The Big Picture

Collider’s Steve Weintraub talks with
Unfrosted
co-stars Christian Slater, Max Greenfield, and Sarah Cooper.
The trio discuss joining Jerry Seinfeld’s feature directorial debut, the stacked comedy cast, and the balance of tones for this blended reality.
Slater, Greenfield, and Cooper also share their Desert Island cereal picks and what it was like their first day on set.

In addition to Netflix’s Unfrosted being co-writer, director and star, Jerry Seinfeld’s feature directorial debut, the comedy is also piquing interest with its wacky premise and stellar cast. Touted as a biopic, the Seinfeld creator enlisted some of the top “killers of comedy” to portray both real and fictional characters in a blended reality that tells the story of the invention of Pop-Tarts. It’s a campaign mundane enough for a whimsical 1960s spin on the business world of breakfast.

In this interview with Collider’s Steve Weintraub, co-stars Christian Slater (The Spiderwick Chronicles), Max Greenfield (New Girl), and Sarah Cooper (Summering) talk about joining the massive roster of comedy talent to build up Seinfeld’s world. In addition to this trio, Unfrosted also features Jim Gaffigan (Peter Pan & Wendy), Melissa McCarthy (The Little Mermaid), Bill Burr (Old Dads), Amy Schumer (Life & Beth), and tons of other comedians to take sides in the Space Race-esque fight for the most successful shelf-stable pastry between breakfast cereal titans, Kellogg’s and Post.

Check out the full video above or the transcript below to find out their Desert Island cereal of choice, what it was like stepping on set and seeing the talent they were working with, and how they made sense of the unique tone Seinfeld was going for.

Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story Michigan 1963, business rivals Kellogg’s and Post compete to create a cake that could change breakfast forever.Release Date May 3, 2024 Cast Jerry Seinfeld , Melissa McCarthy , Jim Gaffigan , amy schumer , Hugh Grant , Max Greenfield , Christian Slater , Daniel Levy , Bill Burr , James Marsden , Jack McBrayer , Thomas Lennon , Bobby Moynihan , Adrian Martinez , Sarah Cooper , Fred Armisen Runtime 93 Minutes Main Genre Comedy Distributor(s) Netflix

Image via Netflix

COLLIDER: I think you could say every comedian in the United States that’s funny is in this movie. He put together a murderer’s row of people.

CHRISTIAN SLATER: Nice, yeah. They are killers. Killers of comedy. I mean, it’s amazing. It was a thrill to get to be a part of that ensemble.

MAX GREENFIELD: I feel bad for those who aren’t in the movie. If you’re a comedian and you’re not in the movie, you must be like this, “What? Is my phone off?”

SLATER: How many comedians do you think are actually in this? I remember when I walked into the makeup trailer and saw…

SARAH COOPER: All the faces.

SLATER: The only thing I noticed was that I wasn’t up there.

COOPER: Why weren’t you up there?

SLATER: I don’t know! And I said, “Come on, where’s my eight-by-ten?”

COOPER: I remember going in, and one of the makeup girls really liked you.

SLATER: That’s what I do. I show up for work and I often look for what’s wrong immediately.

COOPER: Yeah, that’s what I do.

A Desert Island Balanced Breakfast

I’m gonna ask you guys the most serious question now. If you’re trapped on a desert island and you can only have one or two cereals for the rest of your life, what are the one or two cereals?

SLATER: God, it’s so funny. I’ve been thinking about this question for so long.

GREENFIELD: Honey Nut Cheerios and Granola.

COOPER: Granola?

SLATER: Frosted Mini-Wheats, I really like because they’re kind of in the shape of a little pillow. I don’t know if you ever noticed that. So I could make little stick figures on the beach and make little beds for them. [Laughs]

COOPER: I would go with Lucky Charms and Raisin Bran, because I feel like Raisin Bran is like your main meal and then your Lucky Charms is like your dessert.

SLATER: Okay, very good. That and cottage cheese and blackberries. I have a blackberry seed stuck in the back of my tooth now from earlier that I’m still enjoying.

Has this been a thing in every interview, the blackberry seed?

SLATER: No, first time. First time I brought it up. No one has any floss.

‘Unfrosted’s Unique Tone Was a Challenge to Capture
“That’s the world that Jerry was creating.”

One of the things about this movie that is unique is that he went for a very silly, goofy tone. There are random things that happen that are sort of out of left field. What is it like as an actor where he’s going for a unique tone? It’s not just serious, it’s not just funny.

COOPER: It’s a very hard tone to nail because you want to be serious, but then you also wanna be a little silly. There are a few times where it’s like a little bit of a nod to the audience that, “Oh, this is what we’re parodying here,” so you can get the joke. I can’t think of a point in that. [Laughs]

SLATER: But yes, I’m with you.

COOPER: [Laughs] Are you?

SLATER: I totally get it.

GREENFIELD: Jerry walked us through all those moments in a way that everybody could understand them. We would have an idea of what was going on, we understood the concept, but it then was as exciting as I’m sure it was for you to then watch it when we all saw it for the first time.

SLATER: They took the project seriously, but not themselves seriously. You know what I’m saying? It was a big movie, and they spent a lot of attention to detail and wanting to make it look as authentic as they possibly could, but within that there was a lot of freedom to kind of be loose and have a good time.

COOPER: There’s not a single point in the movie where you’re gonna go, “That doesn’t make sense.” You love it. The things that don’t make sense, you’re like, “Yes,” you know? And that’s what’s really great. Your suspension of disbelief is just perfectly engaged.

SLATER: I mean, launching a Pop-Tart might make you question that, but that’s what the movie is all about. I did kind of go, “Did that make sense?” And you’re right, I did go with it at the end.

COOPER: Yeah, you have to go with it!

SLATER: Because that’s the world that Jerry was creating.

Unfrosted is now streaming on Netflix.

Watch on Netflix