Comedian Jerry Seinfeld admitted the movie business "is over" as he prepares to debut his first feature as a director.
Seinfeld, 69, began his stand-up comedy career in 1976 and later starred in his own TV show for nine seasons. The comedian took on his first film as director with "Unfrosted," set to premiere in May.
"It was totally new to me," Seinfeld told GQ of working as a director. "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 explained that "film doesn’t occupy the pinnacle in the social, cultural hierarchy that it did for most of our lives. When a movie came out, if it was good, we all went to see it. We all discussed it. We quoted lines and scenes we liked. Now we’re walking through a fire hose of water, just trying to see."
Seinfeld had a few ideas about what might have "replaced" the industry's spot in the cultural hierarchy.
"Depression? Malaise? I would say confusion," he told the outlet. "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?’"
Seinfeld isn't worried about the industry collapse due to his prolific career in comedy. "Seinfeld" was one of the highest-rated shows on television throughout its nine-season run. The comedian also launched "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" in 2012, which ran for 11 seasons.
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"I’ve done enough stuff that I have my own thing, which is more valuable than it’s ever been," Seinfeld 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," the comedian further explained. "So, the metaphor is that if you have good craft and craftsmanship, you’re kind of impervious to the whims of the industry."
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The comedian emphasized that comedy is still doing well because "everything else is fake."
"Audiences are now flocking to stand-up because it’s something you can’t fake," Seinfeld continued. "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."
