Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars interview he was 'most nervous' for - USA TODAY

Jerry Seinfeld sips from 1 of Starbucks’ recognizable vacation cups astatine the commencement of an interrogation astir his caller book “The Comedians successful Cars Getting Coffee Book” (Simon & Schuster, 352 pp., retired now) commemorating the decade since his bid archetypal percolated connected Crackle.

"Good java is my drink, but I volition portion immoderate coffee," Seinfeld, 68, says. 

His beverage is an interesting choice considering the standup personally pitched "Comedians successful Cars" backmost erstwhile it was a legume of an idea to Howard Schultz, then-CEO of Starbucks and got denied.

"He said, ‘I don't spot however this is close for us,’" remembers Seinfeld. "And I said, ‘Well, possibly different large comedian volition person a amusement with the connection java successful the rubric precise soon that you volition like.’” 

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The bid ended up debuting successful 2012 connected Crackle, but aft 9 seasons recovered a caller location connected Netflix. The show's 11th and latest season premiered successful 2019. At this time, determination are nary plans for further installments. 

The Starbucks communicative is 1 noted successful an oral past featured successful the book, which besides includes an instauration from Seinfeld and transcribed snippets of episodes divided into sections astir getting started successful comedy, relationships, the creation of drama and “Seinfeld” the series.

Over 84 episodes, Seinfeld has interviewed comedic legends like Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin. The "Comedians successful Cars" host was “most nervous” for his chat with then-sitting President Barack Obama for Season 7.

"I didn't privation to discarded his time, for evident reasons," says Seinfeld. "I was precise appreciative that they were adjacent letting maine bash that, that helium was consenting to bash that. That's not similar sitting with Jamie Foxx. It's a precise antithetic energy." 

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Seinfeld says Obama amazed him successful each way: “That helium wanted to bash it, that helium was comfy doing it, that helium enjoyed doing it. There's not excessively galore chill presidents… I don't deliberation I could person a speech with astir presidents oregon would adjacent privation to.” 

Getting each the mode to the White House is an awesome feat for a amusement Seinfeld wasn’t definite would putter along. He had doubts helium didn't acquisition astatine the commencement of his eponymously named sitcom famously billed arsenic being "about nothing."

"I knew that 'Seinfeld' was going to beryllium a hit," the prima and co-creator says. "I didn't cognize how, successful what way, but I knew radical were acceptable for a amusement wherever radical talked differently." 

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But with “Comedians successful Cars,” Seinfeld says the task was truthful personal, helium wasn't definite however it would beryllium received. "There's this different broadside of my beingness that was astir conscionable hanging retired with these brainsick radical and was conscionable arsenic large for maine arsenic the vocation part.” 

On-camera hangouts with his chap comics are “less dirty” than off, Seinfeld says. But helium wanted the amusement to beryllium household friendly. “Comedians are very, precise vile successful our discourse," helium says. "Very immoderate the other of politically close is, that's however comedians talk. It's vile. It's vicious, and it's unsympathetic to anyone successful each situation.

"Steve Harvey had a large enactment successful his occurrence astir whenever there's immoderate tragedy, comedians person to fig retired however long till we tin speech astir it," Seinfeld continues. "But we person the jokes already. The jokes are acceptable immediately, that second." 

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There’s thing excessively ineffable to marque amusive of, Seinfeld says. Nothing is off-limits.

"It's not the thing, it's the joke," helium explains. "How bully is the joke? Obviously, the worse the thing, the amended the gag has to beryllium to warrant doing it." 

It’s a speech with Don Rickles, a impermanent from Season 2 who died astatine property 90 successful 2017, who Seinfeld says influences his vocation today. Outside of Rickles' condo, "his limb was bothering him and helium was trying to shingle the limb out, and helium conscionable looked astatine maine and helium says, 'I gotta support working,'" Seinfeld recalls. "I don't cognize why, but I deliberation astir that a lot. I deliberation astir this happening of conscionable moving till death. Is that the close oregon the incorrect happening to do? Is that a bully light to travel successful beingness conscionable enactment till you're dead? I've decided it is” 

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