There was a moment when Jason Alexander realized that his character on Seinfeld, George Costanza, was actually a stand-in for Larry David, and that's when he got deep into the character. George Costanza is one of the funniest TV characters ever. He's the perfect archetype of an insecure man who has a preposterous amount of confidence at all the wrong times. Deceitful, petty, and self-hating, if you knew George in real life, you might go the way of his many girlfriends and dump him after only a few days of getting to know him. 4m3946

Seinfeldchanged history when it came to situational TV comedy by stripping back the medium to its bare elements and taking a self-conscious look at the essence of sitcom humor. The show’s premise was scant, as it self-referentially mocked in its fourth season. Yet it grounded itself in farcical real-life experiences more than any other comedy show had before it. The comic craftsmanship of Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld, and their extraordinarily gifted writing team, with the inimitable acting talents of Seinfeld's cast thrown into the mix, resulted in a sitcom beyond comparison.

When it comes to the first Seinfeld episode, it’s easy to assume that every member of the iconic cast has seen it at least once. After all, Seinfeld isn’t just one of the most influential sitcoms in television history, it’s a cultural landmark. Surprisingly though, Julia Louis-Dreyfus (who, of course, played Elaine Benes) has never watched the Seinfeld pilot. Despite being an essential part of the show's success, Louis-Dreyfus recently revealed that not only did she miss it when it aired, she’s still never gone back to see it.

It wasn't until recently that I realized I'd forgotten two massive stars from Gilmore Girls also appeared in Seinfeld, too. From 1989 to 1997, all nine seasons of Seinfeld kept audiences in fits of laughter. The sitcom was groundbreaking for the time and delved into all manner of interesting topics and taboos that other TV shows back then weren't ready to tackle. The cast of Seinfeld, which included Jerry Seinfeld as a fictional version of himself, Jason Alexander as George Costanza, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Elaine Benes, and Michael Richards as Cosmo Kramer, became comedy legends after headlining the show.

Philip Baker Hall appeared as the hilarious Lt. Joe Bookman in two episodes of Seinfeld, and the legendary actor based his performance on another suitably memorable TV character. There were some fantastic guest stars on Seinfeld over its 9 seasons, and with such a groundbreakingly hilarious show where each of the main characters could carry an entire episode on their own, it would always take a special performance to make sure you weren't buried underneath the comedic weight surrounding you. An actor of Philip Baker Hall's stature probably did not have to worry about that.

It's a running gag in Seinfeldthat the main characters are constantly breaking up with their romantic partners for silly and shallow reasons. Though Jerry Seinfeld has quite the volume of girlfriends in the show about nothing, most don't stick around for more than a couple of episodes, and he and his friends are more or less perpetually single. While sometimes it's the partners themselves who do the dumping — and usually for very good reasons — more often than not, it's one of the core four who ends the relationship.

I love the way Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Elaine Benes shoves people to express shock and surprise in Seinfeld — and I love it even more after learning the backstory behind it. The role of Elaine set up Louis-Dreyfus for a legendary career in film and television. She’s since played unscrupulous politician Selina Meyer in HBO’s Veep, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and forged a strong working relationship with renowned writer-director Nicole Holofcener. She has a wide and varied body of work, but it can all be traced back to Elaine.

Despite being a "show about nothing," Seinfeldwas known for talking about anything and everything. Throughout its nine-season run, the cast tackled topics from racial insensitivity to masturbation, showing stories that pushed the boundaries of what's allowed on network television. Co-creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld were able to turn anything into a punchline, courting controversy along the way with stories like Jason Alexander's George Costanza picking a fight with a "bubble boy."

Many think that Seinfeld and Friends take place in the same universe, but do these theories hold any weight?

Seinfeld’s George Costanza is a hilarious character to watch from the safety of the other side of the screen, but let’s be honest: if you knew him in real life, you’d hate him. These days, it’s common for TV shows to dig into the lives of bad people. Pretty much everyone in The Sopranos is a violent sociopath who cheats on their spouse and kills without remorse. Breaking Bad’s Walter White is a mild-mannered chemistry teacher who gradually transforms into a murderous monster. And “The Gang” in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia have no moral com whatsoever.