Highlights
- Actor Patrick Warburton reflected on how being typecast after his role as Puddy on Seinfeld and if it changed his career for the worse.
- Despite challenges, Warburton has had a successful career with numerous voiceover and live-action roles.
- Warburton continued his success in comedy with his role on Family Guy, however, his dramatic aspirations may have been negatively impacted by Seinfeld.
Since Seinfeld is widely considered to be one of the best sitcoms ever made, being a memorable part of the show is a really big deal. After all, it isn't a coincidence that many of Seinfeld's most memorable stars became very rich.
On the other hand, when the show ended, it became so obvious that many of its stars struggled to move on that the term "Seinfeld curse" was coined. For that reason, it is fascinating to know whether Seinfeld actor Patrick Warburton feels being typecast because of the show affected his career.
Was Patrick Warburton Typecast Because Of Seinfeld?
Since Seinfeld is still so widely respected decades after it ended, fans continue to rewatch the series over and over. As anyone who has rewatched Seinfeld in recent years will likely already know, it is a very revealing experience in several ways.
When some people rewatch Seinfeld with modern eyes, they walk away remarking on how some of the show's jokes wouldn't fly today. While that is interesting, it could easily be argued that something about Seinfeld is even more interesting for modern viewers.
During Seinfeld's nine seasons on the air, a staggering list of actors who would later become famous appeared on the show. In fact, even one of Friends' biggest stars appeared on Seinfeld before they become incredibly famous.
However, once an actor appeared in enough Seinfeld episodes that their character became extremely memorable, it became a lot harder for them to move on. In the years since Seinfeld ended, actor Patrick Warburton has remarked on how dealing with being typecast because of Seinfeld affected his career.
In 2009, Warburton was interviewed by a reporter for Deseret News. During the resulting conversation, the reporter asked Warburton if anyone ever asked him about starring in a David Puddy focused Seinfeld spin-off.
After remarking that he was never asked about starring in a spin-off, Warburton seemed to consider how his career would have been affected if that show ever existed. After all, Warburton went on to talk about how typecast as Puddy he was after appearing in only 10 Seinfeld episodes.
"As an actor, when you do a character on a show as widely watched as Seinfeld and a real definitive caricature, then you are at serious risk of being typecast the rest of your life. I did nine episodes and it's still an issue. I can't get meetings in town for anything outside of something comedic. So whatever."
By 2009, it had already been more than a decade since Seinfeld's finale first aired. With that in mind, it may be surprising to some that Warburton was still typecast at that point from a role he only portrayed in a handful of sitcom episodes.
However, in 2022 Warburton was interviewed for a website called The List, and he spoke about how Seinfeld still affected pretty much every aspect of his career.
"When you're part of something that's in perpetual syndication and is ... I hazard to say, I won't ever do anything that's out there as much as "Seinfeld" has been and seems to always be. It's something that seems to be ever-present. It's a good thing."
Warburton continued, "But people always seem to go back to "Seinfeld." The most meaningful and one of the greatest opportunities I had was a few years ago. I got to spend the better part of two years in Vancouver doing "A Series of Unfortunate Events" with Barry Sonnenfeld, which was ... That was a lovely show."
Warburton went on to explain that he intentionally takes roles to try to break out of his typecasting. "I busy myself throughout the years, trying to do different things and reinvent, but it is tricky when you do nine episodes of a sitcom and are in danger of being typecast."
Warburton continued by lamenting that the powers that be in Hollywood can't look past the image they have of him in their minds. "I find that in a creative industry, oftentimes they seem to lack creativity in regards to casting. They put you in a box. Whenever I've had opportunities to do something very different, like "The Dish," or "The Woman Chaser," or "The Civilization of Maxwell Bright," even "A Series of Unfortunate Events," [playing] Lemony Snicket ..."
Fortunately, Warburton revealed that some people in the entertainment business see more than Puddy in him. "When I did "The Dish" in Australia years ago with the Sam Neill, this lovely film about the Apollo 11 mission from the Australians' perspective, I'd inquired with them. I said, 'How do you know me?' They go, 'Seinfeld.'"
Warburton continued, "I played the NASA exec in the film who oversees this entire operation. I said, 'I'm maybe the least funny character in this entire film. What made you think that I could do this?' They said, 'Oh, we reckon you could do it.' Thank God for Rob Sitch, Working Dog [Productions], and the Aussies for giving me the opportunity years ago."
Later in the interview, Warburton made sure to clarify that even though typecasting affected his career, he knows how lucky he is. "It's not that frustrating. I've had a lot of opportunities and been able to do things. In the wider realm of things, it still does at times present a challenge, but it's not that big of a deal."
What Happened To Patrick Warburton After Seinfeld?
When he has talked about being typecast as an actor, Patrick Warburton has explained that most Hollywood power brokers see him only as a comedic performer. Looking at Warburton's filmography, he certainly seems to have a point as his credits are dominated by comedic and family-friendly roles.
While Warburton's career prospects may be somewhat limited, he has landed so many roles since Seinfeld ended that it is staggering. In fact, even if people only consider the voiceover roles that Warburton has taken, his career would still be very impressive.
Since Seinfeld ended, Warburton has starred in the animated series Family Guy and Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. Warburton has also provided his voice for tens of episodes for shows like Kim Possible, The Venture Bros., The Emperor's New School, and Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated.
On top of Warburton's voiceover work, he has landed several live-action roles as well since Seinfeld ended. On the movie side of things, Warburton has appeared in movies like Joe Somebody, Men in Black II, Underdog, Get Smart, and Ted among others.
More notably, Warburton has gone on to star in several live-action TV shows since Seinfeld's finale first aired. Warburton has played the main character in The Tick, Less than Perfect, and Rules of Engagement, on top of playing a pivotal role in Netflix's A Series of Unfortunate Events.
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