LOS ANGELES — In the aftermath of his racist tirade against two black hecklers during a standup comedy routine, Seinfeld<$> actor Michael Richards hired a publicist with strong ties to the black community who set up calls to civil rights leaders the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.New York publicist Howard Rubenstein took on Richards as a client, then arranged for the actor to call the black leaders.

"Michael apologised profusely," Rubenstein said on Wednesday. "He wants to heal the tremendous wound that he's inflicted on the American public, and on the African-American community. I think it was a positive discussion."

Jackson said Richards called "expressing his remorse and his confusion".

"He's embarrassed. He got caught on tape. That's a big part of his anxiety now," said Jackson.

"Clearly he needs some race sensibility training, and some psychiatric help. His anger is volatile and dangerous to himself and others," Jackson said. "I hope he gets the help he needs. But the culture that's producing this kind of animosity toward blacks must be addressed. We're increasingly facing cultural isolation in Hollywood, in the movies and in TV."

Calls to Sharpton's home and to his National Action Network on Wednesday were not immediately returned.

Richards, who played the kooky neighbour Kramer on Seinfeld<$>, lashed out at the hecklers last week during a performance at West Hollywood's Laugh Factory. A video of his rant then appeared on TMZ.com.

The video shows him calling one of the hecklers a racial epithet, and repeating it over and over again.

In a subsequent satellite appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman<$>, Richards said his tirade was fuelled by anger, not bigotry.

The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People said in a statement Wednesday that Richards' comments and anti-Semitic ones by Mel Gibson this year point to a trend in American culture, and that Richards' declaration "is indicative of the type of denial that too often accompanies racist rhetoric".

Rubenstein, whose media relations firm specialises in "crisis management", according to its website, said he had never met or spoken to Richards before the actor called him.

"He convinced me that he was sincere in his repentance and would do what's right," Rubenstein said.