The star and co-creator of the iconic 1990s sitcom told The New York Times that he skips right past his old show.
“I think there’s a level of focus you need to get something to a certain point creatively, and you pay a price for that, which is you can’t ever look at it again,” he said.
Seinfeld expanded on that a little in a 2011 interview with PopEater.
“I think because as much as I enjoy the humor of it, it kind of reminds me of how hard it was to do. I can’t seem to get that part out of my head and just enjoy the show,” he said. “When I watch them, I see my face and I see how I was struggling.”
At the time, Seinfeld said he was “working on it” because he wanted to be able to watch the show. Looks like he’s not quite there yet.
In the latest interview, Seinfeld expressed no regrets about walking away from the show after nine seasons, despite an offer of $5 million an episode ― or $100 million total ― for one more year.
“It was the perfect moment, and the proof that it was the right moment is the number of questions you’re still asking me about it,” he told The Times, adding:
“The most important word in art is ‘proportion.’ How much? How long is this joke going to be? How many words? How many minutes? And getting that right is what makes it art or what makes it mediocre.”
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 3: (NO U.S. TABLOID SALES) Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jerry Seinfeld, Michael Richards and Jason Alexander embrace on the set of the show 'Seinfeld' during the last days of shooting, April 3, 1998 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 3: (No U.S. Tabloid Sales) An aerial view of the empty set after the filming of the last episode of Seinfeld, April 3, 1998, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 3: (NO U.S. TABLOID SALES) Jerry Seinfeld waits on the sidelines of the set during the last days of filming his show Seinfeld, April 3, 1998 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)
STUDIO CITY, CA - APRIL 3: (L-R) Actors Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Michael Richards, and Jerry Seinfeld on set in the final days of shooting the hit tv show 'Seinfeld', April 3, 1998 in Studio City, California. (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)
STUDIO CITY, CA - APRIL 16: Jerry Seinfeld (center) meets with his writers on the set of his hit television show 'Seinfeld' during the filming of its final episode, April 16, 1998 in Studio City, California. (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images
LOS ANGELES - APRIL 3: (NO U.S. TABLOID SALES) Julia Louis- Dreyfus on the set of Seinfeld, during the final days of shooting, April 3, 1998, in Los Angeles, Ca. (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)
STUDIO CITY, CA - APRIL 3:(NO U.S. TABLOID SALES) Director Andy Ackerman looks over a script during the final shooting days of 'Seinfeld' April 3, 1998 in Studio City, California. (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)
STUDIO CITY, CA - CIRCA 1998: (NO US TABLOID SALES) Actors Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jerry Seinfeld, and Seinfeld co-creator Larry David talk during a script meeting on the set of Seinfeld during the last days of the sitcom's production on Circa 1998 in Studio City, California. (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)
STUDIO CITY, CA - APRIL 3: (NO U.S TABLOID SALES) Actress Julia Louis Dreyfus smiles as she reads a script during the last days of shooting the hit tv show 'Seinfeld' April 3, 1998 in Studio City, California. (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)
STUDIO CITY, CA - APRIL 3: (NO U.S. TABLOID SALES) The courtroom scene from the final days of shooting the hit show 'Seinfeld' including (L-R)Phil Morris, Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards, April 3, 1998 in Studio City, California. (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - 1998: Larry David, co-creator of the hit televison show Seinfeld reads backstage while shooting the lat few episodes, 1998 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)
STUDIO CITY, CA - APRIL 3: (NO U.S. TABLOID SALES) Actors Julia Louis-Dreyfus (center) and Jerry Seinfeld (second from left) on set of the hit television show 'Seinfeld' during the last episodes, April 3, 1998 in Studio City, California. (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/ Getty Images)
STUDIO CITY, CA - APRIL 3: (NO U.S TABLOID SALES) Jerry Seinfeld(L) and Jason Alexander(R) in a taxi shooting the last episodes of the hit tevevision show 'Seinfeld', April 3, 1998 in Studio City, California. (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)
SEINFELD -- 'The Finale: Part 1&2' Episode 23 & 24 -- Pictured: (center) Jerry Seinfeld as Jerry Seinfeld, (right) Michael Richards as Cosmo Kramer (Photo by Joseph Del Valle/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - APRIL 03: Larry David behind the scenes during shooting the last few episodes of the hit television show Seinfeld, April 03, 1998 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)
SEINFELD -- 'The Finale: Part 1&2' Episode 23 & 24 -- Pictured: (l-r) Director Andrew Ackerman, Jerry Seinfeld as Jerry Seinfeld (Photo by Joseph Del Valle/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
STUDIO CITY, CA - APRIL 3: (L-R) Actors Jason Alexander, Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Michael Richards on set in the final days of shooting the hit tv show 'Seinfeld', April 3, 1998 in Studio City, California. (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)
STUDIO CITY, CA - APRIL 3: The cast and crew of the hit television show 'Seinfeld' pose on set during the last days of filming the final episode, April 3, 1998 in Studio City, California.. From left to right in the front row are actors Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine), Jason Alexander (George), Jerry Seinfeld (Jerry), Michael Richards (Kramer), and director Andy Ackerman. (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)
