Isn't that Newman from 'Seinfeld?'

Several TV stars split their time between shows

October 21, 1997
Web posted at: 2:15 p.m. EDT (1815 GMT)

From Correspondent Sherri Sylvester

HOLLYWOOD (CNN) -- You're not seeing double when you watch television these days. Instead, a number of stars are acting in more than one series.

Take "Seinfeld" star Wayne Knight. He not only plays Newman, the mailman who is Jerry Seinfeld's irritating neighbor, he's also making his mark as Officer Don on "3rd Rock from the Sun." His double duty has been made easier, because both shows are shot on the same lot.

The distance between the two stages is short enough to cover on foot, Knight points out. He doesn't even need to use the mountain bike that Seinfeld gave him as a Christmas present.

"Just a little walk from stage 15 to stage 9," Knight laughs.

"Seinfeld" also has two other actors who are moonlighting on a second series.

John O'Hurley, known to fans as J. Peterman, the catalog mogul, moves between networks for "Over the Top."

"I have ABC, I have NBC -- no network is successful unless I do an appearance on it," he jokes.

Comedian Steve Hytner is on two shows as well. He portrays stand-up comic wannabe Bania on "Seinfeld" and is starring in the new series, "Working."

He says juggling his time between both shows is no easy task.

"To play two different characters is challenging enough, and then the challenge of doing a show that's a nine-year hit, and doing a show that's trying to find its legs -- everything about the two shows is different," he explains. "The characters, where the shows are. You know Seinfeld is an 800-pound gorilla by this point."

Members of the hospital staff of "ER" have opted for double shifts as well. Yvette Freeman, who plays nurse Haleh Adams, is on the "Working" team, while Abe Benrubi, who portrays Jerry, stars on "Sleepwalkers."

Kelsey Grammer, who picks up a hefty paycheck on "Frasier," has taken on another role as well -- not in front of the camera but behind it as executive producer of "Fired Up."

Grammer describes himself as a fairly hands-off producer.

"I call it passive production. I only have a meeting with somebody if there's a problem, really," he explains. "I'll read the scripts, and I let people pretty much take care of their own jobs. That's what I want to do."

Related sites:

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• NBC: Seinfeld
• NBC: 3rd Rock from the Sun
• NBC: ER

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