Editing Jason Alexander (section)

===2000–2009: Solo-lead sitcoms and return to theatre ===
Despite a successful career in film and stage, Alexander did not repeat his ''Seinfeld''-level of success in television. The year 2001 marked his appearance as inept womanizer Mauricio in ''[[Shallow Hal]]'' and his first post-''Seinfeld'' return to prime-time television: the heavily promoted but short-lived [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] sitcom ''[[Bob Patterson (TV series)|Bob Patterson]]'', which was canceled after five episodes. Alexander partially blames the show's failure on the country's mood after [[September 11 attacks|9/11]].<ref name=parade>{{cite news | title = In Step With: Jason Alexander | work = Parade Magazine | date = April 3, 2005 | url = http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2005/edition_04-03-2005/in_step_with_0 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060322095902/http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2005/edition_04-03-2005/in_step_with_0 | archive-date=March 22, 2006}}</ref> Alexander made cameo appearances as himself in 2001 in the second season of ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]'', and he appeared in the show's seventh season with his three principal ''[[Seinfeld]]'' co-stars.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/03/seinfeld-cast-t.html |author=Rice, Lynette |title=Exclusive: 'Seinfeld' cast to appear on 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=March 5, 2009 |access-date=July 26, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090703123616/http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/03/seinfeld-cast-t.html |archive-date=July 3, 2009 }}</ref> He was featured in the ''[[Friends]]'' 2001 episode "[[The One Where Rosita Dies]]" as Earl, a suicidal [[Procurement#Roles in procurement|supply manager]]. [[Phoebe Buffay|Phoebe]] calls him trying to sell him [[toner (printing)|toner]], learns about his problem, and tries to persuade him not to commit suicide. This is referenced in an episode of ''[[Malcolm in the Middle]]'' where Alexander appears as Leonard, a neurotic and critical loner. He describes himself as "free" and says he makes money "selling toner over the phone". Later in the episode, he is repeatedly harassed by a man named George.

He appeared in "[[One Night at Mercy]]", the first episode of the short-lived [[The Twilight Zone (2002 TV series)|2002 revival of ''The Twilight Zone'']], playing [[Personifications of death|Death]]. He played the toymaker [[A.C. Gilbert]] in the 2002 film ''[[The Man Who Saved Christmas (film)|The Man Who Saved Christmas]]''. He appeared in [[Kentucky Fried Chicken]] (KFC) commercials in 2002, including one with [[Barry Bonds]] of the [[San Francisco Giants]] and another with [[Trista Rehn]] of ''[[The Bachelorette (American TV series)|The Bachelorette]]''. It was rumored that he quit doing these commercials due to KFC suppliers and [[slaughterhouse]]s' alleged [[cruelty to animals]], but he denied that in an interview with ''[[Adweek]]'', saying, "That's [[PETA]] bullcrap. I loved working for KFC. I was targeted by PETA to broker something between them. I think KFC really stepped up to the plate; unfortunately PETA did not." In 2007, Alexander appeared in a commercial for the [[ASPCA]] that aired on cable TV stations.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDCP75iz22M| title = Logan, a victim of animal cruelty| via = YouTube| access-date = December 30, 2010| archive-date = July 30, 2013| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130730122850/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDCP75iz22M| url-status = live}}</ref> In 2018, Alexander portrayed [[Colonel Sanders]] in commercials for [[Kentucky Fried Chicken|KFC]], reprising his role from the 2002 campaign.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://deadline.com/2018/08/jason-alexander-is-latest-kfc-celebrity-col-sanders-imitator-in-new-ads-1202442231/ | title=Jason Alexander Is Latest KFC Celebrity Col. Sanders Imitator in New Ads | first=Bruce | last=Haring | date=August 7, 2018 | work=Deadline Hollywood | access-date=September 3, 2018 | archive-date=August 28, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828015126/https://deadline.com/2018/08/jason-alexander-is-latest-kfc-celebrity-col-sanders-imitator-in-new-ads-1202442231/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2003, he was cast opposite [[Martin Short]] in the Los Angeles production of [[Mel Brooks]]'s ''[[The Producers (musical)|The Producers]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Jones |first=Kenneth |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/mel-brooks-gets-jason-alexander-and-martin-short-for-la-producers-starting-may-2-2003-com-107118 |work=Playbill |date=July 17, 2002 |title=Mel Brooks Gets Jason Alexander and Martin Short for L.A. ''Producers'', Starting May 2, 2003 |access-date=April 1, 2022 |archive-date=April 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220402002028/https://www.playbill.com/article/mel-brooks-gets-jason-alexander-and-martin-short-for-la-producers-starting-may-2-2003-com-107118 |url-status=live }}</ref> He appeared with [[Kelsey Grammer]] in the 2004 [[A Christmas Carol (2004 film)|musical adaptation]] of [[Charles Dickens]]'s ''[[A Christmas Carol]]'', as [[Jacob Marley]]. He voiced Lil' Lightning in ''[[101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure]]'' (2003), which went on to become one of his most signature roles. Alexander's second chance as a TV series lead, the [[CBS]] sitcom ''[[Listen Up (TV series)|Listen Up]]'' (2004–05), also fell short of a second season. Alexander was the principal executive producer of the series, based very loosely on the life of the popular sports-media personality [[Tony Kornheiser]]. He performed on the ''[[Family Guy: Live in Vegas]]'' 2005 album. Alexander continued to appear in live stage shows, including [[Barbra Streisand]]'s memorable birthday party in 2005 for Stephen Sondheim at the Hollywood Bowl, where he performed selections from ''[[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]]'' with [[Angela Lansbury]].<ref name="Gallo 2005">{{cite web | last1=Gallo | first1=Phil | title=Stephen Sondheim's 75th: The Concert | website=Variety | date=2005-07-10 | url=https://variety.com/2005/music/markets-festivals/stephen-sondheim-s-75th-the-concert-1200524633/ | access-date=2024-01-12}}</ref> He featured in the 2005 ''[[Monk (TV series)|Monk]]'' episode "[[Mr. Monk and the Other Detective]]" as Monk's rival, [[Marty Eels]].

[[File:Jason Alexander Fourth of July (cropped).jpg|thumb|Alexander in 2006]]

In a 2006 appearance on ''[[Jimmy Kimmel Live!]]'', Alexander demonstrated several self-defense techniques. Also that year, he hosted the [[PBS]] "A Capitol Fourth" celebrations in Washington, D.C., singing, dancing, and playing tuned drums. Alexander was featured as a recurring cast member in the second season of ''[[Everybody Hates Chris]]''. He hosted the [[Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner]]. He was the artistic director of Reprise Theatre Company in Los Angeles from 2007 until it went defunct in 2013,<ref name="Ng 2013">{{cite web | last=Ng | first=David | title=Jason Alexander on the end of Reprise Theatre Company | website=Los Angeles Times | date=2013-06-28 | url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-xpm-2013-jun-28-la-et-cm-reprise-jason-alexander-20130628-story.html | access-date=2024-01-12}}</ref> where he previously directed ''[[Sunday in the Park with George]]'', and directed its 2007 revival of ''[[Damn Yankees]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gans|first=Andrew|title=Reprise! ''Damn Yankees'', with Derricks, Gillentine, Page, Taylor and White, Begins Nov. 6|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/reprise-damn-yankees-with-derricks-gillentine-page-taylor-and-white-begins-nov-6-com-145140|date=2007-11-06|website=Playbill|access-date=2021-01-02|archive-date=August 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809235617/https://www.playbill.com/article/reprise-damn-yankees-with-derricks-gillentine-page-taylor-and-white-begins-nov-6-com-145140|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2007, Alexander was a guest star in the third episode of the [[improv comedy]] series ''[[Thank God You're Here (US TV series)|Thank God You're Here]]''.

He has been a frequent guest and panelist on [[Bill Maher]]'s ''[[Politically Incorrect]]'' in 1995, 1997 and 2000<ref name="Mann 1997">{{cite web | last=Mann | first=Bill | title=Maher makes the correct move | website=SFGATE | date=1997-01-01 | url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/maher-makes-the-correct-move-3143822.php | access-date=2024-01-12}}</ref> and ''[[Real Time with Bill Maher|Real Time]]'' in 2006, 2009 and 2012;<ref name="Guthrie 2012">{{cite web | last1=Guthrie | first1=Marisa | title=HBO's Bill Maher Pulls in Largest Audience in Eight Years Amid Presidential Conventions | website=The Hollywood Reporter | date=2012-09-05 | url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/hbo-bill-maher-presidential-convention-368124/ | access-date=2024-01-12}}</ref> ''[[Hollywood Squares]]'' in 1999, 2002 and 2004;<ref name="Wang 2022">{{cite web | last=Wang | first=Jessica | title=Jason Alexander, Jon Stewart, Jennifer Tilly, and more remember Gilbert Gottfried: 'What a gift' | website=Yahoo News | date=2022-04-12 | url=https://news.yahoo.com/jason-alexander-jon-stewart-jennifer-214536057.html | access-date=2024-01-12}}</ref> the ''[[The Late Late Show (CBS TV series)|Late Late Show]]'' in 2003, 2012, 2014 and 2015, with [[Craig Kilborn]], [[Craig Ferguson]], and [[James Corden]];<ref name="Playbill 2003">{{cite web | title=Talk Show Watch: "Camp" on "Letterman," Jason Alexander on "Kilborn," Melanie Griffith on "The View" | website=Playbill | date=2003-08-03 | url=https://playbill.com/article/talk-show-watch-camp-on-letterman-jason-alexander-on-kilborn-melanie-griffith-on-the-view-com-114613 | access-date=2024-01-12}}</ref><ref name="Rahman 2012">{{cite web | last=Rahman | first=Ray | title=Jason Alexander apologizes for calling cricket a 'gay sport' on 'The Late Late Show' | website=EW.com | date=2012-06-03 | url=https://ew.com/article/2012/06/03/jason-alexander-gay-cricket-apology/ | access-date=2024-01-12}}</ref><ref name="Levin 2014">{{cite web | last=Levin | first=Sydney | title=Jason Alexander defends his very obvious toupee | website=Yahoo News | date=2014-02-12 | url=https://ca.news.yahoo.com/2014-02-12-jason-alexander-defends-his-very-obvious-toupee-20828457.html | access-date=2024-01-12}}</ref> ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'' in 1989, 2000, and 2002; ''[[The Late Show with Stephen Colbert]]'' in 2015;<ref name="Fierberg 2017">{{cite web | last=Fierberg | first=Ruthie | title=Jason Alexander Shares the Time He Got in Trouble With Stephen Sondheim | website=Playbill | date=2017-10-03 | url=https://playbill.com/article/jason-alexander-shares-the-time-he-got-in-trouble-with-stephen-sondheim | access-date=2024-01-12}}</ref> and ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon]]'' in 2015.<ref name="Gorenstein 2015">{{cite web | last=Gorenstein | first=Colin | title=Watch Larry David and Jason Alexander gang up on Jimmy Fallon during "Tonight Show" appearance | website=Salon | date=2015-06-09 | url=https://www.salon.com/2015/06/09/watch_larry_david_and_jason_alexander_gang_up_on_jimmy_fallon_during_tonight_show_appearance/ | access-date=2024-01-12}}</ref><ref name="Fox 2015 q152">{{cite web | last=Fox | first=Jesse David | title=Larry David and Jason Alexander Appeared on Fallon Together: Imagine Seinfeld With Two Georges | website=Vulture | date=June 9, 2015 | url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/06/david-alexander-appeared-on-fallon-together.html | access-date=January 31, 2024}}</ref> In 2008, Alexander guest-starred in the [[List of Criminal Minds episodes (season 4)|season four]] episode "Masterpiece" of the [[CBS]] show ''[[Criminal Minds]]'' as Professor Rothschild,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1256105/|title="Criminal Minds" Masterpiece|year=2008|publisher=IMDb|access-date=March 8, 2015|archive-date=April 30, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150430235910/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1256105/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/criminal-minds-2008/episode-8-season-4/masterpiece/192244 |title=Criminal Minds Episode Guide 2008 Season 4 – Masterpiece, Episode 8 |work=TV Guide |access-date=February 13, 2011 |archive-date=March 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303065611/http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/criminal-minds-2008/episode-8-season-4/masterpiece/192244 |url-status=live }}</ref> a well-educated [[serial killer]] obsessed with the [[Fibonacci number|Fibonacci sequence]] who sends the team into a race against time to save his last victims.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.insider.com/celebrities-who-guest-starred-on-criminal-minds-2019-1|title=21 celebrities you forgot guest starred on 'Criminal Minds'|first=Jillian|last=Selzer|website=Insider|access-date=August 18, 2022|archive-date=August 11, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811105007/https://www.insider.com/celebrities-who-guest-starred-on-criminal-minds-2019-1|url-status=live}}</ref> He returned in the same season to direct the episode "Conflicted", featuring the actor [[Jackson Rathbone]].

Alexander hosted the LOL Sudbury opening night gala in [[Greater Sudbury|Sudbury]], Ontario, Canada in 2008, which was simulcast throughout Canada at 60 Cineplex theaters, a first for any comedy festival. He has lent his voice to several episodes of the ''[[The Twilight Zone (radio series)|Twilight Zone Radio Dramas]]''. In 2008 and again in 2009, Alexander fronted ''Jason Alexander's Comedy Spectacular'', a routine exclusive to Australia. The show consists of stand-up and improvisation and incorporates Alexander's musical talent. He is backed up by several well-known Australian comedians. His first time performing a similar show of this nature was in 2006's ''Jason Alexander's Comedy Christmas''. In February/March 2010, Alexander starred in his show, ''The Donny Clay Experience'', at the [[Planet Hollywood Resort]] in [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]], [[Nevada]]. Donny Clay, whom he has portrayed in a tour of the United States and Orillia, Ontario, is a [[self-help]] guru in a similar mold to his ''[[Bob Patterson (TV series)|Bob Patterson]]'' character. In 2009, he played [[Joseph (son of Jacob)|Joseph]] in the [[Thomas Nelson (publisher)|Thomas Nelson]] audio Bible production ''The Word of Promise''. The project featured a large ensemble of actors, including [[Jim Caviezel]], [[Lou Gossett Jr.]], [[John Rhys-Davies]], [[Jon Voight]], [[Gary Sinise]], [[Christopher McDonald]], [[Marisa Tomei]], and [[John Schneider (screen actor)|John Schneider]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Official Resource Site For WORD OF PROMISE | url = http://wordofpromise.thomasnelson.com/cast.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029002922/http://wordofpromise.thomasnelson.com/cast.php |archive-date=October 29, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-nov-16-me-beliefs16-story.html |title=BELIEFS : Stars lined up for elaborate audio Bible : Michael York, Jason Alexander and many others gave voice to a 79-CD reading of Old and New Testaments |work=Los Angeles Times |first=Martha |last=Groves |date=November 16, 2009 |access-date=April 1, 2022 |archive-date=February 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214194441/http://articles.latimes.com/2009/nov/16/local/me-beliefs16 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2009, Alexander had a small role in the film ''[[Hachi: A Dog's Tale]]'' as a train station manager.