Minority Mindset

Jerry Seinfeld became famous during the stand-up comedy surge of the 1980s, leading agents and TV executives to believe he’d be a good star for his own show. Even though initial test audiences disliked it, NBC decided to give Seinfeld a limited first season. Surprisingly, the show managed to survive for three seasons. When it moved to a more favorable time slot, the creators knew season four was crucial and decided to take some bold risks. That season included many of the show’s most memorable episodes, with “The Outing” being the most daring. Notably, the now-famous line, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” wasn’t part of the original script.

Casting director Jennifer Venditti vividly recalls watching A’zion’s self-tape, which was a final attempt to convince Josh Safdie she was right for the role of Rachel. While Safdie liked her first audition, he worried she might be too young. Venditti described a collaborative process: “Odessa [A’zion] would film scenes, send them to me, I’d give feedback, and they’d reshoot.” She felt like a team with A’zion and Belmont, and when A’zion finally sent the winning take, it was a standout. Venditti wishes the audition tape had been included as a bonus feature on a DVD, and believes it should be on any physical release of Marty Supreme. Thankfully, we now have social media to see these kinds of behind-the-scenes moments.