Hiram Kasten was a stand-up comedian and actor who had roles in “Seinfeld,” “7th Heaven,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and other TV shows.
- Died: June 16, 2024 (Who else died on June 16?)
- Details of death: Died in Batavia, New York at the age of 71.
- We invite you to share condolences for Hiram Kasten in our Guest Book.
Hiram Kasten’s legacy
Born and raised in the Bronx, Hiram Z. Kastenbaum dreamed of becoming a performer from a young age, and he accomplished his goal when he landed on the stage right out of Lehman College in a revival of the Israel Horovitz play, “Line.” In the early 1970s, he spent some time working as an actor before he shifted gears and decided to please audiences another way: as a stand-up comedian. While performing at comedy clubs in New York, in 1978, he met another young and rising comedian, Jerry Seinfeld. Kasten became a regular at The Comic Strip, where Seinfeld was master of ceremonies, and the pair became friends.
Kasten was a mainstay on stages throughout the region in the ‘70s and ‘80s, playing the Catskills, making television appearances — including an uncredited 1981 spot on “Saturday Night Live” — and more. He started having small roles on TV, too, including on “Men of a Certain Age,” “L.A. Law,” “Saved By the Bell,” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” His best-known role may have been playing Michael, Elaine’s co-worker, on three episodes of “Seinfeld.” He was also on “Mad About You,” “7th Heaven,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
Kasten and his wife, Diana, moved to Los Angeles for a time as he pursued acting, and he appeared in a stage show for two years based on the Rat Pack, “The Rat Pack is Back,” at The Desert Inn in Las Vegas. Twenty-five years later, he and his family relocated to Batavia, in upstate New York, to settle down. Until a downturn in his health in 2017, Kasten continued to do comedy shows in clubs and on cruise ships.
Tributes to Hiram Kasten
Full obituary: The Batavian
