Jason Alexander: Chris Rock, others turned down my Seinfeld role

Seinfeld fans know that you can’t have Jerry without George. But George wasn’t always going to be played by Jason Alexander.

When Alexander recently stopped by the Howard Stern Show, he and Stern talked about the many other actors who were reportedly up for the part, including Larry Miller, Brad Hall, David Alan Grier, Nathan Lane, Steve Buscemi, Paul Shaffer, Danny DeVito, and Chris Rock. In fact, Alexander remembers that DeVito was offered the role—but turned it down.

So why did Alexander walk away the victor? Alexander thinks it had everything to do with the fact that he thought the script sounded like a Woody Allen movie, and as a result, he auditioned with his best Woody Allen impression. The lesson? Sometimes, stuttering is the answer.