Jerry Seinfeld, who came to prominence with his lead role in the 90s sitcom, Seinfeld, is one of the most successful actor-comedian’s of this generation. The show ran from 1989 to 1998, and is regarded one of the best sitcoms ever made, even though the ending was not everyone’s cup of tea.
Recently, Seinfeld ventured into the directorial side of things, when he joined hands with Netflix to direct a comedy movie titled Unfrosted. A fictional account of the creation of Pop-Tarts toaster pastries, the movie is an induction of the comedian into the director’s chair, whose recent comments about the movie business is a stark contrast to his career choices.
Jerry Seinfeld Says Movie Business is Over
Jerry Seinfeld has been in the industry since the early 80s, initially doing small in various sitcoms before making it big with Seinfeld, where he played a semi-fictionalised version of himself. But he had been doing open-mic gigs long before he got his first stint as an actor. And that is a part of himself he is yet to let go of.
In a recent interview with GQ magazine, he spoke of his directorial debut and why he is taking this step so laye in his career.
“It was totally new to me. I thought I had done some cool stuff, but it was nothing like the way these people work. They’re so dead serious! They don’t have any idea that the movie business is over. They have no idea.”
He further added,
“Disorientation replaced the movie business. Everyone I know in show business, every day, is going, ‘What’s going on? How do you do this? What are we supposed to do now?’”
He said that movies are going out if fashion and it is now the age of streaming and stand-up.
Jerry Seinfeld Believes Stand-up Is Better Than Movies
Seinfeld has been doing TV shows and movies for a long time, but it is his stand-up that he is enjoys doing most. In the same interview, discussing further about his work, the 69 year-old said:
“Stand-up is like you’re a cabinetmaker, and everybody needs a guy who’s good with wood. … There’s trees everywhere, but to make a nice table, it’s not so easy. So, the metaphor is that if you have good craft and craftsmanship, you’re kind of impervious to the whims of the industry.”
He further spoke of why audiences are now more interested in watching stand-uo comedies than TV dramas or movies, saying that the former feels more authentic and real, as well as relatable.
“Audiences are now flocking to stand-up because it’s something you can’t fake. It’s like platform diving. You could say you’re a platform diver, but in two seconds we can see if you are or you aren’t. That’s what people like about stand-up. They can trust it. Everything else is fake.”
Unfrosted will be streaming on Netflix from May 3.
