We’re still, at this point, only about two-thirds of the way to believing that Jerry Seinfeld’s upcoming directorial debut, absurdist Pop-Tarts origin story Unfrosted, is actually a real movie. That number doesn’t tick significantly upward, either, when we’re reminded that the film’s version of cereal mascot Tony The Tiger is being played by Hugh Grant, now deep into what appears to be well and truly the Oompa-Loompa phase of his illustrious career.
Okay, technically, Grant is appearing in the film as Thurl Ravenscroft, the veteran actor and actual human being who voiced Tony for Kellogg’s for 50 years. (He’s also the one singing on “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” You learn something new every day, doing this job.) But that hasn’t stopped Netflix from distributing the above press image of a deranged-looking Grant in a Tony costume, huh?
Or Seinfeld talking about his recruitment process, revealing that Grant, despite being Hugh Grant, still sent in a self-taped audition piece to prove he had what it took to embody a man who voiced the uptight vacuum cleaner in all three of the Brave Little Toaster films. (Sorry, we’re really on a Thurl Ravenscroft kick tonight.) Here’s Seinfeld’s writing partner on Unfrosted, Spike Feresten, talking about getting Grant’s self-tape with IndieWire this week, ahead of the movie’s May 3 release date:
He had a glass of wine in his hand and he was on the couch. We were just stunned on how homemade his audition was — and how good it was. Here’s Hugh Grant at 8 o’clock at night before he goes to bed, crushing the lines. Crushing. That’s when we said, ‘Jerry, close this for us. Get this guy.’
And got him, they did. Never let anyone tell you that Hugh Grant does not take even the silliest parts of his craft seriously.