You almost definitely know her as Elaine Benes on “Seinfeld,” but if the hit sitcom is a bit before your time or wasn’t your cup of tea, then you probably recognize Julia Louis-Dreyfus from “Veep.”
She’s been delighting audiences with her impeccable comedic timing and assertive delivery for four decades since she was cast on “Saturday Night Live” in 1982.
Louis-Dreyfus has been recognized for her contributions to comedy countless times, and she currently holds the record for most Emmy awards won by any actor with 11 wins, so needless to say, she’s a total television icon.
Although Louis-Dreyfus has built a successful career in comedy, and her role in the monumental success that was “Seinfeld” set her up for life, she hasn’t always had it easy.
From familial tragedies and personal health crises to having to fight for a spot in such a male-dominated field, it could be argued that Louis-Dreyfus has had to overcome more than her fair share of obstacles throughout her life.
Everybody knows Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the quick-witted comedian with a big, toothy grin. But she showed a more vulnerable side to herself when she opened the April 25, 2023 episode of her podcast “Wiser Than Me” with a touching story about a miscarriage she experienced in the late ’80s.
She said, “When I was about 28, I got pregnant for the first time and I was crazy happy. I got pregnant easily. I felt very fertile, very womanly. And then, quite late in the pregnancy, my husband Brad and I discovered that this little fetus was not going to live.”
“So that was emotionally devastating, as you can imagine, but it got worse because I developed an infection that landed me in the hospital.”
Louis-Dreyfus detailed that her mother flew out to be with her while she recuperated. Although the actress was allowed to leave the hospital, she was “bedridden” and couldn’t eat solid foods yet. Still, with food being so paramount in her family’s traditions, Louis-Dreyfus’ mother made chili with cornbread baked on top.
This was exactly what the actress needed, as Louis-Dreyfus remarked, “It was the best meal ever. And I didn’t even eat it. The making of it was so comforting. It was so embracing.” It was understandably a tragic event, but at the very least, she had her husband and mother to look after her, and the “wonderful” smell of her mother’s cooking to comfort her.
Gérard (William) Louis-Dreyfus was born in 1932 and was raised in Paris, France. His father worked for the Louis Dreyfus Group, a merchant firm and processor handling agriculture, among other industries. Louis-Dreyfus began his career in law and soon moved over to the family company as chairman.
He accumulated a multi-billion dollar fortune in the course of his life, and he was extremely charitable when it came to the arts, having opened a gallery with the purpose of supporting important causes and sharing art with the world. Louis-Dreyfus was a father to three daughters, including Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and had divorced the actress’ mother when she was a baby.
When he sadly died in September 2016 at the age of 84 from complications around his congestive heart failure, she made sure to honor him in her Emmy acceptance speech.
Today, she owns any room she walks into, but back in the day, she had to fight hard to be taken seriously as a woman in the world of comedy.
During her time on “Saturday Night Live” when she was only 21, Louis-Dreyfus realized the force she was up against. In an interview with Vanity Fair, she said, “I had no idea about this business of show. It was a very male-dominated, male-centric environment there, in addition to the fact that everybody was completely high on any drug that they could get their hands on, and I had no idea. I learned quick.”
When she eventually moved on to “Seinfeld,” Louis-Dreyfus battled writers to build her character more. In an extra scene in a 2006 documentary about the show, she said, “I didn’t think I was getting enough really meaty comedy stuff. I had stuff, but it wasn’t, like, the really funny stuff.”
Having pushed boundaries so early on, Louis-Dreyfus is now seen as a trailblazer and comedic icon today. As she told Time, “I can honestly say that I have a s*** ton of experience when it comes to making entertainment. So I think I have … I don’t think. I have a lot to add.”
