Born in the Bronx, it is fitting that Hiram Kasten made a name for himself in a recurring role on the New York-based originator of Festivus, “Seinfeld.” Kasten played Michael, co-worker to Elaine Benes, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Kasten and Jerry Seinfeld were friends, having met at The Comic Strip in New York City in the 1970s. A fixture on the New York comedy club scene, Kasten performed at a club called The Big Apple one night in 1981, and met his future wife and actress Diana Kisiel, who was waiting tables at the club. As their comedian friends started heading to the West Coast to break into TV, Kasten and Kisiel decided to make the move themselves in 1987.
Kasten went on to appear on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “Mad About You,” “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Cybill,” “My Wife and Kids,” and “Saved by the Bell.” He also performed on stage, and one of his favorite roles was as Joey Bishop in the Las Vegas show “The Rat Pack.” Kasten and Kisiel retired to Batavia, New York, after spending 25 years in Hollywood.
Kasten had Crohn’s disease for much of his life and was later diagnosed with prostate cancer. He stopped performing in 2017 as his health declined, but he still entertained friends in person. When he became too ill to travel, Kasten held long, laughter-filled meetings with friends on both coasts via Zoom. He died at the age of 71.
