| Julia Louis-Dreyfus | |
|---|---|
Julia Louis-Dreyfus in May 2010 |
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| Birth name | Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus |
| Born | January 13, 1961 Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Medium | Film, television |
| Nationality | American |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Spouse | Brad Hall (1987–present; 2 children) |
| Notable works and roles | Elaine Benes on Seinfeld Christine Campbell on The New Adventures of Old Christine |
| Emmy Awards | |
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series 2006 The New Adventures of Old Christine Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series 1996 Seinfeld |
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| Golden Globe Awards | |
| Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series, Mini Series or TV Movie 1994 Seinfeld |
|
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | |
| Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series 1997 Seinfeld 1998 Seinfeld Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series 1995 Seinfeld 1997 Seinfeld 1998 Seinfeld |
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Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus[1] (pronounced /ˈluːiː ˈdraɪfəs/; born January 13, 1961) is an American actress and comedienne, widely known for her sitcom roles in Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine.
She rose to prominence as one of the regular cast members of Saturday Night Live in the early 1980s. She was later cast in the role of Elaine Benes on the NBC sitcom Seinfeld for which she achieved much critical and commercial success. In 2002, she and her husband developed the series Watching Ellie, which lasted two seasons. In 2006, she was cast as Christine Campbell in the sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine, which lasted for five seasons on CBS.
Throughout her career she has received two Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award and five Screen Actors Guild Awards. She has a total of twelve Emmy Award nominations — seven for supporting actress in a comedy series for Seinfeld, and five for lead actress in a comedy series for The New Adventures of Old Christine. In May 2010, Louis-Dreyfus received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to the broadcast television industry.
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Louis-Dreyfus was born January 13, 1961 in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Her mother, Judith was a writer and special needs tutor, and her father, Gérard Louis-Dreyfus (also known as William Louis-Dreyfus), was a French attorney and business executive.[1][2] Her paternal grandfather was Pierre Louis-Dreyfus (1908-2011),[3] a French Jew who fought in the French Resistance during World War II.[4] Both her paternal grandmother and mother were American. Only a year after her birth, her parents divorced in 1962. After relocating to Washington, D.C., when Julia was eight,[5] her mother married L. Thompson Bowles, Dean of the George Washington University Medical School.[1][6]
Louis-Dreyfus has two half-sisters on her father's side, Emma and Phoebe.[7] Through her father, a billionaire heir to the Louis Dreyfus Group,[2] she had a cousin, Robert Louis-Dreyfus (1946–2009), former CEO of Adidas and owner of the Olympique de Marseille soccer team.[8] Louis-Dreyfus' maternal half-sister, Lauren Bowles, is also an actress, appearing with her on Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine, as well as on Veronica Mars and in the film Ghost World.
Louis-Dreyfus spent her childhood in several states and countries in connection with her stepfather's work with Project HOPE, including Sri Lanka, Colombia and Tunisia.[9] She graduated from the Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, MD in 1979, and attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where she studied theatre for approximately three years. In 2007 she was invited back to Northwestern to receive a honorary Doctor of Arts degree.[10]
While at Northwestern, Louis-Dreyfus met future husband and Saturday Night Live comedian Brad Hall.[1] She and Hall married in 1987. They have two children together, Henry born in 1992 and Charles born in 1997.
Louis-Dreyfus has dabbled in politics throughout her life, particularly known for her support of Al Gore's 2000 US presidential bid, and also endorsed Barack Obama's bid for the presidency in 2008.[11] She appeared in a video which urged President Obama to reject the proposal of a Keystone XL pipeline, arguing that if the pipeline was to ever leak it would cause mass pollution across America.[12] Additionally, she has voiced her concern for several environmental issues, and has raised millions for Heal the Bay, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Trust for Public Land. She also worked for successful passage of Proposition O, which allocated $500 million for cleaning up the Los Angeles water supply.[13]
As part of her comedic training, Louis-Dreyfus appeared in two of Chicago's best-known improvisational theater groups — the Practical Theater Group, and the renowned Second City. It was one of her performances at the former's "Golden 50th Anniversary Jubilee" that led to her being asked to join the cast of "Saturday Night Live" at the age of just 21.
Louis-Dreyfus subsequently became one of the cast members on NBC's Saturday Night Live from 1982 to 1985, tying with current cast member Abby Elliot as the youngest female cast member in the history of the program.[1] During her time on SNL she appeared alongside several actors who would later rise to prominence, such as Eddie Murphy, Jim Belushi, Billy Crystal and Martin Short. It was during her tenure on SNL, she met writer Larry David, who would later co-create Seinfeld.[1] More recently Louis-Dreyfus has commented that her casting on SNL was a "Cinderella-getting-to-go-to-the-ball kind of experience",[14] however, she has also admitted that at times it was often quite tense, stating that she "didn't know how to navigate the waters of show business in general and specifically doing a live sketch-comedy show."[15]
Following her 1985 departure from SNL, Louis-Dreyfus appeared in several films, including Hannah and Her Sisters which was directed by Woody Allen, and the cult classic National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation in which she starred alongside Chevy Chase. In 1988 she was cast in an NBC sitcom entitled Day by Day, but the series was cancelled after two seasons.[16]
In the early-1990s Louis-Dreyfus catapulted to stardom in the role of "Elaine Benes" on NBC's Seinfeld. She played the role for nine seasons, appearing in all but three episodes.[1] One of the episodes that she did not appear in was the inaugural pilot episode, due to the fact that her character was not initially intended to be a part of the series. It was only after the first episode that NBC executives felt the show was too male-centric, and demanded that creators Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David add a woman to the cast. It was revealed in the commentary on the DVD package that the addition of a female character was the condition of commissioning the show. Louis-Dreyfus won the role over several other actresses who would also eventually enjoy their own TV success, including Patricia Heaton, Rosie O'Donnell and Megan Mullally.[17]
On the "Notes About Nothing" featurette on the DVD package, the series creator and star Jerry Seinfeld says that Louis-Dreyfus' ability to eat a peanut M&M without breaking the peanut aptly describes the actress: "She cracks you up without breaking your nuts."
Her performance on the series was met with critical acclaim, and she was a regular winner and nominee at television award shows throughout the 1990s. Her performance earned her a Golden Globe Award, five Screen Actors Guild Awards and five American Comedy Awards. In 1996 she received the prestigious Primetime Emmy Award[18] for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, an award she was nominated for on seven occasions.[19] After receiving the award, Louis-Dreyfus claimed the win was a "shocker", and that after being in both positions, it was "much better to win than to lose."[20]
It was in 1998 that creator and star Jerry Seinfeld decided to end the series after nine seasons. The series finale aired on May 14 and was one of the most watched TV events, with over 76 million people tuning in.[21]
Following a voice role in the hugely successful Disney Pixar's A Bug's Life, Louis-Dreyfus lent her voice as Snake's girlfriend Gloria on an episodes of The Simpsons. In 2001 she made several special guest appearances on Seinfeld co-creator Larry David's show Curb Your Enthusiasm, playing herself fictionally trying to break the "curse" by planning to star in a show in which she would play an actress affected by a Seinfeld-like curse.
After several years away from a regular TV gig, Louis-Dreyfus began a new sitcom, Watching Ellie which premiered on NBC in February 2002. The series was created by husband Brad Hall, and co-starred Steve Carrell. The show debuted strongly with over 16 million viewers tuning in for the series premiere, yet it was eventually cancelled after two seasons.[22]
From 2004 to 2005 she had a recurring guest role as the deceitful prosecutor and love interest of Michael Bluth on Arrested Development.
In 2005, it was announced that Louis-Dreyfus had been cast in the title role of a new CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine.[23] The series and its concept was created by writer and producer of Will & Grace, Kari Lizer. The series told the story of Christine Campbell, a single mother who manages to maintain a fantastic relationship with her ex-husband, while running a women's gym. The series debuted on CBS in March 2006 to an audience of 15 million and was initially a ratings winner for the network.[24] Louis-Dreyfus also received considerable critical acclaim for her performance on the show, earning the 2006 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for the first season. Referring to the curse, she stated in her acceptance speech, "I'm not somebody who really believes in curses, but curse this, baby!"[1] Throughout the course of the series she received five Emmy Award nominations, two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations and a nomination for a Golden Globe Award. In 2007 she also received two nominations for a People’s Choice Award due to her return to popularity, thanks to the success of Old Christine.[25]
In May 2006 Louis-Dreyfus hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live, becoming the first former female cast member to return to the show in the hosting role.[26] In the episode, she appeared with former Seinfeld mates Jason Alexander and Jerry Seinfeld in her opening monologue, parodying the so-called "Seinfeld Curse".[27] After a successful reception from her 2006 episode, Louis-Dreyfus returned to the SNL hosting gig on March 17, 2007 becoming the first female cast member to host more than once.
In 2007 Louis-Dreyfus reprised her role as Gloria on The Simpsons, which she had first originated in a 2001 episode. She appeared on the series once more in 2008 for yet another episode.
In the fall of 2009, she appeared with rest of the cast of Seinfeld in four episodes of the seventh season of Larry David's sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm. The reunion shows received much media attention, and the episode received strong ratings for the HBO series.[28]
Louis-Dreyfus received the 2,407th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 4, 2010 for her remarkable contribution to the broadcast television industry as both an actress and a comedian. Originally, the star was set with Louis-Dreyfus' name spelled incorrectly. It was missing both the 'o' and also the hyphen in her last name,[29] Julia Luis Dreyfus.[30] The star was corrected and the misspelled portion was removed and presented to the actress.[29]
Old Christine was cancelled by CBS in May 2010 after five seasons. [31] After its cancellation from CBS, there was discussions with ABC for the show to be revived on their network, yet these plans never came to fruition.[32]
In the spring of 2010, Louis-Dreyfus guest starred several times in the third season of the web series Web Therapy, starring Lisa Kudrow. Louis-Dreyfus played the sister of a self-involved therapist who gives her therapy online, and her performance earned her strong reviews. In fall 2010, Louis-Dreyfus made a guest appearance on the live episode of the Emmy Award winning comedy 30 Rock. She played Tina Fey’s role of Liz Lemon in the cutaway shots. Dreyfus was among several Saturday Night Live alumni appearing in the episode, including Rachel Dratch, Bill Hader, Tracy Morgan, Alec Baldwin, and Tina Fey herself. Louis-Dreyfus also starred in a "Women of SNL" special November 1, 2010, on NBC.
Most recently, Louis-Dreyfus played U.S. Vice President Selina Meyers in a HBO satirical comedy pilot entitled Veep, written by Academy Award nominated screenwriter Armando Iannucci. In April 2011, it was confirmed that HBO had picked up Veep as a series. The series will co-star Anna Chlumsky and Tony Hale. It begins filming fall 2011 and is projected to premiere on HBO in 2012.[33] Following HBO's announcement Louis-Dreyfus was quoted as saying that "although everyone says it's a comedy, I don't think there is anything funny at all about me being a heartbeat away from the presidency."[34] The series will begin airing on HBO in April 2012. [35]
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Troll | Jeanette Cooper |
| Hannah and Her Sisters | Mary | |
| Soul Man | Lisa Stimson | |
| 1989 | National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation | Margo Chester |
| 1993 | Jack the Bear | Peggy Etinger |
| 1994 | North | North's mom |
| 1997 | Father's Day | Carrie Lawrence |
| Deconstructing Harry | Leslie | |
| 1998 | A Bug's Life | Atta |
| 1999 | Animal Farm | Mollie |
| Year | Series | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982–1985, 2006, 2007 | Saturday Night Live | Various characters | 59 episodes |
| 1986 | The Art of Being Nick | Rachel | 1 episode |
| 1988 | Family Ties | Susan White | 1 episode |
| 1988–1989 | Day by Day | Eileen Swift | 33 episodes |
| 1989–1998 | Seinfeld | Elaine Benes | 175 episodes |
| 1992 | Dinosaurs | Heather Worthington | 1 episode |
| 1994 | All Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Streets Forever! | Kathy Lee Kathy | TV special |
| 1995 | The Single Guy | Tina | 1 episode |
| 1996 | London Suite | Debra Dolby | TV movie |
| 1997 | Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist | Julia | 1 episode |
| Hey Arnold! | Miss Felter | 1 episode | |
| 1999 | Blue's Clues | Julia | 1 episode |
| 2000 | Geppetto | Blue Fairy | TV movie |
| 2000, 2001, 2009 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Herself | 8 episodes |
| 2001, 2007, 2008 | The Simpsons | Gloria | 3 episodes |
| 2002-2003 | Watching Ellie | Ellie Riggs | 17 episodes |
| 2004, 2005 | Arrested Development | Maggie Lizer | 4 episodes |
| 2006–2010 | The New Adventures of Old Christine | Christine Campbell | 88 episodes |
| 2010 | 30 Rock | Liz Lemon | 1 episode |
| Saturday Night Live: Women of SNL | Various characters | TV special | |
| TBA | Veep | Selina Meyer | TBA |
| Year | Series | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Web Therapy | Shevaun Haig | 3 episodes |
| Year | Award | Category | Series | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Seinfeld | Nominated |
| Viewers for Quality Television Award | Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Comedy Series | Won | ||
| 1993 | American Comedy Award | Funniest Supporting Female Performer in a TV Series | Won | |
| Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
| Viewers for Quality Television Award | Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Comedy Series | Won | ||
| 1994 | American Comedy Award | Funniest Supporting Female Performer in a TV Series | Won | |
| Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
| Golden Globe Award | Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series or TV Film | Won | ||
| Viewers for Quality Television Award | Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Comedy Series | Won | ||
| 1995 | American Comedy Award | Funniest Supporting Female Performer in a TV Series | Won | |
| Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
| Golden Globe Award | Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series or TV Film | Nominated | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Won | |||
| 1996 | American Comedy Award | Funniest Supporting Female Performer in a TV Series | Nominated | |
| Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Won | ||
| People's Choice Award | Favorite Female TV Performer | Nominated | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |||
| 1997 | American Comedy Award | Funniest Supporting Female Performer in a TV Series | Won | |
| Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series | Won | ||
| Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Won | |||
| 1998 | American Comedy Award | Funniest Supporting Female Performer in a TV Series | Won | |
| Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
| People's Choice Award | Favorite Female TV Performer | Nominated | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series | Won | ||
| Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Won | |||
| 1999 | American Comedy Award | Funniest Supporting Female Performer in a TV Series | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
| 2001 | American Comedy Award | Funniest Female Guest Appearance in a TV Series | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Nominated |
| 2004 | Gold Derby TV Award | Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Arrested Development | Won |
| 2005 | Gold Derby TV Award | Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| 2006 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | The New Adventures of Old Christine | Won |
| Satellite Award | Best Actress in a Series, Comedy or Musical | Nominated | ||
| 2007 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| Gold Derby TV Award | Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
| Golden Globe Award | Best Actress in a TV Series — Musical or Comedy | Nominated | ||
| People's Choice Award | Favorite Female TV Performer | Nominated | ||
| Favorite Funny Female Star | Nominated | |||
| Satellite Award | Best Actress in a Series, Comedy or Musical | Nominated | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
| 2008 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| Gold Derby TV Award | Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
| Satellite Award | Best Actress in a Series, Comedy or Musical | Nominated | ||
| 2009 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| Gold Derby TV Award | Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | ||
| 2010 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated |
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