Entertainment

RIP Estelle Harris: 5 Best Mrs. Constanza Moments From Seinfeld

Estelle will always be remembered as the funniest mom in television history.

by Blake Harper
Estelle Harris at the premiere of "The Grand"
Getty: Michael Tran/FilmMagic

Actress Estelle Harris died on Sunday at her home in Palm Desert. The 93-year-old actress had a career filled with memorable roles but to most of us, she will always be remembered as Estelle Constanza, George’s neurotic and melodramatic mother in Seinfeld.

Let’s remember her by how much she made us laugh. Here are five of Estelle Costanza’s most hilarious moments from Seinfeld.

The Costanzas Are Invited to Dinner

After George gets engaged to Susan, her parents invite the Costanzas over for dinner. It goes about as poorly as you would expect, with Frank rambling on about who is having sex with chickens and Estelle having no idea what Merlot is.

George Hospitalizes His Mom

“The Contest” might be the most iconic Seinfeld history and the entire competition was started when Estelle is hospitalized after catching George pleasuring himself. One of the funniest scenes in the episode is George visiting his mom at the hospital, as she admonishes her son for “treating his body like it was an amusement park.”

George’s Modeling Career

In “The Puffy Shirt,” a modeling agent tells George that he could be a hand model, which quickly goes to his head. While George does his best to keep his precious hands safe, Estelle brags that she always knew his “soft and milky white” hands were destined for greatness.

Kramer Stops Short

After Estelle gets an eye job, Kramer agrees to pick her up. On the way home, Kramer puts his arm in front of Estelle when he runs over a pothole, which she misinterprets as him hitting on her. The misunderstanding immediately escalates, with Frank confronting Kramer over stealing his move to hit on his wife.

George Gets Grounded

Once again, George is caught by his mother but this time, she discovers a condom wrapper in her bed that George used, causing Frank to ground his son. The Costanza’s massive overreactions never disappointed and Estelle’s horrified offscreen scream is one of her funniest moments on the show.