“Seinfeld” star Michael Richards revealed he stepped away from his successful career out of disappointment in himself and his personal desire to improve.
Richards said he recognized he needed to step away from fame and put the focus on self-reflection and change after he went on a racist tirade during a stand-up set at the Laugh Factory in 2006. When footage of his racial slur-filled rant went public, he realized he was finished with the spotlight.
“Crisis managers wanted me to do damage control. But as far as I was concerned, the damage was inside of me,” he told People. “So I completely stepped away from show business. It was time to disappear and finally pay attention to where all of my anger was coming from.”
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Michael Richards during “Seinfeld” DVD Release Party at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Gregory Pace/FilmMagic)
“My anger was all over the place and it came through hard and fast. Anger is quite a force. But it happened,” Richard said. “Rather than run from it, I dove into the deep end and tried to learn from it. It hasn’t been easy.”
Richards recognized his own need for self-reflection and made a monumental change in his lifestyle to achieve a clearer sense of self and forge the path toward healing.
“The most I could do for everybody was go home and get my shit together,” Richards continued.
He recalled the moment he spoke out of turn as being a pivotal time for change.
“I was immediately sorry the moment I said it onstage,” Richards said.
“I’m not looking for a comeback,” he said, recognizing that he had effectively canceled himself.
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Richards has stayed out of the spotlight for the past 17 years and turns to reading and studying religion and philosophy to fill his time. (RELATED: ‘I Would Have Been Dead In 8 Months’: ‘Seinfeld’ Actor Michael Richards Reveals Cancer Diagnosis)
“[I’m] learning and healing. Healing and learning,” he told People.
“But life is always an up and a down.”
The famous actor’s upcoming memoir, “Entrances and Exits,” will release June 4.
