Laurence Tomashoff (born ), known professionally as Larry Thomas, is an American actor, best known for his guest role as Yev Kassem/the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award. In addition to making personal appearances as the Soup Nazi, Thomas has appeared in a number of films, television shows, and commercials, and appears at autograph-signing shows across the country.

Early life Thomas was born in the New York City borough of Brooklyn to an observant Jewish family of Russian and Romanian background. His parents divorced and he moved to California alongside his mother and sister when he was 11. He attended Hebrew school after school hours.

Career

Acting Prior to acting, Thomas had jobs as a bail bondsman and court investigator. He is best known for his role as Yev Kassem in the "Soup Nazi" episode of the television sitcom Seinfeld. Thomas took an acting workshop taught by Jeffrey Tambor, who was fascinated by Thomas’ acting skill. Students in the class convinced Tambor to write a letter to Marc Hirschfeld, who was the casting director of The Larry Sanders Show (which starred Tambor) as well as Seinfeld. Thomas, who was a huge fan of the series, got a call from Hirschfield for the Soup Nazi role. He arrived at his audition in character and in a military uniform, and won the role by improvising his now-famous line, "No soup for you!" His widely acclaimed performance earned him a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 1996, which he lost to Tim Conway for Coach. He reprised the role in the series' final episode.

In 1997, Thomas made a cameo appearance as the blackjack dealer in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, sharing the scene with Mike Myers and Robert Wagner. In 2004, he guest-starred as himself in the Scrubs episode "My Self-Examination", where the main character tried to trick him into saying the Soup Nazi's catchphrase, "No Soup for You!" He also played a Soup Nazi-like "food cop" in a commercial for the Center for Consumer Freedom. That same year he guest-starred in the television series Drake & Josh as Bob Galloway, in the episode "2 Idiots and a Baby."

In 2006, Thomas made an appearance in Scott Grenke's independent comedy feature Spaced Out (which includes a variation of the catchphrase). This was the start of a working relationship with Boomstick Films, which included co-starring roles in Not Another B Movie, Dr. Spine, and the award-winning Paranormal Activity spoof Paranormal Calamity. Thomas also guest-starred in Arrested Development as a Saddam Hussein lookalike, and portrayed Osama bin Laden in Uwe Boll's 2008 shock comedy film Postal.

In 2009, Thomas appeared in the independent feature Untitled Horror Comedy playing the role of "Dwayne."

In February 2012, Thomas again appeared as the Soup Nazi in an Acura NSX commercial featuring comedians Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno.

In February 2013, he began filming for Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure, a video game using live-action cut-scenes.Matulef, Jeffrey (November 9, 2013). "Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure gets an eight minute trailer". Eurogamer.

In 2016, he appeared in a short comedy film The Love Suckers, playing a marriage therapist giving bad advice to a couple along with Eddie Deezen and Caryn Richman.

His latest project is Dads!, a television sitcom pilot that is written, directed, and produced by Thomas and David Everhart Castro. It is currently in post-production.

Public appearances as the Soup Nazi In 2006, Thomas began selling autographed photographs of himself through catalogs such as Wall Street Creations Inc., glaring at the camera in chef's garb, with the handwritten notation "No soup for you!"

In 2011, Thomas appeared dressed as the Soup Nazi at a New York Mets game. He gave DVDs to fans who correctly answered trivia questions.

In 2012, he again appeared as the Soup Nazi while touring the United States with a Seinfeld food truck, allowing fans to pose with him and signing autographs.

On July 5, 2014, he appeared at Brooklyn Cyclones as the Soup Nazi to celebrate Salute to Seinfeld Night, and threw out the first pitch.

In 2015, he reprised his role as the Soup Nazi when Hulu opened "Seinfeld: The Apartment" in New York City, creating a real-world version of Jerry Seinfeld's Upper West Side apartment, complete with a show memorabilia gallery and interactive Seinfeld fan experience to mark the streaming debut of all episodes of the series on Hulu.

Music Larry has written and recorded songs: "Nico's Song (With Out You)" written for Dads!, "It's Angela (The Wife I Choose)", "Running, Running, Running (Ben's Song), and "Ma! (Ode to Dorine)".

Gun control In 2013, Serbu Firearms refused to sell their model BFG-50A semi-automatic .50 rifles to the New York City Police Department after the passage of the NY SAFE Act that classified their weapon as an assault rifle. Accompanying this, Serbu then had T-shirts printed with an image of Thomas as The Soup Nazi and the words "No Serbu For You". Thomas contacted Facebook and the T-shirt printers to have the shirts removed. Serbu later removed the image of Thomas and replaced it with one of their founder Mark Serbu.

Filmography

Film +YearTitleRoleNotes1980Terror on TourTim1988Streets of DeathArtie BensonDirect-to-video1991F.A.R.T. the MovieGuest1997Austin Powers: International Man of MysteryCasino Dealer1998Surface to AirColonel Mustafa Kahlid1998HyacinthMideastern Man1999When Actors AttackAngry Actor2003BachelorManDoctor2005Knight to F4Chess Reporter2006Spaced OutSenator HardlyDirect-to-video2007PostalOsama bin Laden2007Frankie DHappy2009Untitled Horror ComedyDwayne2010Paranormal CalamityDr. Dick Asskis2010Not Another B MovieLarry2010Changing HandsBarry2011We Will Rock YouHamid Bin Al-Sheib2011Redemption: For Robbing the DeadJosiah20123 of a KindMr. Cook2013You Don't Say!Mr. Melendez2014108 StitchesCoach Kassem Bosco2014HacksLarry2015Doctor SpineDoctor Chiller2015SpadesThe Professor2016Mind Over MindyDr. Ivan Fischer2016Surge of Power: Revenge of the SequelAl Yagen, Food Cart Vendor2018Red Team GoThe Boss2022Honest to GodDr. Haija

Television YearTitleRoleNotes1981Ladies' ManSinging MessengerEpisode: "Andrea's Crush"1995, 1998SeinfeldYev "The Soup Nazi" KassemEpisode: "The Soup Nazi"; "The Finale"1996KirkMaynardEpisode: "Hey, Hey We're the Hartmans"1996Grace Under FireTicket agentEpisode: "Fire Music"1996Mr. & Mrs. SmithMr. RolfeEpisode: "The Impossible Mission Episode"1996, 1997ArlissArabic Man / Sheik Caspia2 episodes1997Caroline in the CityMaitre'dEpisode: "Caroline and the Kept Man"1997USA HighGirardEpisode: "The Headmaster's Daughter"1998Beyond Belief: Fact or FictionGrant2 episodes1998The Tony Danza ShowMan #1Episode: "Thanks... But No Thanksgiving"1998Sabrina the Teenage WitchZampanoEpisode: "And the Sabrina Goes to..."1999L.A. HeatNelsonEpisode: "Vengeance"1999Martial LawAchmed SabibEpisode: "My Man Sammo"2001The Geena Davis ShowGiancarloEpisode: "Hot Potato"2002One on OneAkhmad the Taxi DriverEpisode: "Give Me Some Credit"2002Sympathy CopSympathy Cop3 episodes2003General HospitalBarryEpisode #1.101842003CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationConvenience Store ClerkEpisode: "Last Laugh"2003Knee High P.I.SheikTelevision film2004Drake & JoshMr. GallowayEpisode: "Two Idiots and a Baby"2004ScrubsLarryEpisode: "My Self-Examination"2005Studio HouseNathanTelevision film2005ThresholdNormEpisode: "The Order"2005Hot PropertiesDMV WorkerEpisode: "Whatever Lola Wants"2006Arrested DevelopmentSaddam Hussein #3Episode: "Exit Strategy"2017Mommy, I Didn't Do ItMr. AllenTelevision film

Video games +YearTitleRole2014Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy AdventureLt. Danwicz

References

External links

Larry Thomas on YouTube