You won’t believe which beloved Seinfeld character almost didn’t make the cut

NBC's classic comedy Seinfeld was initially written with a different core character. Since the character was eventually written off after the Pilot, it gave way to another beloved one.

Seinfeld's Pilot episode was written for Jason Alexander's George Costanza, Michael Richards' Cosmo Kramer and Jerry. However, not Elaine, but Lee Garlington's Claire was written as the woman of the group.

But after the Pilot episode, Claire's character was replaced with Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Elaine, and the rest is history. Elaine was a strong character and became iconic as a female character in a world of male-centred sitcoms.

More on Elaine's introduction in Seinfeld in our story.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Elaine was not originally a part of Seinfeld

While it is hard to imagine, Elaine was not part of Seinfeld when it was conceived or when its Pilot episode aired in July 1989. The group of boys was instead seen with Lee Garlington's Claire, a waitress at a diner.

In The Seinfeld Chronicles (Pilot), we are even introduced to Claire, the character who was supposed to be the woman of the group, as she interacts with George and Jerry. They talk about coffee and the guys' interest in women and the interaction suggests that Claire was introduced as a main character.

However, when NBC eventually picked up the show and it returned with the whole season in May 1990, Garlington's Claire was gone and replaced with Dreyfus' Elaine. Elaine eventually became an iconic sitcom character and probably one of the earliest feminist icons on television, but she was almost not a part of Seinfeld.

Making the female character a waitress at a diner frequented by the other characters is nothing new. Rachel from Friends and Penny from The Big Bang Theory also started there and it was convenient for them to interact with the group because of their profession.

However, one significant difference between Rachel, Penny, and Claire is that they also lived with or near the other characters. Since Claire was only a waitress, this would have limited her interactions with the guys, and she could not become her own person, like Elaine did.

What has Lee Garlington said about her sudden exit from the classic sitcom?

While Dreyfus' Elaine worked for the best in the sitcom, Garlington's exit was sudden and no explanation was given for Claire's departure from the show.

On Seinfeld - This Podcast is Making Me Thirsty, Garlington revealed that she was initially given a series regular contract but never saw effect when NBC picked the show in May 1990.

She believed Dreyfus's friendship with co-creator Larry David through Saturday Night Live resulted in the character of Elaine, as she said:

"I have heard that Julia and Larry were friends from Saturday Night Live, and when they initially shot it she wasn't available, she was doing something else. And then I think that thing didn't get picked up, and they went 'Oh', and then they got Julia Louis-Dreyfus to be a friend."

Jason Alexander also told on the Kevin Pollack's Chat Show that Garlington suggested some changes in the script, which David did not like. Since he did not like Garlington tweaking his material, Claire was replaced with Dreyfus' Elaine in Seinfeld.

Even while the sitcom looked different in the Pilot and struggled to find its footing in the initial seasons, it is now considered one of the best comedies on television.

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Also Read: What is the Festivus in Seinfeld?

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