Free Seinfeld Reference: The Complete Encyclopedia by Dennis Bjorklund Page A

"Ellen."
    When Ackerman assumed the position, he only abdicated the throne twice, each time to David Owen Trainor ("The Secretary" and "The Comeback"), during his four-year tenure.  Prior to "Seinfeld," Ackerman's prolific directorial résumé included "Cheers," "Frasier" and "Wings" during the apex of each show's ratings prosperity.  He particularly enjoyed the "Seinfeld" position because it resembled a movie by having numerous location shoots, a multitude of scenes, and very few close-ups.  Ackerman would spend extra time making a shot just right or trying something unusual.  For instance, he spent four hours mounting a camera to resemble the view from inside a toilet bowl as Jerry retrieves a befallen toothbrush.  Ackerman's future includes directing various pilots, such as "It's Like, You Know...," with fellow "Seinfeld" alumni Peter Mehlman.
     
     
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RECURRING REGULARS
    It is fair to say that nearly every recurring regular on "Seinfeld" has earned a special place in the hearts of Americans.  Everyone has a favorite character, and each is appreciated for the unique comedic dimension they add to the series.  One of the most popular additions to the series came in the third season, with the bedeviled postal worker Newman.  As "Seinfeld" expanded in popularity and incorporated broader scripts, other idiosyncratic characters were added--parents, relatives, and significant others--not to mention the comedic cornucopia of supporting actors--friends, neighbors, coworkers, supervisors, and acquaintances.
    The fictional parents of Jerry Seinfeld and George Costanza are the most memorable for the recurring regular roles on "Seinfeld."  They epitomize the idiosyncrasies and eccentricities of elderly parents.  Although not originally included as an intricate aspect of the show, the characters became more frequent and regular as their popularity increased.  In fact, few of the recurring regulars were envisioned as long-term additions to the story lines, but they earned continued employment through their deft portrayal of their respective character.

Wayne Knight
    Wayne Knight first appeared on-screen in episode 32 ("The Suicide"), though his character had a voice part in a prior show, which was performed by Larry David (Knight's voice was subsequently dubbed for syndication).  Originally Newman was supposed to be the landlord's son, but the creators did not feel comfortable with that arrangement, so they made him a postal worker.  Moreover, he was originally devised as a goofball friend of Kramer and Jerry's nemesis, but they expanded his role to become a Solomon-type wise man and dog-snatcher.  Knight's favorite episode is "The Ticket" where he goes to court to defend against a speeding ticket and uses Kramer as his legal justification (Newman was speeding to prevent Kramer from committing suicide for never becoming a banker).
    Born August 7, 1955 in New York City, Wayne Eliot was an only child and raised in Cartersville, Georgia after his father was reassigned to work in women's apparel.  Knight always had a weight problem, and was savagely teased as a child.  After acquiring acting experience in high school, he attended the University of Georgia, majoring in theater but dropped out one credit shy of a degree.  Knight moved to New York City and quickly appeared on Broadway in Gemini (1979) and the movie The Wanderer (1979).  In the early 1980s, Knight appeared in the British sitcom "Assaulted Nuts," starring future friend and Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson.  While building his acting career, Knight spent five years working as a private investigator.  He was eventually fired when acting jobs began interfering with his night surveillance.
    After appearing in Mastergate (1989), the following year Knight had his big break while crossing Fifth Avenue in New York.  Actor Jack Weston asked Knight to replace him in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure at the Lincoln Center.  Thereafter Knight