In Season 2 episode ‘The Jacket’, Jerry and George meet Elaine’s dad, Alton Benes.
Alton was played by Lawrence Tierney, known for his classic tough guy roles, for good reason – he was based on the father of Larry David’s own ex, who he was intimated by.
But, well, that casting went awry when Tierney decided to actually terrify the cast.
Seinfeld discovered the guest star had stolen a butter knife from set and hid it in his jacket.
When confronted, Tierney jokingly pretended to stab him while imitating the music from Psycho.
In a biography of the actor, Julia Louis-Dreyfus complimented his role in the show but also described him as “a total nutjob”.
“And it’s too bad he was so cuckoo because I’m sure he would’ve been back otherwise,” she said.
Safe to say, any plans for Alton to become a recurring character were swiftly abandoned.
