Patrick Warburton Shares the One Major Difference Between Him and His ‘Seinfeld’ Character (Exclusive)
Patrick Warburton Shares the One Major Difference Between Him and His ‘Seinfeld’ Character (Exclusive)
Meredith WilshereSun, March 22, 2026 at 3:00 PM UTC
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Patrick Warburton and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in 'Seinfeld'Credit: NBC -
Patrick Warburton shares one reason why he's not like his Seinfeld character, David Puddy
The actor, 61, tells PEOPLE that he doesn't "raw-dog" his flights
"The bottom line is I'm a fraud. I play a raw-dogger on TV, but I don't do it," he jokes
Patrick Warburton has a confession: he doesn't "raw-dog" flights like his Seinfeld character.
While the Family Guy actor, 61, has confessed to feeling "responsible" for the trend, he tells PEOPLE that he can't do it himself.
"Depending on whatever my seating situation is, I try to be prepared," Warburton shares. "I make sure that my headphones are fully charged and that whatever songs I need to listen to are downloaded. I'll make sure I get something in my audiobooks that I could chill with."
"Raw-dogging" a flight is when a traveler endures an entire plane ride without any distractions or entertainment. The term has become so popular that it was named the American Dialect Society's 2024 word of the year.
Warburton's character, David Puddy from Seinfeld, famously once raw-dogged a flight on the show. In the Seinfeld episode, "The Butter Shave," Puddy and his on-and-off-again girlfriend, Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), were on a transatlantic flight, during which she became frustrated and confused after he stared straight ahead the entire time. Elaine even offered him a book that she said was "Puddy proof," but he denied it, continuing to look straight ahead at the seat in front of him.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Patrick WarburtonCredit: Joey Delvalle/NBCUniversal via Getty
While Warburton's character was set in his ways, the actor says the "only time I'm really not doing anything" on a flight is when he is sleeping.
Ultimately, he shares, "it just would make me crazy staring at the back of the seat."
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"The bottom line is I'm a fraud. I play a raw-dogger on TV, but I don't do it," he jokes.
Patrick WarburtonCredit: Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage
In March 2025, Warburton shared a TikTok video in response to people taking up the "raw-dogging" trend, acknowledging that it has "become a bit of a thing" and that he feels "a bit responsible."
"Just not reading, watching something, you better be okay with what's going on up here, inside your ol' noggin. I'm not, but it's weird and entertaining at times," he said. "Just be careful. That's all I'm saying. It's not for novices."
In the caption, he warned people to "try this trend at your own risk."
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Through his charity work, the actor aims to promote a different trend, one centered on generosity. Warburton annually hosts The Warburton, a celebrity golf tournament. Now in its 16th year, the tournament has raised more than $40 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, including $6.4 million last year alone.
“St. Jude Children's Research Hospital garnered so much love and support because of everything that they do from every single angle. It's wonderful to be a little part of it, a little part of something that supports the greatest hospital in the world," Warburton tells PEOPLE.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
