The Iconic Seinfeld Star You Likely Forgot Starred In Austin Powers
The two twin fountainheads of comedy in the 1990s: "Seinfeld" and "Austin Powers." When it came to catchphrases and quotes back in the day, these two series (one on TV, the other in feature films) were pretty tough to beat. But if you picked a comedy fan off the street and asked them to name any cast members the two have in common, they're likely to draw a blank.
But there's actually a bit of overlap between one of the most famous episodes of "Seinfeld" and "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery," the film that introduced Austin (Mike Myers) and his nemesis Dr. Evil (also Mike Myers) into the world. And even if you're a massive "Seinfeld" fan, you might not be familiar with his name right away.
So, which of the legendary one-off characters of "Seinfeld" went on to make a fairly innocuous appearance in the very first "Austin Powers" adventure?
Larry Thomas, also known as the Soup Nazi, appears in the first Austin Powers movie
You probably don't need to be refreshed on the Soup Nazi, one of the most memorable characters to spring forth from "Seinfeld." The merciless merchant of chowders and bisques is one of the most enduring pop-culture icons to come from the show, which is no small feat given the number of catchphrases, images, and characters from "Seinfeld" that are still part of the cultural lexicon. But you might not remember that Larry Thomas, the actor who brought the Soup Nazi to life, appears in "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" in the role of a casino dealer who Austin and Vanessa Kensington (Elizabeth Hurley) meet in Las Vegas while hunting down Dr. Evil's henchmen. He's easy to miss, especially without his trademark Soup Nazi smock and scowl.
Of course, Thomas is not the only person to appear in both "Seinfeld" and the "Austin Powers" movies. Trivia scholars would do well to remember that Robert Wagner, who plays Dr. Evil's eyepatched Number Two, also made a cameo in another iconic "Seinfeld" episode: 1997's "The Yada Yada." Then there's Clint Howard, who appears in all three "Austin Powers" movies, and made a guest appearance on "The Trip Part 2," sharing a police car with Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) and George (Jason Alexander). And that's not even to mention actor Michael McDonald, who famously meets an unfortunate end in all three "Austin Powers" films, and has two "Seinfeld" credits to his name.