The Marvel Cinematic Universe is full of cameos; heck, the whole thing is practically built on them. For that matter, it’s gotten to the point where we both expect the MCU’s movies to feature surprising cameos (and we complain when they don’t) yet also deeply dislike the endless parade of cameos in new Marvel projects.
And yet, these types of cameos are essentially as old as TV itself, particularly when it comes to the sitcom (a staple of American television and the foundation upon which so much of the medium is built). These long-lasting shows, most of which only focus on a few main characters, offer endless opportunities for a string of characters to make one-off appearances. Really, the sitcom is built for cameos; it’s a way for big celebrities to promote themselves, earn a quick paycheck, or even just get a start on the industry before becoming huge. It’s how Robert Downey Jr. found his way onto “Family Guy,” why Brad Pitt popped in on “Friends,” and even the reason John Wayne showed up on “I Love Lucy.”
It’s only fitting, then, that “Seinfeld” should feature its share of cameos by then-future Marvel stars, seeing as the MCU has served as a continuation of the mega-popular sitcom’s TV structure and tropes. In fact, one particular Marvel veteran actually got his big break in the industry on “Seinfeld” before becoming one of the foundational pillars of the MCU. Yes, I’m talking about hte man who helped build the franchise as we know it: Jon Favreau.
Jon Favreau played a clown in Seinfeld
Before he became Happy Hogan and directed the movie that started the MCU, Favreau began his career playing Eric the Clown in an episode of “Seinfeld” in 1994 — specifically, the season 5 episode “The Fire.”
In the episode, George Costanza hires a clown to entertain the kids at the birthday party of his latest girlfriend’s son. While Eric the Clown does his, well, clown things, Costanza starts mocking Eric for not knowing who Bozo the Clown is (that and for picking “Eric” as his clown name). The two fight over the legacy and relevancy of Bozo the clown, right up until a small fire breaks out in the kitchen during the party and George pulls a “Force Majeure” (or, if you’ve only seen the underwhelming U.S. remake, a “Downhill”) and starts shoving people out of the way — including women, children, and Eric — to save himself first.
Eric the Clown was Favreau’s first-ever TV role. He would soon after play Monica’s millionaire boyfriend on “Friends” before tackling his breakout role in “Swingers” (a film that he also wrote) just two years later. And in case you’re like Eric and don’t know who Bozo the Clown is, he was a popular character also known as “The World’s Most Famous Clown” and appeared on multiple TV shows starting in 1949 (the most famous iteration of which was the one played by Frank Avruch from 1959 to 1970).
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