George Costanza had so many memorable moments throughoutSeinfeld’s nine-season run, but Jason Alexander’s personal favorite from the show’s history just might be the best of the bunch. Alexander’s turn as George is one ofthe greatest sitcom performances of all time, and there are plenty of scenes and lines that could qualify as his finest moment in the show.
George had many great scenes inSeinfeld, all played spectacularly by Alexander. His monologue about the golf ball is a masterclass in comic delivery. The scene where he barges past women, children, and the elderly to escape a fire is a masterclass in physical comedy. But Alexander’s favorite George moment is a smaller, subtler piece of comedic writing and acting.
Jason Alexander’s Favorite George Costanza Quote Is In “The Red Dot”
“Was That Wrong? Should I Not Have Done That?”
In an interview with theTelevision Academy,Alexander named his favorite George moment, and it can be seen in season 3, episode 12, “The Red Dot.”In thisiconicSeinfeldepisode, George gets a job in Elaine’s office that doesn’t last long. One night, while he’s working late after hours, George has sex with the cleaning woman on his desk.
When his boss Mr. Lippman confronts him about it, George decides to plead ignorance. He sincerely asks, “Was that wrong? Should I not have done that?” He suggests that in all the other offices he’s ever worked at, that kind of thing wasn’t “frowned upon.” It’s a long shot, but George would rather take that shot than just give in.
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Alexander plays the scene perfectly. You see George go into serious thought as he tries to figure out a way to wiggle out of trouble. You can see the lightbulb go off in his head when he decides to just play dumb and shrug it off. AndAlexander plays the feigned obliviousness perfectly— Mr. Lippman can see right through it.
Why This Seinfeld Quote Perfectly Captures George Costanza
It Shows George For Who He Is: A Con Artist, A Pathological Liar, & An Evil Genius
This scene perfectly encapsulateswho George Costanza is as a character. By his own admission, his whole life is a lie. Even in a situation like this, where he’s been caught red-handed with irrefutable evidence and an eyewitness account, and he knows he can’t make up a story to excuse himself,he simply pretends he didn’t realize it was wrong.
“Only George Costanza would think like that.”
Alexander explained that this scene is his favorite because it “told me so much about who this guy is.” He’s a pathological liar, a master con artist, and — credit where credit’s due — an evil genius. Alexander said, “Only George Costanza would think like that.”Seinfeldblessed audiences with manyclassic, character-defining George moments, but this might be the earliest example.
