That quiet mountain town called “South Park” has been visited by an array of A-listers over the years, from Malcolm McDowell to Jennifer Aniston to Elton John. But one person that has yet to join that group, and not for lack of trying, is comedy legend Jerry Seinfeld.
In a report from Rolling Stone, it was revealed that the sitcom star and stand-up comedian actually got in touch with the show’s creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, about lending his voice to the exceptionally offensive animated series. Unfortunately, the potential “South Park” guest star wasn’t happy with the character he was considered for. According to the magazine, Stone and Parker invited Seinfeld to appear on a Thanksgiving special episode, but for the crucial role of Turkey No. 2.
Seinfeld’s reps wrote back asking for a meatier part, though negotiations didn’t go much further. According to Parker, “The manager said, ‘This is Jerry Seinfeld. Call us back when you have something bigger.'” Unfortunately, they didn’t, and to this day, Seinfeld has never visited South Park.
Other stars took whatever South Park role they could get
Offering such a minuscule role to a comic as significant as Jerry Seinfeld wasn’t out of spite. Back then, Parker and Stone were concerned about taking on big names to voice characters, much like how “The Simpsons” handled its cameos. As a result, early seasons of the show saw guest stars get the least substantial parts available.
Thankfully, many didn’t care how brief their appearance was, as long as they got on it. For example, Jay Leno was just fine voicing Cartman’s cat, Mr. Kitty, even if it was just a meow. Likewise, future two-time Oscar-winner George Clooney had no issue with stepping into the recording booth and bringing his best bark as Stan’s gay dog, Sparky. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, executive producer Anne Garefino noted that Clooney didn’t need much convincing to get on board, as he’d already been passing around copies of “The Spirit of Christmas,” the two-part short film that formed the foundation of “South Park.”
“When he did the voice of Sparky, Stan’s gay dog, he did the voice remotely,” recalled Garefino. “We never met him until he finally came by the studio to do a voice for the ‘South Park’ movie.” For said movie, 1999’s “South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut,” Clooney played up to his “ER” legacy as Dr. Gouache, who accidentally replaces Kenny’s heart with a baked potato, killing him in traditional gory fashion.