Career Timeline of Jerry Seinfeld: Major Achievements and Milestones
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Jerry Seinfeld made an impact.
Jerry Seinfeld is a highly acclaimed American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer known for his observational comedy. He has earned significant recognition, including a Primetime Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, and multiple Screen Actors Guild Awards, along with Grammy nominations. He has consistently been ranked among the greatest stand-up comedians, securing positions in Comedy Central's and Rolling Stone's lists of all-time greats.
1976: Early Stand-Up Comedy
In 1976, after graduating college, Jerry Seinfeld began performing stand-up comedy, trying out at open-mic nights in New York City.
1980: Recurring Role on Benson
In 1980, Jerry Seinfeld had a small recurring role on the sitcom "Benson", playing Frankie, a mail-delivery boy. He was later fired due to creative differences.
January 1981: Stand-up on An Evening at the Improv
In January 1981, Jerry Seinfeld performed stand-up comedy on "An Evening at the Improv".
September 5, 1987: Stand-Up Confidential Airs
On September 5, 1987, Jerry Seinfeld's first one-hour stand-up special, "Stand-Up Confidential", aired live on HBO.
1987: Stand-Up Confidential Release
In 1987, Jerry Seinfeld released his first stand-up special, titled "Stand-Up Confidential".
1988: Creation of The Seinfeld Chronicles
In 1988, Jerry Seinfeld created "The Seinfeld Chronicles" with Larry David for NBC, later renamed "Seinfeld".
1989: Seinfeld Sitcom Debut
In 1989, Jerry Seinfeld co-created and starred in the NBC sitcom "Seinfeld" with Larry David, playing a semi-fictionalized version of himself. The show quickly gained popularity.
1993: SeinLanguage Release
In 1993, Jerry Seinfeld released his book "SeinLanguage".
1993: Released "SeinLanguage"
In 1993, Jerry Seinfeld wrote and released the book "SeinLanguage", an adaptation of his stand-up material.
1998: I'm Telling You for the Last Time Release
In 1998, Jerry Seinfeld released his second stand-up special, titled "I'm Telling You for the Last Time".
1998: Return to Stand-Up Comedy
In 1998, after ending his sitcom, Jerry Seinfeld moved back to New York City and returned to stand-up comedy, going on tour and recording a comedy special titled "I'm Telling You for the Last Time".
1998: Seinfeld Sitcom Finale
In 1998, the final episode of the sitcom "Seinfeld" aired after a successful run. Despite an offer for a tenth season, Seinfeld declined, bringing the show to its conclusion.
1999: Auctioned Breitling Watch for Charity
In 1999, Seinfeld auctioned a Breitling Chronomat watch for charity at an event in New York City, selling it for $11,000.
2001: Created the Good+Foundation
In 2001, Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld created the charitable organization Good+Foundation after their first child was born.
2002: Halloween Release
In 2002, Jerry Seinfeld released his children's book "Halloween".
2002: Wrote the Children's Book "Halloween"
In 2002, Seinfeld wrote the children's book "Halloween", illustrated by James Bennett.
2002: Comedian Documentary
In 2002, the documentary "Comedian" was released, chronicling Jerry Seinfeld's process of developing and performing new stand-up material.
February 2004: Wrote Article Reviewing Porsche Carrera GT
In February 2004, Seinfeld wrote an article for Automobile reviewing the Porsche Carrera GT.
2004: Highest Paid Celebrity
According to Forbes magazine, as of 2004, Seinfeld's cumulative earnings from "Seinfeld" were $267 million, making him the highest-paid celebrity that year. Seinfeld also earned $100 million from syndication deals and stand-up performances.
May 13, 2006: SNL Cameo Appearance
On May 13, 2006, Jerry Seinfeld made a cameo appearance on "Saturday Night Live" as host Julia Louis-Dreyfus' assassin, parodying the "Seinfeld curse".
2006: Earned $60 Million
In 2006, Seinfeld earned $60 million from syndication deals and stand-up performances.
February 25, 2007: Academy Awards Presenter
On February 25, 2007, Jerry Seinfeld appeared at the 79th Academy Awards as the presenter for "Best Documentary".
October 4, 2007: Guest Appearance on 30 Rock
On October 4, 2007, Jerry Seinfeld made a guest appearance as himself in the "30 Rock" episode "SeinfeldVision".
2007: Bee Movie Release
In 2007, Jerry Seinfeld co-produced, co-wrote, and starred in the DreamWorks animated film "Bee Movie".
February 24, 2008: Academy Awards - Bee Movie
On February 24, 2008, at the 80th Academy Awards, Jerry Seinfeld appeared as the voice of his Bee Movie character, Barry, presenting Best Animated Short Film.
June 2, 2008: Stand Up for a Cure
On June 2, 2008, amidst his spring 2008 tour, Jerry Seinfeld performed in his hometown of New York City for a one-night-only show at the Hammerstein Ballroom to benefit Stand Up for a Cure, a charity aiding lung cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
June 2008: Starred in Microsoft Ad
In June 2008, Seinfeld appeared with Bill Gates in Microsoft's advertisements for Windows and earned $10 million.
August 2008: Windows Vista Pitchman
In August 2008, it was reported that Jerry Seinfeld would be the pitchman for Windows Vista, as part of a $300-million advertising campaign by Microsoft.
September 2008: Windows Vista Ads Aired
In mid-September 2008, Jerry Seinfeld's ads for Windows Vista began airing, but were later cut from television after three installments.
March 2009: Seinfeld Reunion on Curb Your Enthusiasm
In March 2009, it was announced that Jerry Seinfeld and the entire cast of "Seinfeld" would be appearing for a reunion in Larry David's HBO series "Curb Your Enthusiasm".
June 2009: Highest Paid Comedian
Between June 2008 and June 2009, Seinfeld earned $85 million, making him the world's highest-paid comedian.
September 14, 2009: First Guest on The Jay Leno Show
On September 14, 2009, Jerry Seinfeld was the first guest on Jay Leno's talk show "The Jay Leno Show".
June 23, 2010: Called a Mets Game on SNY
On June 23, 2010, Seinfeld called four innings of a Mets game on SportsNet New York, with Keith Hernandez.
August 30, 2010: Guest Appearance on The Howard Stern Show
On August 30, 2010, Jerry Seinfeld made a surprise guest appearance on "The Howard Stern Show", ending the feud the two had in the early 1990s.
2010: The Marriage Ref
In 2010, Jerry Seinfeld created and produced the reality series "The Marriage Ref" which aired on NBC.
July 2011: Surprise Guest on The Daily Show
In July 2011, Jerry Seinfeld was a surprise guest on "The Daily Show", helping Jon Stewart to suppress his urge to tell Michele Bachmann jokes.
2011: The Marriage Ref Ended
In 2011, the reality series "The Marriage Ref" which was created and produced by Jerry Seinfeld came to an end.
December 2012: Promotes Transcendental Meditation
In December 2012, Jerry Seinfeld stated that he had been practicing Transcendental Meditation for 40 years. He also promoted its use in treating PTSD on Good Morning America with Bob Roth of the David Lynch Foundation.
2012: Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
In 2012, Jerry Seinfeld created and hosted the web series "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee", featuring conversations with fellow comedians.
June 2013: Appeared on Wale's Album
In June 2013, Seinfeld appeared on rapper Wale's album "The Gifted", on the song "Outro About Nothing."
2013: Forbes Documented Annual Income
In 2013, Forbes documented Seinfeld's annual income as $32 million, which he later disputed.
2014: Hosted Don Rickles: One Night Only
In 2014, Seinfeld hosted the special "Don Rickles: One Night Only" at the Apollo Theatre, which celebrated Don Rickles' career and served as a roast among friends.
February 15, 2015: Guest Appearance on SNL 40th Anniversary Special
On February 15, 2015, Seinfeld appeared on the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special and hosted the "Questions from the Audience" segment.
May 20, 2015: Guest Appearance on David Letterman's Final Late Show
On May 20, 2015, Seinfeld made a guest appearance on David Letterman's final Late Show episode, participating in "The Top Ten List" segment.
November 5, 2015: Participates in "Change Begins Within" Benefit Concert
On November 5, 2015, Jerry Seinfeld participated in the David Lynch Foundation's "Change Begins Within" benefit concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City to promote transcendental meditation for stress control, expressing his enthusiasm for the technique as a life and work tool.
2015: Highest Paid Comedian
In 2015, Forbes ranked Seinfeld as the highest-paid comedian.
2015: Avoids College Campuses Due to Political Correctness
In 2015, Jerry Seinfeld stated that he avoids performing on college campuses because students have become too easily offended by his comedic routines.
June 2016: Second-Highest Paid Comedian
In 2016, Forbes ranked Seinfeld as the second-highest-paid comedian.
January 2017: Netflix Deal
In January 2017, Jerry Seinfeld signed a deal with Netflix that included placing "Seinfeld" and "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" on their streaming service, as well as two new Seinfeld stand-up specials and the development of scripted and non-scripted comedy programming.
January 2017: Appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
In January 2017, Seinfeld appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, honoring Michelle Obama and playing Catchphrase.
June 2017: Highest Paid Comedian
In 2017, Forbes ranked Seinfeld as the highest-paid comedian again. Seinfeld's income between June 2016 and June 2017 was $69 million.
September 19, 2017: Netflix Released "Jerry Before Seinfeld"
On September 19, 2017, Netflix released Jerry Seinfeld's stand-up comedy special, "Jerry Before Seinfeld", showcasing his return to Comic Strip Live.
2017: Jerry Before Seinfeld Release
In 2017, Jerry Seinfeld released his stand-up special "Jerry Before Seinfeld".
2019: Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee Ended
In 2019, Jerry Seinfeld ended the web series "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee".
October 2020: Participated in The New Yorker Festival
In October 2020, Seinfeld joined Steve Martin at The New Yorker Festival to discuss comedy and related topics.
October 2020: Released "Is This Anything?"
In October 2020, Seinfeld released his book "Is This Anything?", a compilation of his comedy bits over 45 years.
2020: 23 Hours to Kill Release
In 2020, Jerry Seinfeld released his stand-up special "23 Hours to Kill".
June 2024: Started new Tour and appeared in "Everybody's in LA"
In June 2024, Seinfeld embarked on a new tour, starting in Singapore, and appeared as a guest on "John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA".
2024: Declared a Billionaire
In 2024, Bloomberg declared Seinfeld a billionaire due to syndication deals and other income streams.
2024: Comments on Political Correctness in Comedy
In 2024, Jerry Seinfeld claimed in an interview with The New Yorker that political correctness was destroying comedy.
2024: Unfrosted Release
In 2024, Jerry Seinfeld co-produced, co-wrote, and starred in the Netflix comedy "Unfrosted".
