| Overview |
| Jerry |
Cosmo[1] Kramer was a native of the Sitcom Multiverse, although he could sometimes be spotted in others. He wasn't very prominent in that multiverse, just a regular, ordinary fellow, apart from his unusual mannerisms and behaviour.
He was friends and neighbours with Jerry Seinfeld, a comedian who was at the same time often annoyed and yet caring for Kramer. He was also friends with George Costanza, and Elaine Benes. He was also friends with Newman, Seinfeld's arch-nemesis.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Youth[]
Kramer was born to his mother Babs Kramer, with whom he did not see eye to eye. He came to view as a source of pain in his childhood, including from having named him "Cosmo". (TV: The Switch) The household was strict; Kramer had to be in bed by 9 P.M. every night, under threat of severe punishment.[Note 1] (TV: The Big Salad) At a young age, Kramer was accosted by a man in a park who exposed his genitals to him. (TV: The Trip, Part II) At the age of eight, a deaf cousin came to stay with him for a year, allowing him to become fluent in American Sign Language. (TV: The Lip Reader)
Kramer participated in street protests in the 1960s.[Note 2] (TV: The Chicken Roaster) At the age of seventeen, Kramer ran away from home and boarded a steamship to Sweden.[Note 3] (TV: The Letter) While there, he enjoyed hot tubbing,[Note 4] (TV: The Hot Tub) and became acquainted with young Swedish boys.[Note 5] (TV: The Wait Out) Kramer did not finish high school, but did subsequently earn his G.E.D. (TV: The Barber)
Young adulthood[]
Kramer served briefly in the United States Army before he was discharged. He would later claim that the length of time he had served was "classified". (TV: The Strongbox) In 1972,[Note 6] Kramer shared an apartment at the corner of Third Avenue and 18th Street with a roommate named John Grossbard. Grossbard was perpetually behind in his rent, until one month when he asked Kramer to loan him his half of the rent. However, Grossbard took the $240 in cash and disappeared; Kramer attempted to find Grossbard by visiting his family and girlfriend but failed to make contact. (TV: The Airport)
Experiences with Seinfeld and friends[]
Meeting Seinfeld[]
Kramer was already living at his apartment at 129 West 81st Street when Jerry Seinfeld moved into the building in 1986.[Note 7] When Seinfeld offered him pizza, Kramer was reluctant to partake in it. However, Seinfeld insisted, saying "What's mine is yours." (TV: The Betrayal)
Life in Los Angeles[]
While there, he became acquainted with how breasts that had been augmented with implants felt like. (TV: The Implant)
Personality[]
Respect for other countries[]
Kramer had some small level of affinity for Canada; he was disinterested in America's NFL in favour of the CFL;[Note 8] (TV: The Label Maker) he owned and displayed a vintage "Snow Time is Playtime in Canada" Canadian National Railways poster above his hot tub;[Note 9] (TV: The Hot Tub) and he recorded sittings of Canada's Parliament on C-SPAN.[Note 10] (TV: The Blood)
Weapons and Abilities[]
| Power Grid | ||
| Factor | Level | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence | Normal | |
| Strength | Normal | |
| Speed | Normal | |
| Durability | Normal | |
| Energy Projection | N/A | |
| Fighting Skills | Some Training | |
Assets[]
- Kavorka: "The lure of the animal", A powerful sexual attraction that Kramer possessed. (TV: The Conversion) Kramer seduced a lesbian, (TV: The Smelly Car) accidentally seduced a nun, (TV: The Conversion) and scored a date with Uma Thurman. (TV: The Secretary)
- Languages: Kramer could speak English (TV: The Seinfeld Chronicles) and American Sign Language. (TV: The Lip Reader)
- Schooling: Kramer did not finish high school, but did obtain a Certificate of High School Equivalency. (TV: The Barber)
Skills[]
Combat[]
- Close-Quarters: Kramer was able to successfully incapacitate a mugger, before continuing to fend off the mugger while driving Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus to a hospital, and continuing to make the expected stops along the bus route. (TV: The Fire)
- Karate: Kramer studied at Kenpo Karate, becoming skilled enough to defeat young children in combat. (TV: The Foundation)
- His acquired skill was not sufficient to protect him from an ambush held by a large group of children. (TV: The Foundation)
Mental[]
- Mental Alarm: In his estimation, his body possessed an "internal mechanism" that allowed him to wake up at the exact time he desired. (TV: The Hot Tub)
Weaknesses[]
Personal[]
- Gambling addiction: Kramer had a gambling addiction that he could barely control. (TV: The Susie)
Notes[]
Behind the Scenes[]
Appearances[]
- Seinfeld
- The Seinfeld Chronicles (first appearance)
- The Betrayal (first chronologically)
- The Finale (final appearance)
Links[]
- Cosmo Kramer on Wikipedia
- Cosmo Kramer on WikiSein
- Cosmo Kramer on the Heroes Wiki
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ Kramer's pained voice while explaining this in the episode implies it was something traumatic, but it's unclear exactly what it could be. It's possible he was beaten, or, given how easily he's shown to crumble under loud verbal abuse in "The Big Salad" and "The Junk Mail", that he was violently screamed at by one or more of his parents.
- ↑ In the episode, Kramer proclaims that he will drive Kenny Rogers Roasters out of business "Like we did in the sixties, takin' in to the streets."
- ↑ His only elaboration on this experience in the episode was that the steamship was "a big one."
- ↑ He does not explicitly make the claim that he enjoyed hot tubbing in Sweden; however, it is known that he went to Sweden and professes knowledge of how hot tubs are used in Sweden. Occam's razor would indicate that he used hot tubs in Sweden.
- ↑ He somehow knows enough about them to be able to claim that he has "the body of a.. taut, pre-teen, Swedish boy" in the episode.
- ↑ Kramer states that twenty years have passed; the episode aired in 1992.
- ↑ Text appears onscreen stating "Eleven Years Earlier"; the episode aired in 1997.
- ↑ The Canadian Football League is only referenced as "Canadian football" in the episode's dialogue.
- ↑ It is prominently visible in the scene where he checks the temperature of the newly-installed heat pump before going to see Jerry at the door.
- ↑ In real life, it is aired on the Canadian channel CPAC. C-SPAN is an American channel for the American government.
- ↑ The Switch - Bruce Kirschbaum & Sam Kass - Seinfeld S6 E10 - NBC - Airdate 5 January 1995 - Retrieved 3 October 2025
- ↑ Seinfeld - IMDB - Retrieved 13 February 2021
- ↑ Michael Richards - IMDB - Retrieved 13 February 2021
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