News and Music Discovery
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Jerry Seinfeld, Learning to Bee on the Big Screen

Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld arrive for the L.A. premiere of <em>Bee Movie</em> on Oct. 28.
Noel Vasquez
/
Getty Images
Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld arrive for the L.A. premiere of Bee Movie on Oct. 28.

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld last sat down with Fresh Air in September 1987, before his TV series made him an international celebrity.

Now he's back, and in a big way: Bee Movie, the animated comedy he's written and produced for DreamWorks, opens this Friday. (Watch clips.) It's about Barry B. Benson, a bee who learns about life outside the hive — and eventually sues humanity for stealing honey.

Seinfeld begins his conversation with Fresh Air guest host Dave Davies with an observation on the difference between writing a screenplay and doing stand-up comedy.

"The trouble with it is, you have this story — which is such a nuisance," Seinfeld says. "You know, in stand-up you just tell the funny part. But in a movie, the audience demands that you tell them some sort of story that makes sense. And this is a tremendous handicap for me."

Copyright 2023 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air.