Jason Alexander
He turned petty insecurity and comic desperation into an art form, creating one of television's most hilariously self-defeating characters.
Born 1959 (age 67)·American actor·Birthday: September 23·Baby Boomers
Biography
Jason Alexander, born Jay Scott Greenspan in Newark, New Jersey, built a formidable stage career before television immortality found him. A classically trained singer and dancer, he won a Tony Award for his performance in Jerome Robbins' Broadway. But it was his casting as the chronically scheming, perpetually unlucky George Costanza on Seinfeld that etched him into the cultural firmament. Alexander mined his own neuroses and a deep understanding of human frailty to shape George, a character of such profound and relatable failings that he became a comic archetype. Despite the role's shadow, he has consistently returned to the stage and taken on varied character work, directing for theater and television, and proving his talents extend far beyond the confines of a fictional New York apartment. His career is a masterclass in how a single, perfect performance can define an actor without limiting him.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Jason was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jason Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Jason's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role in 'Jerome Robbins' Broadway' in 1989.
- Received seven consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his portrayal of George Costanza on 'Seinfeld'.
- Won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series for 'Seinfeld'.
- Directed multiple episodes of television series, including 'Criminal Minds' and 'Mike & Molly'.
Did You Know?
He is a skilled magician and a member of the Magic Castle in Hollywood.
He was originally considered for the role of Niles Crane on 'Frasier' before David Hyde Pierce was cast.
He performed the voice of the gargoyle Hugo in Disney's 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame'.
He briefly hosted the U.S. version of the game show 'The Singing Bee'.
“George is probably the single greatest acting lesson I ever had.”
