Character.

By now we've all seen Michael Richards' weird racist outburst in a Los Angeles comedy club. And the subsequent apology. Yesterday, when I saw the video my first thought was, "yeah, Richards was always the weird one". Whenever the cast of Seinfeld got together and did television interviews to promote the DVDs of the series he always seemed like the odd man out. Jerry Seinfeld was always personable, funny and first and foremost a true professional. Jason Alexander was the "actor" of the group and a fine interview and Julia Louis Dreyfus was always looking like a million bucks and the most like her on screen character - quirky and charming. Richards always came across as aloof, distant and put off. Like he resented having to promote his art. Michael Richards was never funny. Michael Richards as Kramer? One of the finest comic creations in television history. With the help of Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David and the dream team of writers they brought together, Richards was able to bring something really special to life.

Michael Richards never should have been on that stage in the first place. The man is not a stand up. It's actually kind of insulting that he thought he could get up there and do that kind of an act. He couldn't. Letting any clown get up there with a mic is like giving a child a loaded gun. He didn't know how to use his weapon. Ironic that he spent a decade working with one of the greatest crafts people ever in Jerry Seinfeld and he didn't pick up any tricks of the trade. He lost control of the audience and when he tried to bring them back - with startling rage and ugly racist comments - he went off the rails. I get that he was angry. It's not fun to be heckled. I've been there. But ANY comic worth their salt knows how to handle that kind of obstacle. And any human being worth their salt knows that you don't talk to people the way he did.

Michael Richards is a great character actor. What's sad is that a couple of nights ago, he displayed a shocking lack of personal character. And you know what? That matters.