According to the "Seinfeld Encyclopedia," before the casting process had started for the iconic series, Jerry Seinfeld begged comedian Jake Johannsen to play the role of George Costanza. However, the stand-up comic turned him down.
In a post in the r/Seinfeld community on Reddit, u/jh99999 asked if anyone could imagine him in the role. In response, u/MaXiMuS501 commented that he "looks like he would steal a box of raisins from the audition." Similarly, u/kinyutaka explained that Johansson looks like he might be better suited to play Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards). But many "Seinfeld" fans are probably wondering... Who the heck is Jake Johannsen?
Despite turning down the role of George on "Seinfeld," the prolific stand-up comedian has made TV appearances in "Weird Science," "The Larry Sanders Show," "Married...with Children," and "Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist" (via IMDb). Johanssen is also known for his HBO special, "This'll Take an Hour," in 1992 and his Showtime special, "I Love You," in 2010. The Comedian's Comedian with Stuart Goldsmith podcast described him as, "A quintessential stand-up, with over three decades' experience and forty-five Letterman appearances, Jake Johannsen is an infinitely warm and funny man."
While Johanssen has proven to be a funny guy over the years, it's hard to imagine anyone other than Jason Alexander playing George Costanza. Fans can only speculate as to what "Seinfeld" would have been if it was Johannsen fishing a marble rye through a third-floor window instead of Alexander.
