“Seinfeld” star Michael Richards still doesn’t expect forgiveness for racist rant: ‘I’m not looking for a comeback’

The actor, who won three Emmys as Cosmo Kramer before cratering his career with an infamous 2006 meltdown, tells his story in new memoir "Entrances and Exits."

It's been almost two decades since Michael Richards' career fell off a cliff. The comedic actor won three Emmys for his portrayal of fan-favorite character Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld, but he's barely been seen on-screen since he was caught on video in 2006 unleashing a racist,slur-filled rant at hecklers during a standup set at the Laugh Factory.

Related: See reclusive Michael Richards reunite with Jerry Seinfeld on first red carpet in 9 years

In his new memoir, Entrances and Exits, Richards opens up about the incident and his journey since. He emphasizes that the book isn't an attempt at a career resurgence, but rather a way to share his perspective. "I'm not looking for a comeback," he told PEOPLE.

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Reflecting on the moment, Richards recalled feeling immediate regret during the Laugh Factory rant. "I was immediately sorry the moment I said it on stage," he said.

He continued: "My anger was all over the place and it came through hard and fast. Anger is quite a force. But it happened. Rather than run from it, I dove into the deep end and tried to learn from it. It hasn’t been easy."

Richards said crisis managers "wanted me to do damage control. But as far as I was concerned, the damage was insideof me."

But the 74-year-old wanted to make something perfectly clear: "I'm not racist," he said, referring to the fateful standup. "I have nothing against Black people. The man who told me I wasn’t funny had just said what I’d been saying to myself for a while. I felt put down. I wanted to put him down."

Since that moment, Richards embarked upon 17 years of "deep analysis" to find out "where all the anger was coming from." He notes that some of that ire stemmed from his own insecurities. Richards learned his mother, who singlehandedly raised him, originally wanted an abortion but at the time the procedure was illegal.

As a result, “Somehow I couldn’t connect to the joy of being an artist," he said, referring to his time as Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld. "I was a good character actor, but I was comfortable being the character, not in being me.”

Unresolved insecurities also prompted Richards to pass on other opportunities, which included a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame because "I didn’t feel deserving,” and turned down two offers to host Saturday Night Live because "I didn’t feel good enough. I was never really satisfied with my Seinfeld performance. Fame magnified my insecurities.”

Richards has continued to work on his insecurities. [I'm] learning and healing. Healing and learning," he shared. "But life is always an up and a down. I continue to work through the day and the night, the light and the dark that I am."

Related: ''Seinfeld'': The best-paid cast in TV history

Richards opens up further about his life and career when his memoir Entrances and Exits goes on sale June 4.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.