The Actor Who Played J. Peterman On “Seinfeld” Really Owns a Company Named The J. Peterman Company



For 9 hilarious seasons, Seinfeld reigned supreme in the ‘90s. Set in New York City, the award-winning sitcom invited viewers into the fictional version of real-life comedian Jerry Seinfeld, along with his closest friends and acquaintances. Elaine’s boss, J. Peterman, was one of them. Played by actor John O’Hurley, he appeared in 20 episodes and shared stories of his worldly adventures with his distinctive tone of voice. John Peterman is actually a real person who owns The J. Peterman Company, complete with a clothing catalog. The year after Seinfeld ended, The J. Peterman Company went through some financial difficulties, so John Peterman called John O’Hurley and asked him to become a partner and put the company back together. Since 1999, John O’Hurley and the real J. Peterman have owned The J. Peterman Company. Today the company brings in around $30 million a year in sales, all done online with a meager 20 employees handling the phones.