Jerry Seinfeld explains why Hugh Grant was the ‘greatest’ casting as Tony the Tiger

Grant will play the cereal mascot in Seinfeld’s upcoming movie about Pop-Tarts

Jerry Seinfeld has revealed that casting Hugh Grant as cereal mascot Tony the Tiger was the “greatest part” of his upcoming movie Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story.

Seinfeld, 69, is making his feature directorial debut with the comedy he co-wrote about the creation of Pop-Tarts.

Set in Michigan in 1963, the film follows sworn cereal rivals Kellogg’s and Post as they race to create a pastry that will change the face of breakfast forever. It has been described by Netflix as “a tale of ambition, betrayal, sugar, and menacing milkmen”.

Speaking to Empire, Seinfeld revealed that working with Grant was a highlight of making the film.

“That was the greatest part of the whole thing, honestly,” said Seinfeld. “Because I am a crazy fan of his.”

For the first time in 30 years, Grant filmed an audition tape, which he sent to Seinfeld.

“[Hugh] asked me if it matters that Tony the Tiger has a British accent,” recalled Seinfeld. “I told him, ‘No, who cares?’”

Jerry Seinfeld (left) and Hugh Grant (Getty)

Grant, 63, will play a down-on-his-luck Shakespearean actor who finds himself having to wear the famous Frosties mascot costume.

Seinfeld also stars in the film as a boss at cereal manufacturer Kellogg’s, and the cast includes Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer, Dan Levy, James Marsden and Christian Slater.

“Everybody I asked said ‘yes’, so we ended up with this crazy cast,” Seinfeld commented to Empire.

Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story will be released on Netflix on 3 May.

Grant has taken on a wide array of characters in recent years, recently winning plaudits for his portrayal of an Oompa-Loompa alongside Timothee Chalamet in Paul King’s musical Wonka.

In February, Grant channeled his performance while presenting the 2024 Bafta for Best Director. He presented the category by reworking the character’s lines, saying: “Oompa Loompa doompity-dong, most of these films were frankly too long. Oompa Loompa doompity-dah, but for some reason the nominees are...”

In a four-star review of Wonka for The Independent, chief film critic Clarisse Loughrey wrote: “Hugh Grant doing a little song and dance fared very well for Paddington 2, and here he has the bonus of being daubed in orange for the role of an Oompa-Loompa.

“But the characters bring with them all the same problems: the conflicted feelings within the dwarfism community and its colonialist implications, which the film only partially smoothes over with a retrofitted backstory. If you can squint your eyes slightly and pretend that Wonka isn’t really a Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory prequel, though, you’re in for the sweetest of delicacies.”