-We had a lot of arguments. Working with him is a real pain. He’s just terrible – he made fun of Seinfeld during a conversation on “The Tonight Show”. In addition to directing, the comedian also co-wrote the script and is one of the film’s producers. In addition, he stars in it himself, and cast the Briton as a frustrated Shakespearean actor who was given the voice of Tony the Tiger from Kellogg’s cereal commercials.
Seinfeld: Working with Hugh Grant was a pain
It is worth emphasizing that Jerry Seinfeld was the star of a cult US sitcom (note, it was called… “The Seinfeld Chronicles” and we write more about this production at the end of the text) and has a specific sense of humor. At the very beginning of the conversation with Jimmy Fallon, he said, for example: “I am a very happy person who hates everything my whole life – which clearly shows how the comedian usually uses sarcasm, self-irony and pessimistic punchlines.”
In “The Tonight Show”, Seinfeld also admitted that the film “No Frosting”, which is supposed to present viewers the history of the creation of the extremely popular Pop-Tarts flavored toast in the USA, was created because of a joke he included in the program of his stand-up show. He was picked up during the pandemic by screenwriter Spike Feresten, who had previously worked with him on “The Seinfeld Chronicles” (he wrote the iconic episode of “The Soup Nazi” about a chef who requires special manners when buying soup from his stand). Seinfeld resisted at first, but since everyone was stuck at home anyway, he started working with other writers and the project was picked up.
– This movie is completely crazy. But the truth is that Post, another large breakfast cereal company in Battle Creek, actually came up with the idea of ​​creating toaster-ready breakfast biscuits using hydrolyzed fruit. Kellogg’s found out about this about three months before they hit shelves. They came to the conclusion that they must have something like this too. One of our screenwriters, Andy Robin, suggested that we present this story as in the series “First Step into Space”. Do you remember? It was about the race between the US and the Soviet Union to be the first to put a man on the moon. So this is how we tell the story of the creation of Pop-Tarts – Seinfeld introduced the audience to the outline of “No Frosting”.
Let’s add that Pop-Tarts were actually created in a few months, they hit stores in 1964 and became so popular that Kellogg couldn’t keep up with production. The first shipment sold out in two weeks, and the company had to run ads apologizing for the empty shelves. This only increased interest in the product, which was first available in four flavors (strawberry, blueberry, cinnamon and apple) and without icing (hence the title of the film). It wasn’t until 1967 that the company developed the right recipe to keep the icing on the cake after heating in a toaster.
Pop-Tarts are currently available in over 20 flavors and remain Kellogg’s most popular product in the US to this day, but they can also be purchased, among others, in Canada and Great Britain (in Poland they are sold by the Dealz chain of stores). Their sales are growing every year – in 2023, the manufacturer earned $985 million from them. – This movie is not like “Barbie” which was produced by Mattel. Kellogg had no idea that we were filming “No Frosting” – assured Seinfeld, who added that the production includes all the characters known from the advertisements of the company’s most popular cereals. Including Tony the Tiger, who was voiced for years by actor Thurl Ravenscroft. This is the character played by the grumpy Hugh Grant.
-I imagined this guy as a frustrated Shakespearean actor who had to play this embarrassing character just to pay for the car. Hugh Grant is perfect for this. Initially, I didn’t think he would play. But I love Hugh Grant very much. He was the one who called us and said he wanted to be in a movie about Pop-Tarts. So I auditioned him over the phone. By the way, I will add that he was holding a smartphone in one hand and a glass of wine in the other – Seinfeld revealed the circumstances in which he hired the British actor.
– Like I really cared about this interrogation. Sure, you’re Tony the Tiger. He’s great in this movie, he’s so funny. We had lots of arguments. Working with him is a real pain. It’s just terrible. Before you start working with him, he tells you: you’re going to hate it. And he’s right – the director continued joking and shared the content of the text message Hugh Grant sent him:
I just watched the movie. To my sincere surprise, I liked it. I laughed out loud. All the actors were good. Even you.
Kisses, Hugh
What did Hugh Grant have to say about Jerry Seinfeld? In an interview with “”, the actor praised the director by saying: “Jerry is a great comedian and wrote a fantastic script.” About his character, he added: “Ravenscroft was a great theater artist who thought all this was beneath him. That’s the whole joke. I appear once or twice as Tony the Tiger, but otherwise I’m this tortured theater actor.”
Interestingly, it is worth adding that Seinfeld, together with Mark Ronson, who was responsible for the soundtrack to “Barbie”, including the Oscar-nominated ballad “I’m Just Ken”, wrote a love song about Pop-Tarts for the new film, ” “Sweet Morning Heat”. It is performed as a duet by Jimmy Fallon and Meghan Trainor.
“In Michigan in 1963, sworn cereal rivals Kellogg’s and Post attempt to create a cookie that will change breakfast forever. ‘No Frosting’ is a story of ambition, betrayal, sugar and sinister milkmen written and directed by Jerry Seinfeld” – this is how Netflix announces the production. Also starring Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Amy Schumer, James Marsden, Jack McBrayer, Tom Lennon, Adrian Martinez, Bobby Moynihan, Max Greenfield, Christian Slater and Sarah Cooper. “Without Icing” will be available to watch on Netflix from May 3.
“A series about nothing”, i.e. the Seinfeld phenomenon in the USA. We explain
“The Seinfeld Chronicles” has the status of a cult series in the USA. In 2002, it was recognized by the American “Television Guide” as the most popular series of all time, and “Entertainment Weekly” announced it in 2008 as one of the three best programs of the last quarter of a century. “Seinfeld” had to give way to “The Sopranos” and “The Simpsons.”
The production appeared on NBC (the same station that later broadcast “Friends”) in 1989 and remained on the schedule until 1998. Its creators were Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, and the latter appeared as himself in the sitcom. The action focused on events from his everyday life, often quite trivial and nonsense. What’s more, most of the episodes took place in his Manhattan apartment or his favorite diner where he went with his friends. Many people have laughed for years that it was a series “about exactly nothing” and that was the slogan of “The Seinfeld Chronicles” promoting its 30th anniversary of its premiere.
Everything in “Chronicles” was dripping with sarcasm and irony, as well as thick references to American pop culture. Moreover, many of the sayings of the series characters have become a permanent part of everyday language in the USA. This is, for example, the phrase “Yada, yada, yada”, which replaces the appropriate words when someone’s statement is too long or too boring to quote. Americans loved “Seinfeld” passionately, but the series was not that popular abroad. Mainly because many jokes required excellent knowledge of linguistic nuances and jokes, as well as knowledge of the realities of life in the USA.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
