Jonathan Hayman’s Appearance on Seinfeld

While Jonathan Hayman spent most of him time writing for the hit series Seinfeld, he did take the time to switch places with the actors and have a shot at the spotlight. Taking a break from his normal routine, he portrayed a character that many of the fans still have a laugh about, Donald Sanger, The Bubble Boy.

Premise of the Episode

In the season finale of season four, the crew is planning to take a trip out of town. As with most episodes, something goes awry and everyone scrambles to make changes. On the way to a cabin, Jerry Seinfeld is planning to meet up with a fan that lives in a “bubble” because of the fear of germs and contamination due to his disease. However, because Jerry gets lost, his friend George Costanza and girlfriend, Susan arrive first. Things get out of hand as a game of Trivial Pursuit turns bad. Bubble Boy, played by Jonathan Hayman, says the correct answer but George refuses to give him credit for it. (There is a misprint on the card.) As only an episode of Seinfeld can do, it gets worse. Because of the argument, the boy's bubble is broken and of course, George is blamed.

What it Takes

Even though he wasn't exactly a character that everyone can see, it still took skill for Jonathan Hayman to step into the role of actor. It begins with reading the entire episode's script from beginning to end. Being one of the writers, he was already familiar with the overall story of Seinfeld and didn't need very much explained. After figuring out his part, he needed to come up with a way to read the lines to not only keep the audience engaged but to show a sense of humor as well. Remember, there was a little problem with the game of Trivial Pursuit. While most people may think something like this is simple, there is a lot more too it than most realize.

Rehearsals take place and characters read through their lines to make sure that the flow of the script reads as well aloud as it did on the page. At this point, there may be some additions, subtractions or general changes that are made. Because of Jonathan Hayman and his familiarity with the entire process, this was something fairly comfortable to participate in. Depending on the person, presenting lines and filming may be the most difficult part.

Finally, the show takes place. Cast members are dressed and in the case of Jonathan Hayman, he was placed inside his “bubble.” He knew what it felt like to be behind the scenes as a writer and in the same way, was able to be behind the scenes as the character is introduced to the audience. Taking a turn in the seat of an actor or actress can give a writer an entirely new perspective on all of that go into making a show like Seinfeld.