From the stage of his Netflix special, "23 Hours to Kill," Jerry Seinfeld joked, "When they invented the Pop-Tart, the back of my head blew right off!"
But behind the humor lies a nugget of truth. In 1964, a 10-year-old Jerry Seinfeld was smitten when the Pop-Tart made its debut.
When asked about his favorite flavor from the beginning, Seinfeld didn't hesitate, "Brown sugar cinnamon, obviously."
"I'm surprised that it took them that long to add frosting," commented Rocca. "It was two or three years."
"Why? You think frosting is obvious?"
"Well, they look a little drab to me when they're not frosted."
"You're a tough audience!" Seinfeld chuckled. "I thought they were absolutely sensational instantly. But I did not know – and my parents did not know – these things are not food!"
It's no surprise that the master of observational comedy has turned a simple joke into a full-fledged movie. His latest project, "Unfrosted," concocts a fictional origin story for the beloved processed treat.
Seinfeld shared, "The real story that we started with (and I think it's the only real thing in the movie) is that Post came up with this idea, Kellogg's heard about it very late, and decided to try and catch up."
To watch a trailer for "Unfrosted" click on the video player below:
"Sunday Morning" contributor Jim Gaffigan portrays Edsel Kellogg. When Seinfeld approached him to join the project, he was all in: "I would never bet against Jerry Seinfeld," he said. "You know, sometimes comedians can be funny for a decade, or maybe a decade or two, but Jerry seems to have transcended, you know, four, five decades now."
In addition to writing and acting, Seinfeld took on the role of director for the first time. "I thought, what would be the least work?" he said. "The least work is for me to just tell the actor how to say it, instead of me telling the director, and then the director telling the actor."
Casting, he mentioned, "was so much fun. And Hugh Grant [who plays a certain tiger] was the guy who made the movie."
Seinfeld enlisted a group of his comedian pals, including Amy Schumer, Melissa McCarthy, and Sarah Cooper.
Asked what surprised her about Seinfeld as a director, Cooper replied, "He was very specific with what he wanted. There was a moment where Tom Lennon had to do this line where he had to do this, 'Voila!' And he did a take. And then Jerry came over and adjusted his hands just slightly. And everybody's like, 'How is that making it better?' But then he did it, and it actually was better!"
"I'm precise," Seinfeld said. "But for my thing, and what I do, I have to be that way."
Director Seinfeld walked us through a Kellogg's-style funeral for a "taste pilot" who blew up during the creation of the Pop-Tart. (And yes, that part is made up.) "You always wanna be in very serious places in comedy, 'cause it makes it easier to be funny."
Why? "The more you're supposed to act right, when you act wrong, it's funny," he said.
He referred to himself during the funeral scene: "If you look at my face there, this is what's hard about acting and directing at the same time. I'm directing here; I'm just watching, 'Are they doing this right?' I have completely dropped my character. Luckily, I don't take my work as an actor at all seriously!"
But he did make sure the other actors felt taken care of. Cooper said, "There was actually a moment on set that I think it was the only moment I saw somebody get a little bit tense, and Jerry was just like, 'Guys, we're making a movie about a Pop-Tart!' You know, he put it all in perspective so quickly."
As revealed by Gaffigan, the director delivered speeches that he described as "quite inspiring. He would express his gratitude, saying things like, 'I truly value your contributions. This is a very thrilling experience for me.' And his words came straight from the heart."
Seinfeld, on the other hand, confessed to having a knack for public speaking: "Of course, yes. I'm a comedian, so I'm accustomed to engaging with people in uncomfortable situations. That's what standup comedy is all about. And let's face it, this is a pretty awkward situation. We're expected to make people laugh; they're expecting us to be funny. It's not that different from being on a movie set. Everything feels awkward. Everyone's a bit on edge."
Given that this is "Sunday Morning"'s Money Issue, the question arose about Kellogg's involvement in the film "Unfrosted." Seinfeld clarified, "Kellogg's had no part in the making of this movie. Once you see the film, you'll understand why. No company would want a movie that portrays their product in this light!"
For more information:
- "Unfrosted" premieres on Netflix on May 3
- Pop-Tarts (Official site)
Story crafted by Reid Orvedahl. Edited by Lauren Barnello.
