UTBU

I've met a lot of actors, living here in Los Angeles.  They tend to be pleasant.  Maybe it's because actors are naturally gregarious.  More likely they learn early on that you never know who may cast you some day, so it's better to be pleasant.  There was a flop on Broadway in the 60s entitled UTBU, which stood for Unhealthy To Be Unpleasant.  That's the actor's motto.

I'm talking about regular actors.  Rules don't apply to stars. They can do whatever they want and people still want them (until they stop being stars, after which, watch out).

I was thinking about that when I heard Jason Alexander telling a story about the Seinfeld pilot.  Originally called The Seinfeld Chronicles, it featured Jerry, of course, along with his friend George and wacky next-door neighbor Kessler (soon to become Kramer). Oh yes, it also starred Claire the waitress, played by Lee Garlington.

Don't remember her?  Her character was replaced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Elaine.  The story Jason Alexander tells is that she suggested line changes to producer Larry David, and that was it.  The official story is that after the pilot they wanted a female character who could hang with the guys, and you can't really have a waitress do that. (Also its claimed Louis-Dreyfus was sexier.) I buy that story.  It makes sense.  But I can't be sure that the script changes didn't play a part.

I'm reminded of the pilot of The Mary Tyler Moore Show.  In it, Mary moves into her apartment, gets a job and breaks up with her boyfriend Bill who just graduated from medical school.  The week before shooting, the show had been shaping up as a disaster.

Apparently, Angus Duncan, the actor who played the boyfriend, was heard to complain about how bad the script was.  If you don't remember the character, or the actor, there's a reason.  The producers might have brought him back, but they didn't need someone who thought it was a good idea to note, while they were trying to put the show together, that it was lousy.

It's not unusual for characters in the pilot to be dropped when the show is picked up.  Most of the decisions are creative, not personal ones.  But as a message to actors trying to break in to the big time--UTBU.