George Costanza - Early Life and Family

Early Life and Family

George is the son of Frank Costanza (Jerry Stiller) and Estelle Costanza (Estelle Harris). Though he never made an appearance on the show, George has mentioned twice that he has a brother, but also often says he is an only child. Lloyd Braun was the other son his parents wanted. George's best friend Jerry Seinfeld (Jerry Seinfeld) described Frank and Estelle as "psychopaths", and said in "The Chinese Woman" that, if they had divorced when George was young, he "could have been normal". George also describes himself as the result of his parents having stayed together.

In the season four episode "The Junior Mint", he states he grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he went to public school. In a previous episode he mentions he went to high school on Long Island. He met Jerry Seinfeld in a gym locker room, and they remained friends from that point on. George and Jerry both attended John F. Kennedy High School, class of 1971. During their high school years, George and Jerry frequently hung out at a pizza place called Mario's Pizzas, where George, having the highest score 'GLC', would play Frogger. George was picked on by his gym teacher Mr. Heyman (Biff Yeager), who intentionally mispronounced his name as "Can't stand ya" and gave him wedgies.

George has three known cousins: Shelly, who appeared in "The Contest", George Howarth, and Rhisa, who made an appearance in "The Junk Mail". George talks to his parents about his family in "The Money", during which it is revealed that he had an "Uncle Moe", who "died a young man" and an "Aunt Baby", who died at the age of 7 of internal problems. It is also revealed that his mother has a "Cousin Henny". In "The Doll", it is revealed that Frank Costanza was born in Italy and still has a cousin, Carlo, who lives there. As of the first-season episode "The Robbery", George had a living grandmother and grandfather whom he had recently visited, though it is never clarified if these were his mother's or his father's parents.