Ultimately, recasting Frank Costanza with Jerry Stiller was the right call for Seinfeld, and the character actor went on to receive accolades and nominations for his performance. Seinfeld showrunner Larry David loved his performance – and, thus, the iconic Frank Costanza that audiences know today was born. Stiller was initially asked to wear a bald cap and contrast Estelle as a meeker persona, but the actor decided on his fourth day to start screaming back at George’s mother in their scenes together, believing this was a much more compelling dynamic. Stiller quickly gave in and joined Seinfeld’s cast despite his guilt about replacing Randolph, with part of the personality change upon Frank’s Seinfeld recast being due to Stiller’s own read of the character. Jerry Stiller would quickly turn Frank Costanza into the eccentric grouch that viewers remember, but upon finding out that he would be replacing John Randolph, the comedian initially had mixed feelings about taking the role. Although Randolph’s Frank could be slightly angry and crass, the intrigue of the character paled in comparison to Stiller’s, which was fueled by over-the-top emotion, a combative personality, and just as much ridiculous energy as the rest of the cast. George Costanza actor Jason Alexander admitted that Randolph looked too “ WASPy” and was a bit older and gentler with soft energy – so not only did he not physically resemble Alexander, “ he didn’t look like a Costanza.” When deciding to bring Frank back for Seinfeld season 5, the casting director recruited Jerry Stiller, who truly captured the spirit of the character that they imagined.

While Seinfeld’s cast and producers had nothing but lovely words to say about Randolph, it was clear that he wasn’t the best actor to portray Frank Costanza.

Costanza playnow