Mickey Abbott was always ready for a fight. Usually it was with Kramer — like when they couldn’t decide which girl they wanted on their double date, or when Kramer began spouting communist propaganda while playing Santa — but other Seinfeld characters felt Mickey’s wrath as well. In his very first scene, Mickey was ready to tangle with George when he suggested that Mickey “switch with another midget” as a stand-in on All My Children. Mickey immediately got in George’s face, telling him, “It’s little people, you got that?
That moment, according to actor Danny Woodburn, was the defining scene for Mickey. “That was the launch point for who Mickey was. He’s this volatile guy who’s ready to throw down at any minute over even the smallest infraction by friends and strangers alike,” Woodburn tells me when reflecting on the role that he says made his career — “75 to 90 percent of the opportunities I’ve had have come as a result of Seinfeld.” Even now, 25 years since he last played Mickey, Woodburn says, “When I’m in Manhattan, people always shout ‘Mickey!’ at me on the street.”
Mickey appeared on Seinfeld six times. Beginning with Season Five’s “The Stand-In,” he showed up once per season, then twice in the last season (including his cameo in the finale). For a show with a lot of one-and-done characters, Mickey’s multiple guest spots put him in a class with recurring characters like Tim Whatley, David Puddy and Kenny Bania. Below, Woodburn provides a blow-by-blow breakdown of each of his pugilistic Seinfeld appearances and all the fighting words that led to his numerous tussles with Kramer in particular.
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