MICHAEL RICHARDS

Michael Richards has always been a funny man, first stepping into the national spotlight when he was featured on Billy Crystal's first cable TV special. Prior to ‘Seinfeld,’ he made numerous guest appearances on a variety of television shows including ‘Cheers,’ ‘Night Court,’ ‘Miami Vice’ and ‘St. Elsewhere.’

His film credits include ‘So I Married an Axe Murderer,’ ‘Problem Child,’ and ‘UHF.’

But before stardom, he did something far more honorable: serving in the Vietnam War. He was in the U.S. Army for two years, and stationed in Germany as one of the co-directors of the V Corps Training Road Show. He produced and directed shows dealing with race relations and drug abuse.

Richards is also a Master Mason and also holds 33° in the Scottish Rite. He was very active in preservation of Masonic research, and in his personal life is an avid reader.

Needless to say, Richard’s life really took off when, in 1989, he was cast as Cosmo Kramer (based on the real-life Kenny Kramer) in the NBC television series ‘Seinfeld.’ Although it got off to a slow start, by the mid-1990s, the show had become one of the most popular sitcoms in television history.

The series ended its nine-year run in 1998 at #1 and earned Michael Richards three Emmy awards.

THE GOAT!

On November 17, 2006, during a performance at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood, California, a cell phone video captured Richards shouting ‘Shut up’ to a heckler in the audience, followed by ‘He's a nigger!’ to the rest of the audience. (using the word 6 times altogether), and also making a reference to lynching. He was addressing a group of black hecklers.

Richards made a public apology for his remarks, during a satellite appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman. He described going into a rage and said, "For me to be at a comedy club and to flip out and say this crap, I'm deeply, deeply sorry."

He said he was trying to defuse heckling by being even more outrageous, but that it had backfired. Richards later called civil rights leaders Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson in order to apologize. He also appeared as a guest on Jackson's syndicated radio show.