Jerry Seinfeld has paid tribute to the late Jerry Stiller, calling him “so perfect”.

Stiller died at the age of 92 from natural causes this week. He was best known for starring as George Costanza’s father Frank on Seinfeld.

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Speaking to SiriusXM as part of the What A Joke With Papa & Fortune show in a new interview, Seinfeld paid tribute to Stiller, saying that he was pleasantly confused of what he brought to Seinfeld.

“We never gave Jerry Stiller a note,” Seinfeld said. “I never adjusted his performance once. Whatever he did, that’s it. We’re putting that out there. I don’t know why he did it like that. I don’t know why he screamed on that line. It doesn’t matter. It’s funny. So funny.

“I am such a dedicated believer in if it’s funny, don’t touch it. I don’t care why it’s funny. I don’t care what the line was supposed to be. He said it that way, we’re doing it that way.”

Seinfeld went on to reveal that writer Larry Charles was the man to bring he and Stiller together, and though Seinfeld wasn’t originally sure about the casting, largely because Stiller wasn’t bald as George Costanza’s father was intended to be, he eventually agreed.
“Larry just kept mentioning him and finally we brought him in and he was so perfect,” Seinfeld said.

Stiller played Costanza in the Jerry Seinfeld sitcom from 1993-1998, before teaming up with Kevin James on The King of Queens from 1998-2007.