My Seinfeld Year

by Fred Stoller

You'd know Fred Stoller if you saw him. He has appeared on practically every great sitcom you've ever seen - Everybody Loves Raymond, Friends, and Murphy Brown just to name a few. But he has never been a regular on a series, always the guest star. He longs to find a showbiz home. Instead, he is a television foster child, shuttling from show to show in the vain hope that one will finally agree to keep him. "My Seinfeld Year" tells the hysterical and bittersweet story of what happened when Stoller finally got a shot at the showbiz stability he'd always dreamed of -- as a staff writer on one of the biggest television shows in history.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Humor, Biography, Comedy, Audiobook, Biography Memoir

52 pages, Audible Audio

First published January 17, 2012

Reviews

[drazz · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've been on an autobiography kick as of late. That might be why I hated this book as much as I did. After reading about the lives of black panthers and Gandhi, this guy was just... terrible. This man lives the dreams of many: he pays his rent with acting gigs. However, he is never satisfied. He wants to feel the sensation of being a returning cast member (*sigh*), but hes just a guest actor. He lands a gig as a writer for Seinfeld but (*SIGH*) its a writing gig and not an acting gig. Stoller then goes into dropping the names of the famous people he met on Seinfeld (spoiler alert: there are two names, Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld).

I felt as though the author kept complaining. Mr. Stoller, landing a gig on Seinfeld would be awesome. Being able to live solely off of a passion (without needing a 'day job' to go with it) would also be awesome. What's the problem, again? Could you have tried to make the book funny atleast if the story is going to be devoid of conflict? Also it's really unattractive to repeatedly declare that you hate writing in the book you are writing.

[Neko · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an easy read and if you've got any interest in Seinfeld perhaps pick this up...You could easily read this in one sitting. You could called Stroller a sad-sack and someone who seems ungrateful for his life in the TV industry. However, it appears he may of learnt this behaviour because of his mother who seems to do nothing but insult him even as an adult. You can feel a slight pity towards him but then I wonder if this short book isn't a cry out or even a 'pity party' so you'll do exactly that feel sorry for him.

I don't know what to feel towards him, after all he is an actor..What face is he wearing today?

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A DVD extra that could have been.

Fred Stoller spent a year on the writing staff for the greatest comedy of all time, Seinfeld. This Kindle single explores what it was like to be part of the staff and gives an "outsiders'" look at the process that created stories and episodes for Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer.

Just long enough to hold your interest, Stoller is candid, honest and self deprecating.

It also made me want to dust off my DVD box set, find Stoller's written episode and on-screen appearance and re-visit them.

I have a feeling as we get farther out from Seinfeld and in continues to live in the public consciousness and syndicated repeats, we may see more of these behind-the-scenes "kiss and tell" type of books.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure how this even became published. I was expecting some behind the scenes stories about Seinfeld (one of my favorite shows), and instead the entire book seemed like a collection of random and exhausting complaints. I have no idea what the point of this "book" is. Would not recommend.

[Brittany Lee]

Much empathy for poor Fred. My fiancé and I were just talking about what it must be like to always be a secondary character, never landing the "big" lead role. Nick is a HUGE Seinfeld fan, has been since childhood, it's usually what we put on nightly to wind down. That's what made me download this title from Audible. I had no idea Fred Stoller (who I knew as Gerard from the TV show Everyone Loves Raymond) was a writer on the TV show Seinfeld. Unfortunately, those credentials never landed him a forever home.

— The author reads the audiobook himself.

I DNF @ 56 mins left. I'll go back and re-listen to this at a later date. At the time this was bringing me down, I don't currently have space to hold for others at this very moment in my healing journey. I'll go back and listen to this when I'm not running on empty.

I highly enjoyed seeing which ideas the show Seinfeld ran with, pulled from Fred's diary essentially. I kept finding myself saying poor Fred after every painful story. I'm so glad we are in the era of Mental Health being talked about.

My wish for Fred is that his character gets to evolve and someone sees his story, helping him land his dream role; away from the depressive, pathetic, fearful, walked-on, hypochondriac, type of character he has always played. I can see why that can be demoralizing. Can you imagine getting famous for being you, but then never being able to evolve or grow from that because it's not what "the people want"? Fred is an actor, let him ACT! No one likes the person picked on who never overcomes the bullies... Let him overcome! I feel when and if this happens on-screen, it will naturally reflect into his personal life as well. I wish dearly that day for him be sooner rather than later.

My heart goes out to Fred and that's why I'll read this at a later date. I'm rooting for his redemption story, may it come.

I was under no obligation to write a review, my honest opinion is freely given. I downloaded this audiobook from Audible by Amazon.

[Naksed · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like behind the scenes memoirs that take me into the process of making films or TV shows, especially beloved ones. I was interested in listening to the audio version of Fred Stoller's My Seinfeld Years and get a chuckle or two at his recollection of working as a writer and one time guest star on an iconic TV show and with one of my favorite humorists of all time, Larry David. Though these short memoirs do provide some laughs and some mildly interesting tidbits about Stoller's Seinfeld years and the entertainment industry in general, it ultimately feels like a pathetic attempt to gain, not even a monetary windfall but just some attention based on a rather nebulous connection to the celebrities associated with the show. Ironic given that Stoller expands quite a bit on the freak circus atmosphere of the Seinfeld tour bus, manned by the bottom-feeding Kenny Kramer, the real life inspiration for Cosmo. It was free on KU and a light read in between some heavier books. I didn't hate it but there was no depth to it and I think it will be rather forgettable in the long run.

[Mindy Jones · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought I paid .99 for this Kindle Single but I actually forked over 1.99. Let me save you the 2 bucks by summarizing...Fred was hired as a writer on Seinfeld. Larry David was horribly rude to Fred and when the season ended, Fred wasn't asked back. Fred decides he always liked acting better anyway. The end.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only wish it had been twice as long. Please write more, Fred!!!

[Brittany Lee]

Much empathy for poor Fred. My fiancé and I were just talking about what it must be like to always be a secondary character, never landing the "big" lead role. Nick is a HUGE Seinfeld fan, has been since childhood, it's usually what we put on nightly to wind down. That's what made me download this title from Audible. I had no idea Fred Stoller (who I knew as Gerard from the TV show Everyone Loves Raymond) was a writer on the TV show Seinfeld. Unfortunately, those credentials never landed him a "forever home".

I DNF @ 1 hr 56 mins left.

I'll go back and re-listen to this at a later date. At the time this was bringing me down, I don't currently have space to hold for others at this very moment in my healing journey. I'll go back and listen to this when I'm not running on empty.

I highly enjoyed seeing which ideas the show Seinfeld ran with, pulled from Fred's diary essentially. I kept finding myself saying poor Fred after every painful story. I'm so glad we are in the era of Mental Health being talked about.

My wish for Fred is that his character gets to evolve and someone sees his story, helping him land his dream role away from the depressive, pathetic, fearful, walked-on, hypochondriac, type of character he has always played. I can see why that can be demoralizing. Can you imagine getting famous for being you, but then never being able to evolve or grow from that? Fred is an actor, let him ACT! No one likes the person picked on who never overcomes the bullies... Let him overcome! I feel when and if this happens on-screen, it will naturally reflect into his personal life as well. I wish dearly that day for him be sooner rather than later.

My heart goes out to Fred and that's why I'll read this at a later date. I'm rooting for his redemption story, may it come.

I was under no obligation to write a review, my honest opinion is freely given. I downloaded this audiobook from Audible (Amazon).

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

"My Seinfeld Year" is an inside look at one writer's ill-fated season as a Seinfeld staff writer. Fred Stoller, the sad-sack actor and comedian who by chance fell into the gig, seems a likable enough schmo, and it's fascinating to learn how Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld pieced the classic show together (apparently, with little help from Stoller).

But there's a "so ...?" quality to the narrative as Fred loses his job, seemingly without learning a thing. He's still out there as a character actor, plugging away, and good on him for that. But as a *story*, there's something lacking here. I wanted more of an ending, even an open-ended one. Maybe I'm looking for how Larry David would have ended it, an ironic twist or a miserable lesson learned. Instead, the experience just fizzles out, which I suppose is truer to life.

[Don Gillette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good, little piece on what it was like to work on Seinfeld in the early years. Fred Stoller is probably better known as Gerard on Everybody Loves Raymond, but he's also a standup comic and a character actor you'll recognize immediately.
A funny, short read.

[Obadiah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is nothing but a blatant cash-in on the Seinfeld name. He offers little, if any, behind-the-scenes glances into the production of Seinfeld. Stay away.

[Karen McQuestion · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look behind the scenes of the show. The book read like an interesting friend was telling you about his experiences. Well done.

[Harry Hol · Rating 2 out of 5]

This short behind-the-scenes look at the writing team of Seinfeld is mildly interesting but it doesn't truly qualify as an inside-look. Unfortunately, Stoller isn't a great storyteller and he seems to see himself as a victim who didn't know how to get stuff done. At no point did he try to really take charge or, heaven forbid, ask someone for advice.

Because he didn't make much effort to 'get' what it was to be a staff writer means I, the reader, didn't get an actual inside look. Stoller's almost like an intern who got sent to the wrong office but didn't ask for directions and hung around until his time was up. And then wrote a report about his baffling experiences.

I wouldn't call the entire booklet a waste of time, since there is some pleasure in the namedropping (both people and famous Seinfeld plots) and in some of Stoller's anecdotes. But I was disappointed. The DVD extra's on the Seinfeld box-sets show much more of both the creative process and the goings-on behind the scenes.

[Ryan Watkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun short autobiography of Fred Stoller, who wrote for Seinfeld and played a bit part on several sitcoms, with the main emphasis being on when we was working on Seinfeld. Enjoyable for fans of the show.

[Elizabeth Cárdenas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who would have guessed that a year of working for Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld would be such an alienating experience? We get to see the "real" Larry and Jerry - they are not as fun as I thought they would be. Comedy is a serious business - especially comedy that made both men multimillionaires.

A short book, it seems more like a spec chapter for a future book rather than a stand-alone-piece. It left me wanting more - not more Seinfeld, more Fred. Even though I enjoyed the behind the scenes Seinfeld info, I actually wanted to know more about Fred. What a quirky and eccentric character! The sad little character he portrays is both funny and tragic. His adventures in becoming a comedian/actor deserve a longer treatment. Mom deserves a whole section - and a psychiatric evaluation.

Please Fred, get going on your autobiography. I will be the first one to pre-order it on Amazon.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

a *3.5* a quick funny read by character actor and writer Fred Stoller, as an actor he has done small roles in Dumb and Dumber, Happily Divorced, Seinfeld, Murphy Brown and also some voice acting for cartoons. he usually plays the jerk type character. for one year he was hired to be a writer for Seinfeld. a pretty good accomplishment as a writer. he spent a good part of this quick read book talking about what it is like to deal with Larry David and trying to pitch plot ideas for the show. this book was amusing at times. I found myself feeling for the frustration he must have felt as a writer getting turned down for ideas. he was glad to say that two of his ideas were put on the show.I did not recognize his name but like a lot of character actors did recognize his face. this is a quick read book and an enjoyable one to read.

[Ian Baaske · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down. I never particularly cared for Fred Stoller and his mopey brand of comedy. I also associate him with guest spots in dreadful, dreadful sitcoms. But I do like Seinfeld and wanted to read this Kindle Single because it was about Seinfeld. It’s short and to the point and extremely authentic. It’s funny but never in a shticky way. And, yes, it’s self-deprecating but in a real way—more like in a literary short story than some sort of Rodney Dangerfield bit. Easily readable in, oh, say, an hour or so, and you learn a lot about the writing process on Seinfeld and showbiz in general.

[Elizabeth Prata · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Kindle short, so other reviews that complain about the length are perplexing to me. I enjoyed Stoller's take on both his character acting and his year as a writer on the hit television comedy Seinfeld. His gentle take on his life, and his humble acceptance of his own sad sack personality are both sweet and readable. You might remember Fred as the whiny look-alike cousin on Everybody Loves Raymond... Stoller's a good writer and I recommend his book for a quick, pleasant read

[Carol Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fred Stoller is a writer/actor who has kicked around the entertainment world almost unnoticed. This short story mainly deals with his year as a writer for the Seinfeld show. There are some laughs, but Fred walks around with a rain cloud over his head. I would enjoy attending a party he was at, but I don't want to wake up beside him.

[Rusty · Rating 3 out of 5]

The missus and I just finished rewatching Seinfeld. I hadn’t seen an episode since, probably, a year after the series ended. I remembered so much of that show so vividly that even now, 25ish years later, that I more or less remembered every episode. Maybe not the individual jokes, but some larger thing, like, ‘Oh, this is the one where Jerry rents a car but rental company lost the reservation’ or ‘this is the one where George meets bubble boy.’

So it was still on my mind when I saw this extremely short book on audible about someone that spent a year as a writer on the show. I nabbed it and was in for a treat.

Except, I don’t know, it was exactly what the title says it was. I was sorta hooked when the writer (whose name I forget, but has spent decades as a guest actor on almost every sit-com imaginable, and might be most memorable for me as the man who got his face punched in Dumb & Dumber when confronting a hitman for spending too much time on the pay phone) made mention of how he was playing a bellhop or something on a kids show, and one of the writers approached him and was like, “what’s wrong with you? You can punch your own ticket to any gig you want, and you’re doing this?”

Ha, yeah, what’s the deal with that? Turns out, he just gets picked on a lot, and is as neurotic and most of the characters he plays. So, it was fun, short, and a little enlightening. But I wanted a lot more out of this sorta-memoir. It goes way to fast.

[Jeff B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great. I listened to the audiobook (it's free on Audible with an audible plus account). It's short (under 2 hours) and funny. It's read by Fred Stoller. Now I can say I didn't know who Fred Stoller was, but as soon as I heard his voice, I knew who he was. He's a character actor - and he always plays a sad sack and he's in a ton of stuff. I really enjoyed this listen.

1. Most of the book is about based around the Seinfeld TV show which he wrote for a short while and later guest-starred. There's a bit more about a few of his other guest-starring roles and growing up and getting started.

2. His stories are so sad in the funniest of ways. Sometimes I wondered if he was pulling my leg. Like his mom wouldn't let him have GI Joe figures because he was playing with dolls, so he had to use clothes pins. Hilarious.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this. He has another book that is much longer. I am interested, but the audiobook isn't read by him and I'm worried that he already gave us the best parts - but maybe not. I will listen to that one, too. I'm also now interested in Judy Greer's book about being a character actor.

[Doug Brunell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Depressingly Funny

I never wanted to write for a daily paper due to the pressure. Well, Stoller was an actor and then became a writer on Seinfeld. What he finds is an environment with backstabbers, unclear instructions, and the dread of pitching one's ideas to Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. Now I know I never want to write for television.

Stoller's writing is self-deprecating and hopeful. He isn't afraid to show his vulnerable side, either. It all makes for a great behind-the-scenes look at what was a groundbreaking show.

[Chris Roberto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting actor with interesting stories. I never knew I needed to hear Fred's history until I listened to this book.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very light, very short Kindle Single by Fred Stoller, a character actor, comedian and writer recounting his year working on the writing staff of the legendary sitcom Seinfeld. Enjoyable enough but doesn’t contain any particularly juicy revelations about its cast or the way it was produced. Stoller’s main point seems to be how tough it is to make it in Hollywood.

He is not a big time name, but my guess is that most folks would recognize Fred Stoller as he has appeared in a number of television shows (Friends, Murphy Brown, Everybody Loves Raymond), usually playing a nebishy sad sack type, and in movies (Dumb and Dumberer), yet his career was not one that has brought him great wealth. He is a working stiff like most of us, just trying to get ahead. He drives a beat up old car and lives in an apartment. After pitching an idea to Larry David, co-creator of Seinfeld, he was brought on as a staff writer. Stoller had had some writing experience before working the stand up circuit, but his main desire was to act. He viewed the steady pay check he would get while on the Seinfeld staff as a way to move that goal forward.
Stoller

Fred Stoller

He does shine a very narrow light on the process by which Seinfeld was made. Writers would use experiences from their own lives to come up with situations for use in the show. It was a requirement that each show contain a story line involving the four main stars, and that each one connect by the end of the episode. This was a hallmark of the Seinfeld formula.The story would be pitched to Larry David who would make a snap judgement on its worthiness and order the writer to proceed with a script if he viewed it as a potential episode. Inevitably each script would be heavily rewritten by David and Seinfeld. Basically it seemed like writers were hired so the show could use their experiences as the basis of an episode rather than for their writing skill. This is actually the plot of a later episode when Elaine’s boss J. Peterman buys Kramer’s life stories for use in his autobiography. Later Kramer uses this fact to start a lame “Peterman Reality” bus tour to cash in on the fact that he is the real Peterman. In a case of reality aping fiction, Stoller was later roped into participating in a similar enterprise concocted by Kenny Kramer, Larry David’s friend on whom the Kramer character was based.

Fred Stoller is listed as the writer on one episode of the show,”The Soup,” in which in exchange for a free Armani suit given to him by his comedic rival Kenny Bania, Jerry is obligated to take Bania to dinner. Stoller is responsible for the name of the restaurant that most Seinfeld fans will recognize from this episode, “Mendy’s.” He is also given a “story by” credit for the episode “The Face Painter” in which Kramer gets into an argument with a chimpanzee at the zoo and is later forced to apologize to the animal.

I any case, if you are a Seinfeld fan this would be worth the hour of your time it might take you to get through it. It would have limited appeal for anyone else.

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not surprised that Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David were Mean Girls incarnate to their writing staff.

[Carl · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems that you either like this work, or you don't. Personally, Fred Stoller's "My Seinfeld Years" is an enjoyable excursion into another's ups and downs in the entertainment field. Told with just a touch of tongue-in-cheek, this is a personal foray into some of Stoller's moments as he has endeavored to "break into the business" over the years. He isn't afraid to reveal his own insecurities, his own frustrations, or to make fun of himself in any situation. All of that makes this an enjoyable journey into Stoller's life. "My Seinfeld Years" ends a bit abruptly; so, it was sad that the book ended just as it was getting going! I would have enjoyed more!

It was surprising to learn how many other shows and movies Stoller has been in. Never the Bride, not quite even a Bride's maid - still he remains a marvelous addition to any cast. Stoller is "that guy!" You know; you've seen him everywhere (in shows like "Everybody Loves Raymond," " Friends," and "Murphy Brown" just to name a few ) with his certain blank look like: "what's happening?" If you are a follower of TV comedy standup during the 80's and 90's, you will recognize Stoller. Perhaps you will recognize him from his role in the "hit," "Dumb and Dumber," as he gets "punched out!" Stoller finally got his big break -- a shot a degree of stability for which he'd always dreamed -- as a staff writer on one of the biggest television shows in history: "Seinfeld." For the "Seinfeld" fans, it is interesting to read how a script for "Seinfeld" comes together, with each of the four actors having a story line requiring approval by each of them before you could move forward with the script idea. While Fred was working as a writer during his "Seinfeld Year," it was fascinating to get a brief look behind the television screen; it was also interesting to follow his discussion of scripts which you remember seeing on the show, which includes one developed by Stoller himself.

This is a great read for any Seinfeld fan. It is an enjoyable piece of comic autobiography, making for an enjoyable afternoon read, which is over far too quickly. For the price of $1.99 for the Kindle addition, what do you what, muffin tops only?

[Lee (Rocky) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember seeing Fred Stoller doing stand-up comedy on TV as a kid, and here and there on TV shows, but didn't know he wrote on Seinfeld until I heard him on podcasts promoting this book. It is a short and insightful look on the world of TV sit-coms from the point of view of someone who has lived in that world, but on the fringes of it, for a long time. I enjoyed what stories were told here, and was glad to see that the only episode that he wrote that actually got filmed was one that I remember and is a personal favorite. However, the fact that it was only one season left this book bereft of very many interesting tidbits (though the book is quite short so it is not as if he tried to stretch out his short experience into something heftier or more meaningful than it was). I think this book probably would have been a disappointment had Stoller tried to make these experiences something greater than what they were, but he seems to have a good sense for his place in the TV world and what the reader would find interesting about it. I read this as a break in the middle of reading a long, complex novel and for that it was just right.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fred Stoller strikes me as one of those actor you don't know by name. You see his face, or hear his voice, though, and you snap your fingers and say, "Yeah, that guy." I remember him mainly through "Everybody Loves Raymond" as the cousin who gets Robert sucked into that happy cult, and as the voice of the wrench on "Handy Manny" (the price of having a pre-schooler). I hadn't realized he worked on one of my favorite shows, "Seinfeld", as a writer. Not only that, he wrote one of the more memorable episodes - "The Soup," where Jerry accepts a new suit in exchange for buying a friend a meal...that turns out to be several small meals.

What I found most interesting about this Kindle single is that it provides an fascinating perspective on how sitcom writing works - at least for one particular show. It is actually more competitive than I had realized, and even if you manage to get a script accepted there's no guarantee your work will survive massive rewrites. I wish this story could have been a bit longer, it left me wanting more to read.

[Lovely Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always like reading about people whose lives/careers are really different from my own. I know nothing about the life of a working actor, so I thought Fred Stoller's story was kind of an interesting one. Especially because he ended up working on Seinfeld for a season. It was interesting to see what that was like, and I'm impressed that he wrote basically created Kenny Bania! Bania first appears in the episode Stoller wrote, called The Soup, and what happens to Jerry with the "meal" in trade for the Armani suit, really happened to Stoller. Though his time on Seinfeld was perhaps not ideal, it's pretty cool that he gets called back to play the guy that Elaine dates because he can't remember her.

Stoller is still waiting for his big break (despite writing a Seinfeld episode, his acting/writing career never really broke big, though he's making a living) and I hope he gets it!