Celebrity Byte

What was the casting process like for the film?

I had Renee (Zellweger) in mind from the beginning. And John Goodman was also in mind...just because I've seen him do that blustery Southern guy, which I love. The arrogant, Inherit the Wind-type lawyer. A lot of the other ones were people I wanted to work with. I've been a long-time fan of Matthew (Broderick) that I always wanted to work with. And then Chris (Rock). It's really fun to have a friend and then be able to do a scene in a movie with them is just the most fun thing.

Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld at the Bee Movie Los Angeles Premiere.

What do your kids think about the movie?

The kids are crazy about the movie, but I don't know why. I don't know if they like it or they just like hearing my voice. They're very excited.

For the past two years this movie has been out there in some pretty unique ways, including the early live action trailers for the movie and your Cannes Film Festival bee costume stunt. What do you think of this huge marketing push?

It is pretty amazing. If you made a list of everything that I've done and they've done, it's amazing. It's a ridiculous avalanche of stuff. Some of it's been weird though like the live action trailers, which no one had ever done for an animated movie. And then the NBC TV Juniors, which was...I don't know what that was. It was just fun and silly. If anyone tells me we'll let you be silly and take the camera and it's a minute long...I'm there.

There seems to be a lot of references to The Graduate in the film, were you trying to make The Graduate with bees?

At one point, I was going to make the whole beginning of the movie The Graduate, because I love the Graduate and I just thought it'd be funny to do a Graduate with Bees, but you can't do that.

What are your thoughts on the marketing of the "Seinfeld" show as a show about nothing?

The show was extremely plot driven. It may not seem to be, but that's what made the humor go. Events are leading to other events. That's what we spent the most time on on the show. Between Larry (David) and I, there's nothing we laugh about more than "it's a show about nothing." Really, it's just a silly thing that people like to say, which is fine, but it was anything but that.

That's the great thing about being me. They can't buy me.

Did your recent guest appearance on "30 Rock" make you miss working in television?

No. In fact, it did the opposite. I sat there and talked with Tina (Fey) and I knew what she was going through. She, Gary Shandling and I are the only three people who have walked in those shoes-to star, write and executive produce a TV series. To do it on a network...Gary did it on HBO so he didn't have as many episodes...but to do 22 shows a year and it's all yours, that's a tall order.

Why do you think "Seinfeld" has stood the test of time and remains so popular in syndication today?

I'm enormously flattered and gratified that it is. It overwhelms me. I'll give the same answer that Jackie Gleason used to say when they asked him about The Honeymooners. Why is it still on? Why are people still watching the show? Because it's funny.

Would you do it again?

Oh, it couldn't be done again. It couldn't be done again. That's like asking Neil Armstrong, can you land on the moon for us one more time? Can you be the first man on the moon for us one more time?

Sony Pictures is releasing "Seinfeld Season 9" as well as a new Seinfeld Complete Season boxed set? How much more can this show be milked?

Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno at the Los Angeles Premiere of Bee Movie.

I'm not milking it. Talk to Sony Pictures distribution. They just keep telling me the market is there. The people want it. Sony has this huge building filled with people working on this. They never call me or ask me anything. They just say, "Here's what we're doing now." And I say, "Okay, go ahead." They do the research. I was finished with the show May 14, 1998. That was the last I had to do with it.

Is there any amount of money that would get you to do a "Seinfeld" reunion show?

That's the great thing about being me. They can't buy me.