Michael Anthony Richards (born July 24, 1949) is an American actor, writer and television producer, widely known for his portrayal of Cosmo Kramer on the television sitcom Seinfeld, for which he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series three times.
Richards began his career as a stand-up comedian, first entering the national spotlight when he was featured on Billy Crystal's first cable TV special. He went on to become a series regular on ABC's Fridays. Prior to Seinfeld, he made numerous guest appearances on a variety of television shows'. His film credits include So I Married an Axe Murderer, Airheads, Young Doctors in Love, Problem Child, Coneheads, UHF, and Trial and Error, one of his few starring roles. During the run of Seinfeld, he made a guest appearance in Mad About You. After Seinfeld, Richards starred in his own sitcom, The Michael Richards Show, which lasted less than one full season.

When Seinfeld ended, Richards returned to stand-up comedy. He incited media furor while performing at the Laugh Factory comedy club in late 2006 after cell phone video was published of him launching into an expletive laced racial tirade primarily directed at a heckling audience member. Subsequent to significant media coverage of the event he announced his retirement from stand-up early in 2007. He appeared as himself in the seventh season of Curb Your Enthusiasm in 2009, acting alongside his fellow cast members for the first time since Seinfeld's finale, as well as parodying his incident at the Laugh Factory.

In 2013, Richards played the role of Frank in the sitcom Kirstie, co-starring Kirstie Alley and Rhea Perlman.

Biography

Richards was married for 18 years to Cathleen Lyons, a family therapist. They have one daughter, Sophia (b. 1975). Richards and Lyons separated in 1992 and officially divorced a year later. In 2010, Richards married longtime girlfriend Beth Skipp. They had been together eight years prior to their marriage. They have a son, Antonio Baz (b. 2011).

Best films