Michael Richards has largely been known for playing the role of Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld from 1989 to 1998. He recently went for a hike in Los Angeles, California, and you wouldn’t recognize the famous star.
Richards had a very public fall from grace following a racist incident involving a Black fan. Since then the 70-year-old Richards has been hiding from the public eye. Despite his the backlash of his actions Richards is still worth an estimated $45 million.
In a recent rare appearance for the actor, his appearance is completely different. It seems that he has grown a full beard while most of the country has been on lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The paparazzi caught photos of Richards appearing to be taking a break from a hiking and mountain biking adventure. He sat with his feet up in the trunk of his car enjoying a break from such rigorous activity.
The comedian has kept a low profile over the years. Especially after his racist rant in 2006 which led to his lost career. He has since apologized.
In 2012, Richards opened up to his former co-star Jerry Seinfeld about the incident in his show Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee.
The candid interview with his former Seinfeld co-star showed Richards admitting he is still haunted by the incident, saying: ‘It broke me down.’
More details of this story from AWM:
In the November 2006 incident, which was caught on camera, Richards screamed at a heckler in his audience and referred to the critic as a “n****r.” The video was filmed at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood, where Richards had been invited to perform a standup comedy routine. Since the career-ending incident, Richards has largely remained in hiding since he has found it practically impossible to land a job.
In the alarming footage, Michael Richards hurls racial slurs and abuse at the critic, demanding that security at the comedy club do his bidding and “Throw his ass out… He’s a n*****! Look there’s a n*****!”
When speaking to Seinfeld about being a “selfless” comedy performer during the pity interview, Richards said, “That’s a lesson I learned… when I blew it in the comedy club. I lost my temper because somebody interrupted my act and said some things that hurt me, and I lashed out in anger.”
He added, “I should have been working selflessly that evening. It was a selfish response. I took it too personally, and I should have just said: ‘Yeah, you’re absolutely right. I’m not funny. I think I’ll go home and work on my material, and I’ll see you tomorrow night.’ But – you know – it was just one of those nights.”
Richards admitted, “I busted up after that event… It broke me down.”
Seinfeld publicly supported Richards following his racist outburst. During the 2012 appearance on the interview format show, he thanked the billionaire, saying: “And thanks for sticking by me. It meant a lot to me. ‘But inside, it still kicks me around.”
Source: AWM
