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In April 2026, Scott Patterson made an appearance on FOX 29’s late-night program, MIKE, with Mike Jerrick
During the episode, the 67-year-old actor recalled his fast-moving audition for Seinfeld nearly three decades ago
Patterson also shared how landing that role ultimately helped launch his career
For many viewers, Scott Patterson is forever tied to his role on Gilmore Girls, where his portrayal of Luke Danes became a fan favorite. But long before Stars Hollow, Patterson made a memorable appearance on another iconic series that helped shape his early career.
In a sit-down interview with Mike Jerrick on FOX 29’s late-night program, MIKE, Patterson revisited the fast-moving moment that landed him on an episode of Seinfeld in 1995.
“So, it was a Saturday audition at MTM Studios, CBS Radford, went in, read for Jerry [Seinfeld] — he was in the room. He was at a desk, sitting behind a desk,” Patterson recalled. “Larry David was there. Howard [West] was there, George Shapiro, I think. And I just read with Mark Hirsfeld, who’s a casting director.”
Patterson had no idea Seinfeld and David would be sitting in on the audition, so it admittedly caught him a bit off guard to walk in and see them both there.
“I had to swallow and say, ‘Okay, this is real,'” he reflected.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Scott Patterson in ‘Seinfeld.’
Credit: Barry Slobin / Castle Rock Entertainment / Everett Collection
From there, everything unfolded at a surprisingly quick pace. After the audition was over, Patterson remembers Seinfeld saying to him, “You’re a very funny young man” — and that’s it.
“And I left, and Monday I was on the set,” the 67-year-old revealed.
That quick turnaround landed Patterson in a season 7 episode of Seinfeld called “The Sponge,” where he played Billy, a confident and attentive businessman who becomes one of Elaine Benes’ romantic interests.
The storyline centers on Elaine carefully rationing her limited supply of discontinued contraceptive sponges, forcing her to evaluate whether her partners are worthy of using one. Billy, determined to prove himself, rises to the occasion as Elaine weighs his overall qualities before ultimately deeming him “spongeworthy.”
When reflecting on his time working alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Patterson spoke highly of the experience.
“She was great. She was very helpful. You know, she got me to calm down a little bit. ‘Cause I was a little…I was nervous,” he admitted. “I mean, it’s like you’re coming onto the set of the best comedy actors in the world, in television. And they want you to be great. They want you to come up to their level, which is impossible.”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Scott Patterson in ‘Seinfeld.’
Credit: NBC
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Looking back at his time on Seinfeld, Patterson sees the role as a defining early milestone that opened doors for him across the industry, including landing Gilmore Girls just five years later.
“I mean, to do [Seinfeld] really legitimizes you, and it puts you on the map for all the other casting directors in town,” Patterson told Jerrick. “So I started booking other things, and it just, you know, it sort of takes time, you know? But that’s a great launching pad. For a lot of people, that show served to launch their careers.”
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