Before he became a filmmaker, Jon Favreau made a memorable guest appearance in an episode of Seinfeld. Favreau is now known for his behind-the-camera work as the director of Iron Man and the creator of The Mandalorian, but he began his career as an actor. His guest spot on a 1994 episode of Seinfeld was his first-ever TV acting credit. In the years that followed, Favreau landed a guest appearance on The Larry Sanders Show and a recurring role as one of Monica’s love interests on Friends. As an actor, Favreau is now recognizable to audiences for his role as Tony Stark’s head of security, Happy Hogan, in the MCU.
Created by Jerry Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Larry David, Seinfeld originated as a show about how a comedian gathers standup material from his everyday life, but it evolved into a broader comedy of manners satirizing social minutiae. Toward the end of Seinfeld season 5, Favreau made his TV debut in one of the show’s all-time best episodes. Two years later, Favreau launched himself to stardom with the self-penned starring vehicle Swingers, in which he appeared alongside Vince Vaughn. Eventually, Favreau became a big enough name to play himself opposite Christopher Moltisanti in a Hollywood-set episode of The Sopranos.
Jon Favreau Played Eric The Clown
Jon Favreau made a brief appearance as Eric the Clown in the best Seinfeld season 5 episode, “The Fire.” George is dating a woman with a young son, and Eric is hired for the boy’s birthday party. George is stunned to learn that Eric has never heard of Bozo the Clown, a TV children’s entertainer often dubbed “The World’s Most Famous Clown.” The two end up getting into an intense argument over Bozo’s legacy and cultural relevance. Eric is then one of the people that George shoves out of the way – including women and children – so he can save himself when a fire starts in the kitchen.
“The Fire” has earned a reputation as one of Seinfeld’s most hilarious episodes. In addition to George pushing his way out of the apartment, this episode has plenty of iconic bits that could be included among the funniest Seinfeld moments, like Kramer telling the heroic story of salvaging a severed pinky toe and Jerry living out the ultimate comedian’s fantasy: going to a heckler’s workplace and heckling them. Favreau’s Eric got one of the most quotable lines in the episode. When George is grilling him about Bozo the Clown, he said, “You’re livin’ in the past, man! You’re hung up on some clown from the ‘60s, man!”
Favreau Paid Tribute To Bozo The Clown Years Later
Frank Avruch played Bozo on Boston’s airwaves from 1959 to 1970 and became the first nationally syndicated version of the beloved TV clown. When Avruch passed away in 2018, Jon Favreau shared a clip of his appearance from Seinfeld with the hashtag #BozoTheClown to pay tribute to the late performer. This Seinfeld scene ensured that a whole new generation of viewers was familiar with Bozo. Even after becoming a high-profile filmmaker that Disney will entrust with its most lucrative franchises, Favreau hasn’t forgotten the Seinfeld guest spot that kickstarted his career in 1994.