didn’t like her… To Heidi, I personally apologise. You are a sweetheart. I actually launched into this on Stern to defend you. But this is why I’m not a lawyer. Now everybody, calm down and just enjoy the reruns.”
