“Seinfeld” Episode Stemmed From Real-Life Writer dispute Over Jon Voight‘s car
LOS ANGELES, CA – A seemingly trivial argument between “Seinfeld” writers Tom Gammill and Max Pross unexpectedly fueled a memorable subplot in the iconic episode “The Mom and Pop store.” Gammill genuinely believed he had purchased a car previously owned by actor Jon Voight, a claim met with skepticism by Pross, ultimately inspiring the episode’s central conflict.
The disagreement, detailed by Gammill in the episode’s audio commentary, centered on the plausibility of his acquisition. The storyline unfolds with George Costanza convinced he’s found proof the car belonged to Voight, only to be deflated by a revelation from the unsettling Dr. Tim Whatley (Bryan Cranston) - the car actually belonged to a periodontist friend named John voight. Though, the real-life story took an unexpected turn when “Seinfeld” secured a brief cameo from Voight himself.
The writers’ dispute became a catalyst for a comedic sequence where a bleeding Kramer spots Voight hailing a cab, attempts to intervene, and is subsequently bitten by the actor – a moment that directly mirrored the origin of the argument, as bite marks on a glove compartment pencil sparked George’s initial belief. Remarkably, Voight was available for less than an hour to film the scene, during which he definitively debunked Gammill’s claim, confirming he never owned the car in question.
“Of all the outcomes to have, getting to meet the person on the set of the episode you co-wrote about them is the best way it could have gone,” as highlighted by Slashfilm. The episode concludes with a poignant, laugh track-free homage to the ending of “Midnight Cowboy,” featuring Jerry and Kramer recreating a scene with Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman’s characters.
All episodes of “Seinfeld” are currently available for streaming on Netflix.
