Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Actress / Producer

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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

About this interview

In her three-and-a-half-hour interview, Julia Louis-Dreyfus discusses her early work in comedy as a member of the Second City Improv group in Chicago and explains how the experience helped her career. She talks about getting cast as a regular on Saturday Night Live and speaks of working with Larry David. She recounts her role on NBC's Day by Day and working with Gary David Goldberg. She details her role as "Elaine Benes" on Seinfeld, describes working with the cast, and comments on the cultural phenomenon that the show became. She discusses starring in and producing the show Watching Ellie, and guest starring on Arrested Development. Dreyfus then talks about starring in The New Adventures of Old Christine and shares how she felt when the show was canceled. She describes her then-current show Veep, outlining how it was pitched and how working for HBO differs from working for network television. She speaks of researching D.C. politics to develop her character "Selina Meyer," and talks of winning an Emmy for the role. Amy Harrington conducted the interview in two parts on May 16 and June 5, 2013 in Los Angeles, CA.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"Veep was unlike anything I'd ever done before from a creative point of view. The script is never locked, ever. Sometimes you would start shooting and you wouldn't know where the story would end. It is a multi-layered organic [process] that is always moving. It has a grittiness and a rawness that is captured. As an actor, it is just very satisfying to play."

People Talking About ...

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Highlights

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her character "Elaine Benes" on Seinfeld

02:41

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her dancing on Seinfeld and how it came about

01:45

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the Seinfeld finale

02:42

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on reuniting with the entire cast of Seinfeld on Curb Your Enthusiasm

01:20

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on developing her character "Selina Meyer" on Veep; on speaking with actual Vice-Presidents and the research that went into creating the character

05:47

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on advice to aspiring actors

00:35

Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On her childhood and early influences; on wanting to become an actress; on attending Northwestern University and the shows she performed in during college; on joining Second City

On getting cast on Saturday Night Live; on meeting her future husband Brad Hall at Saturday Night Live; on being on live television for the first time; on the legacy of Saturday Night Live

On moving to Los Angeles; on appearing on Family Ties and The Art of Being Nick (a pilot spin-off from Family Ties); on getting cast on the NBC show Day by Day

On being cast on Seinfeld in 1990 as "Elaine Benes"; on the tone of the show and shooting her first four episodes

Chapter 2

On her character "Elaine Benes" on Seinfeld; on coming up with the phrase "Get OUT!"; on her character's strengths and weaknesses; on making Seinfeld's unlikable characters likable

On "Elaine Benes'" sense of style and hairstyle; on how the show dealt with her real-life pregnancy

On finally discovering how popular Seinfeld had become; on the lack of censorship on the show

On "Elaine's" relationships with "Jerry", "George" and "Kramer" on Seinfeld; on being the only woman in the ensemble cast

On her Seinfeld co-stars Patrick Warburton and John O'Hurley; on "Elaine's" dance skills

On winning an Emmy; on the Seinfeld series finale and her favorite moments from the series; on the legacy of Seinfeld

On playing herself on Curb Your Enthusiasm and reuniting with Seinfeld creator Larry David; on reuniting with the entire cast of Seinfeld on Curb Your Enthusiasm

On Watching Ellie - a labor of love show she worked on with her husband Brad Hall; on joining the cast of Arrested Development for several episodes in 2004

Chapter 3

On The New Adventures of Old Christine; on the show's premise

On the character "Christine Campbell" on The New Adventures of Old Christine; on the atmosphere on set and her favorite moments from the show; on The New Adventures of Old Christine being cancelled by CBS

On how she came to guest star on Lisa Kudrow's show Web Therapy as her sister "Shevaun Haig" and working in improv again

On the premiere of Veep in 2012; on the creative freedom she experienced at HBO; on production on the show

On her character "Selina Meyer" and how she researched the Vice Presidency for the role

Chapter 4

On "Selina Meyer's" strengths and weaknesses on Veep; on making the character relatable; on whether her Veep character is "real"

On her castmates on Veep: Anna Chlumsky as "Amy Brookheimer", Tony Hale as "Gary Walsh", Reid Scott as "Dan Egan", Matt Walsh as "Mike McLintock", Timothy Simons as "Jonah Ryan", and Sufe Bradshaw as "Sue Wilson"

On her duties as a producer on Veep; on how headlines play a role in the plot; on "Selina Meyer's" style on Veep

On her favorite improv moments on the show; on winning an Emmy for her role on Veep; on advice to aspiring actors

Shows

Arrested Development

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on joining the cast of Arrested Development for several episodes in 2004

01:58

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on playing herself on Curb Your Enthusiasm and reuniting with Seinfeld creator Larry David

01:40

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on reuniting with the entire cast of Seinfeld on Curb Your Enthusiasm

01:20

Day by Day

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on getting cast as "Eileen Swift" on NBC's Day by Day in 1988

02:08

Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on winning an Emmy for her Seinfeld character "Elaine Benes"

01:08

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on winning an Emmy for her role as "Selina Meyer" on Veep

00:48

Family Ties

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on meeting Gary David Goldberg and guest-starring on Family Ties

00:54

New Adventures of Old Christine, The

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the creation and premise of The New Adventures of Old Christine

01:49

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her castmates on The New Adventures of Old Christine; on bringing in comedian Wanda Sykes to play her best friend

00:40

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her character "Christine Campbell" on The New Adventures of Old Christine; on the character's personality traits, strengths and weaknesses, and how she "devolved"

02:27

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on "Christine Campbell's" relationship with her brother on The New Adventures of Old Christine

00:55

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the atmosphere on the set of The New Adventures of Old Christine

02:00

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her favorite moments and episodes of The New Adventures of Old Christine

01:17

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on The New Adventures of Old Christine being cancelled by CBS

00:38

Saturday Night Live

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on getting cast on Saturday Night Live after a play performance

01:35

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the state of Saturday Night Live when she joined the cast and what she learned from the show

03:11

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on not quite finding her groove on Saturday Night Live

00:46

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her first time doing live television on Saturday Night Live

01:58

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her favorite memories from Saturday Night Live - meeting guest hosts

03:05

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on why she left Saturday Night Live

00:48

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on hosting Saturday Night Live in 2006 and 2007

03:37

Seinfeld

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on being cast on Seinfeld as "Elaine Benes"; on almost not being able to get out of her contract with Warner Bros. for the part

04:45

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on shooting her first four episodes of Seinfeld; on the tone of the show

01:10

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the tone of Seinfeld and clicking with the cast

01:39

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her character "Elaine Benes" on Seinfeld

02:41

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her character "Elaine Benes'" phrase "GET OUT!" on Seinfeld

00:38

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her Seinfeld character "Elaine Benes'" strengths and weaknesses; on making Seinfeld's unlikable characters likable

01:49

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on "Elaine Benes'" sense of style on Seinfeld; on hiding her real-life pregnancy on the show

03:47

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on how iconic Seinfeld became and when she first realized how big an audience the show had amassed

03:51

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on there not being censorship issues in "The Contest" episode of Seinfeld

00:35

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on why Larry David was a great showrunner on Seinfeld; on his dedication to the show

00:32

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on "Elaine" and "Jerry's" relationship on Seinfeld and the Seinfeld episode "The Deal" when "Elaine" and "Jerry" sleep together again; on how Larry David helped craft the episode

02:21

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on "Elaine" and "George's" relationship on Seinfeld

01:34

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on "Elaine" and "Kramer's" relationship on Seinfeld

00:35

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on being the only woman on the set of Seinfeld

00:42

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on "David Puddy," one of "Elaine's" boyfriends on Seinfeld

00:56

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her Seinfeld co-star John O'Hurley who played her boss "J. Peterman" and who went on to buy the J. Peterman Company in real life

01:18

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her dancing on Seinfeld and how it came about

01:45

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on winning an Emmy for her Seinfeld character "Elaine Benes"

01:08

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Seinfeld coming to an end

00:45

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the Seinfeld finale

02:42

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her favorite moments from Seinfeld

01:32

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on where her Seinfeld character "Elaine Benes" would be today

00:10

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Seinfeld's legacy

00:50

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the secrecy around shooting the finale of Seinfeld

00:52

Seinfeld: "The Contest"

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on there not being censorship issues in "The Contest" episode of Seinfeld

00:35

Seinfeld: "The Finale"

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the Seinfeld finale

02:42

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the secrecy around shooting the finale of Seinfeld

00:52

Veep

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the premiere of Veep in 2012; on how the subject matter was a "goldmine for comedy"

01:38

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Veep's creator Armando Iannucci and the creative freedom she found working at HBO on Veep

05:59

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Veep's rehearsal process and production

01:59

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the Veep plotline about her character's pregnancy and how director Chris Morris creatively dealt with it

01:47

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on developing her character "Selina Meyer" on Veep; on speaking with actual Vice-Presidents and the research that went into creating the character

05:47

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on how she developed certain gestures for her role as "Selina Meyer" on Veep

01:42

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on not modeling "Selina Meyer" on Veep after a real person

01:26

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her castmates on Veep: Anna Chlumsky as "Amy Brookheimer", Tony Hale as "Gary Walsh", Reid Scott as "Dan Egan", Matt Walsh as "Mike McLintock", Timothy Simons as "Jonah Ryan", and Sufe Bradshaw as "Sue Wilson"

08:22

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her role as a Producer on Veep

00:53

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on "Selina Meyer's" strengths and weaknesses on Veep; on making the character relatable

06:25

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on how headline news plays a role in the Veep storylines

02:20

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on "Selina Meyer's" style on Veep

01:25

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on one of her favorite improv moments on Veep from Season 2 Episode 9; on the chair swivel

04:27

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on winning an Emmy for her role as "Selina Meyer" on Veep

00:48

Watching Ellie

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Watching Ellie - a labor of love show she worked on with her husband Brad Hall

03:52

Web Therapy

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on appearing on Web Therapy as Lisa Kudrow's sister; on working in improv again

01:39

Topics

Advice

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on advice to aspiring actors

00:35

Censorship / Standards & Practices

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on there not being censorship issues in "The Contest" episode of Seinfeld

00:35

Characters & Catchphrases

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her character "Elaine Benes'" phrase "GET OUT!" on Seinfeld

00:38

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her character "Elaine Benes" on Seinfeld

05:08

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on developing her character "Selina Meyer" on Veep

02:19

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on "Selina Meyer's" strengths and weaknesses on Veep; on making the character relatable

06:25

Emmy Awards

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on winning an Emmy for her Seinfeld character "Elaine Benes"

01:08

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on winning an Emmy for her role as "Selina Meyer" on Veep

Fame and Celebrity

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on how iconic Seinfeld became and when she first realized how big an audience the show had amassed

03:51

Historic Events and Social Change

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on being the only woman on the set of Seinfeld

00:42

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the atmosphere on the largely female set of The New Adventures of Old Christine

02:00

Overcoming Adversity

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Gary David Goldberg helping her with a contract dispute with Warner Bros. and the valuable lesson she learned from him

02:09

Pivotal Career Moments

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Gary David Goldberg helping her with a contract dispute with Warner Bros. and the valuable lesson she learned from him

02:09

Pop Culture

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on how iconic Seinfeld became and when she first realized how big an audience the show had amassed

03:51

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her character "Elaine Benes'" phrase "GET OUT!" on Seinfeld

00:38

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her character "Elaine Benes" on Seinfeld

05:08

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on developing her character "Selina Meyer" on Veep

02:19

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on "Selina Meyer's" strengths and weaknesses on Veep; on making the character relatable

06:25

Representation on Television

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on being the only woman on the set of Seinfeld

00:42

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the atmosphere on the largely female set of The New Adventures of Old Christine

02:00

Television Industry

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on there not being censorship issues in "The Contest" episode of Seinfeld

00:35

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on advice to aspiring actors

00:35

Television and the Presidency

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on what she learned about the Vice-Presidency through her work on Veep; on how her view of politics has changed

04:21

Women

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on being the only woman on the set of Seinfeld

00:42

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the atmosphere on the largely female set of The New Adventures of Old Christine

02:00

Professions

Actress

View Profession

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her early interest in acting

02:39

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the challenge of portraying a version of herself on Curb Your Enthusiasm

01:40

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on developing her character "Selina Meyer" on Veep; on speaking with actual Vice-Presidents and the research that went into creating the character

05:47

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on developing her character "Selina Meyer" on Veep; on speaking with actual Vice-Presidents and the research that went into creating the character

05:47

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on one of her favorite improv moments on Veep

04:27

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on advice to aspiring actors

00:35

Performers

View Profession

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her early interest in acting

02:39

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the challenge of portraying a version of herself on Curb Your Enthusiasm

01:40

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on one of her favorite improv moments on Veep

04:27

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on advice to aspiring actors

00:35

Producers

View Profession

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her role as a Producer on Veep

00:53

Genres

Comedy Series

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on being cast on Seinfeld as "Elaine Benes"; on almost not being able to get out of her contract with Warner Bros. for the part

04:45

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on shooting her first four episodes of Seinfeld; on the tone of the show and clicking with the cast

02:51

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Seinfeld

33:11

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on playing "Selina Meyer" on Veep

20:19

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on starring in The New Adventures of Old Christine

09:46

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on playing "Selina Meyer" on Veep

24:40

People

Anna Chlumsky

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her castmates on Veep - on actress Anna Chlumsky as "Amy Brookheimer"

01:31

Armando Iannucci

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Veep's creator Armando Iannucci and how much she enjoys Veep

05:14

Brad Hall

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Watching Ellie - a labor of love show she worked on with her husband Brad Hall

03:52

Dan Bucatinksy

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus on appearing on Web Therapy as Lisa Kudrow's sister

00:25

Drew Barrymore

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Drew Barrymore guest-hosting on Saturday Night Live

00:50

Gary David Goldberg

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus on meeting Gary David Goldberg, guest-starring on Family Ties, and getting hired on Day by Day

00:54

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Gary David Goldberg helping her with a contract dispute with Warner Bros. and the valuable lesson she learned from him

02:09

Jason Alexander

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Jason Alexander's character "George Costanza" on Seinfeld

00:56

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on "Elaine" and "George's" relationship on Seinfeld

01:34

Jerry Seinfeld

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus on being approached by Larry David to star in Seinfeld as "Elaine Benes" and meeting Jerry Seinfeld

01:05

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the tone of Seinfeld and clicking with the cast

01:39

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on "Elaine" and "Jerry's" relationship on Seinfeld and the Seinfeld episode "The Deal" when "Elaine" and "Jerry" sleep together again; on how Larry David helped craft the episode

02:21

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the last group hug before shooting the Seinfeld finale

01:07

John O'Hurley

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her Seinfeld co-star John O'Hurley who played her boss "J. Peterman" and who went on to buy the J. Peterman Company in real life

01:18

Kari Lizer

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the atmosphere on the largely female set of The New Adventures of Old Christine

02:00

Larry David

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus on meeting Larry David when she was a cast member on Saturday Night Live

00:05

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on being approached by Larry David to star in Seinfeld as "Elaine Benes"

01:43

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on why Larry David was a great showrunner on Seinfeld; on his dedication to the show

00:32

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on "Elaine" and "Jerry's" relationship on Seinfeld and the Seinfeld episode "The Deal" when "Elaine" and "Jerry" sleep together again; on how Larry David helped craft the episode

02:21

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on playing herself on Curb Your Enthusiasm and reuniting with Seinfeld creator Larry David

01:40

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on reuniting with the entire cast of Seinfeld on Curb Your Enthusiasm

01:20

Lisa Kudrow

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus on appearing on Web Therapy as Lisa Kudrow's sister; on working in improv again

01:39

Michael Richards

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus on "Elaine" and "Kramer's" relationship on Seinfeld

00:35

Mitchell Hurwitz

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus on joining the cast of Arrested Development for several episodes in 2004

01:58

Reid Scott

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Reid Scott as "Dan Egan" on Veep

01:17

Stevie Wonder

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her favorite memories from Saturday Night Live - meeting Stevie Wonder

01:12

Tony Hale

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus on joining the cast of Arrested Development for several episodes in 2004

00:26

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her castmates on Veep - Tony Hale as "Gary Walsh" (the Vice President's bag-man)

02:12

Wanda Sykes

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus on bringing in comedian Wanda Sykes to play her best friend The New Adventures of Old Christine

00:16