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With the news of Jerry Stiller’s passing at the age of 92, multiple generations of pop culture enthusiasts are going to reminisce about the comedy legend’s decades of work. For many, that means his role as Frank Costanza on Seinfeld—a gig he did not get until he was almost 70. The show, already a culture-changing hit by the time Stiller joined in Season 5, somehow became even better. By pairing Stiller with the equally brilliant Estelle Harris as George’s so-nutty-they’re-real parents, Seinfeld entered the second half of its run supercharged. Seinfeld wasn’t showing any signs of slowing down, but Stiller and Harris still put a lot of punch into the show.
But how could a show not become even better than before with the addition of Jerry Stiller? The man already had something like 50 years of experience under his sansabelt slacks, and he brought all of that to the show with every raged-out monologue, declaration of injustice, and quest for vengeance.
If you’re looking to celebrate Stiller’s legacy, then you can’t go wrong with bingeing all of the man’s Seinfeld appearances—starting with five of the best.
"The Puffy Shirt" (5x2)
Jerry Stiller is such an integral part of Seinfeld’s legacy, it’s truly wild to think that he didn’t join the show until Season 5—66 episodes into the show’s run! But after first meeting George’s dad as played by John Randolph in Season 4’s “The Handicap Spot,” Jerry Stiller’s fully-formed—and fully enraged—Frank Costanza debuted in this all-time great episode. No other actor on Earth could make the line “Would you believe when I was 18 I had a silver dollar collection?” as nerve-wracking, surreal, and hilarious as Jerry Stiller.
"The Doorman" (6x18)
The show struck gold when they discovered the chemistry between Stiller and Michael Richards, whose jittery hipster doofus proved to be a surprisingly funny foil for the nuclear bombast of Frank Costanza. Their team-ups resulted in many iconic moments, including Kramer and Frank’s mission to reinvent the male underwear game with a bra for men. You can hear Stiller screaming “the Maaan-ssiere!” in your head right now.
"The Fatigues" (8x6)
Like a Phoenix rising from Arizona, Stiller got his own Platoon moment in this Season 8 episode. “The Fatigues” flashed back to Frank’s disastrous stint as an army cook in the Korean War, providing Stiller with the perfect showcase for his explosive comedic talents. This is an episode crafted specifically for Stiller, a tour de force that shows the pain and passion of Frank Costanza.
"The Serenity Now" (9x3)
When you have a character with as short a fuse as Frank’s, of course you’re going to do an anger management episode. And Frank being Frank, he takes his doctor-prescribed mantra of “serenity now” and turns it into a bone-rattling battle cry. It doesn’t help that he chooses to bring down his blood pressure while running a computer sales business out of his garage with the low-key deranged Lloyd Braun.
"The Strike" (9x10)
If there’s one way for a show to guarantee pop culture immortality, it’s coming up with a killer holiday episode that begs to be quoted, celebrated, and even re-enacted every December. Seinfeld got into that gig in its final season with the introduction of Festivus, a no holds barred, full contact tradition that’s more about unleashing pent-up rage than goodwill. Only Frank could come up a holiday that includes traditions like “the airing of grievances” and “feats of strength.” With Stiller gone, Festivus is going to take on a whole new importance this year.
