You may not know the name Larry Thomas, but you almost certainly know the character he played in one of the most famous episodes in Seinfeld history. Thomas portrayed the Soup Nazi, the soup cook who served up some of the finest soups in New York City but demanded you obey his rules when in line and ordering. If you failed to stumble in the process, you could risk not receiving any soup or even be banned from receiving his soup for a full year. The role that made Thomas famous continues to inspire today, as he is on the road promoting Original Soupman soups as the face of the company.

“I played this character 20 years ago,” Thomas said, “But decades later, people are still loving it.”

Thomas obliges to the requests of the fans to be told “No soup for you” when on the road, he of course dresses for the occasion in his signature soup kitchen attire. He is even signing boxes of soup with that signature catchphrase.

The Soup Nazi remains one of the top characters to appear in Seinfeld. After the main cast and the more common recurring characters like Jerry’s and George’s parents, the Soup Nazi is a lock for the top five characters in Seinfeld history, but we can venture into that debate another time in the future (we should totally have that discussion given our knack for all things Seinfeld).

[The Oregonian] [photo: Oregon Live]

About Kevin McGuire

Contributor to Athlon Sports and The Comeback. Previously contributed to NBCSports.com. Host of the Locked On Nittany Lions Podcast. FWAA member and Philadelphia-area resident.