Editing Cosmo Kramer (section)

{{Short description|Fictional character in the American television sitcom "Seinfeld"}}
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{{Infobox character
| name = Cosmo Kramer
| series = [[Seinfeld]]
| image = [[File:Cosmo Kramer.jpg|250px]]
| caption = 
| first = "[[The Seinfeld Chronicles]]" (1989)
| last = "[[Seinfeld (Curb Your Enthusiasm)|Seinfeld]]" (2009)
| alias = Kessler<br>H. E. Pennypacker <br> Professor van Nostrand <br> Dr. Martin van Nostrand
| gender = Male
| family = [[Babs Kramer]] (mother)
| children = 
| relatives = 
| based_on = [[Kenny Kramer]]
| portrayer = [[Michael Richards]]
| creator = [[Jerry Seinfeld]]<br>[[Larry David]]
}}

'''Cosmo Kramer''', usually referred to simply by his surname, is a fictional character in the American television sitcom ''[[Seinfeld]]'' (1989–1998) played by [[Michael Richards]].

The character is loosely based on comedian [[Kenny Kramer]], [[Larry David]]'s ex-neighbor across the hall. Kramer is the neighbor of the series' main character, [[Jerry Seinfeld (character)|Jerry Seinfeld]], and is friends with [[George Costanza]] and [[Elaine Benes]]. Of the series' four central characters, only Kramer has no visible means of support; what few jobs he holds seem to be nothing more than larks.

His character is that of a [[lovable rogue]] with his trademarks being his upright hairstyle, vintage wardrobe, impractical business ideas and eccentric personality, whose combination led Elaine to characterize him as a "[[Hipster (1940s subculture)|hipster]] [[wiktionary:doofus|doofus]]".<ref>{{cite episode|title=[[The Glasses]]|series=[[Seinfeld]]|season=5|number=3}}</ref> He is obsessed with high-quality fresh fruit and occasionally smokes [[Tobacco pipe|pipes]] and [[Cuban cigars]]. He is also known for his habit of bursting through Jerry's apartment door without knocking, and eating Jerry's food. His antics include frequent [[physical comedy|pratfalls]] and a penchant for noisy, percussive outbursts to indicate [[skepticism]], agreement, irritation and a variety of other feelings. He has been described as "an extraordinary cross between [[Eraserhead]] and [[Herman Munster]]".<ref>{{cite news |author=Aaronovitch |first=David |author-link=David Aaronovitch |date=September 8, 1996 |title=Why American sitcoms are the best |work=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/why-american-sitcoms-are-the-best-1362332.html |access-date=November 10, 2009}}</ref>

Kramer appears in all but two episodes: "[[The Chinese Restaurant]]" and "[[The Pen]]", in the second and third seasons, respectively. For the pilot episode, Kramer was named "Kessler" to avoid potential legal issues; Kenny Kramer later authorized the use of his name.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uproxx.com/tv/10-fascinating-facts-about-the-seinfeld-pilot/|title = What Was the Deal with the 'Seinfeld' Pilot? Here Are 10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About It|date = 5 July 2014}}</ref>