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Julia Louis-Dreyfus has made a name for herself as a brilliant television actress. Her role as Elaine Benes on Seinfeld made her a household name. She won several awards throughout the 1990s.
The series finale was one of the most-watched television events in history. When the show ended, she didn’t immediately get another hit sitcom.
This would cause the media and public to theorize that there was a “Seinfeld curse” on its actors. According to this theory, the actors from the main cast weren’t able to find success on television in the wake of the show.
However, Louis-Dreyfus would prove that theory wrong with her roles on The New Adventures of Old Christine and Veep. Here’s how she beat the so-called “Seinfeld curse.”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Experience On Seinfeld
Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s famous role as Elaine Benes on Seinfeld almost didn’t happen. Creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld were told that the show was too male-centric.
A condition was then placed in order for the show to be commissioned. The condition being that a woman be added to the main cast. Therefore, the character of Elaine was born. Louis-Dreyfus appeared in all but three episodes of the series, not including the pilot.
When speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Louis-Dreyfus recalled her experience coming up with Elaine’s dance moves on the show.
“I remember getting the script the day before the table read and I thought, ‘Oh, God. Now what am I going to do?’ And I stood in front of the mirror and tried to find really unattractive body movements.”
She then discussed how her family gave her the encouragement she needed.
“As I recall, I came up with two ideas and I remember going to my mom, who was visiting at the time, and my husband and asking, ‘Which one of these looks worse?’ And they voted for the one that ultimately made it into the show.”
Louis-Dreyfus was nominated twice at the Golden Globes for her role on the show, winning once in 1994. She was also nominated nine times at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, winning one in 1995 as well as two in both 1997 and 1998. Louis-Dreyfus was also a frequent nominee at the American Comedy Awards, winning a total of five times for her Seinfeld role.
The New Adventures Of Old Christine Beats The Seinfeld Curse
Following Seinfeld, Louis-Dreyfus returned to television in the series Watching Ellie. The show premiered in February 2002 and aired for two seasons. The first season was filmed in a single-camera format, but the second season was shot like a traditional sitcom with a laugh track. It was canceled in May 2003 due to low ratings.
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It was around this time that the media began speculating there was a “Seinfeld curse.”
The curse claimed that the actors from Seinfeld weren’t able to find success in television outside the show. Louis-Dreyfus called this “a made-up thing by the media.” Seinfeld creator Larry David referred to the theory as being “so annoying.”
She would prove this theory wrong with The New Adventures of Old Christine, which premiered in March 2006. The show was created by Kari Lizer, writer and producer of Will & Grace. The series also starred Wanda Sykes and was very well-received by critics. It was a ratings hit, with the series winning many awards over the years.
Louis-Dreyfus received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2006. During her acceptance speech, Louis-Dreyfus referenced the so-called “Seinfeld curse.”
“I’m not somebody who really believes in curses, but curse this, baby!”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus Continues Her Success On ‘Veep’
In 2011, HBO announced that Louis-Dreyfus would be starring as U.S. Vice President Selina Meyer in a new show called Veep. The show premiered in April 2012 and ran for seven seasons. The final episode aired in May 2019.
The show was another huge success for Louis-Dreyfus, who won six consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series from 2012 to 2017. She also won big at the Emmys for the show, resulting in her becoming the only woman to win an acting award for three separate comedy series.
When she won the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2016, Louis-Dreyfus broke the record held by Mary Tyler Moore and Candice Bergen for the most wins in that category.
The series was a huge success and Louis-Dreyfus was sad to see it go. She discussed the ending of the show’s seventh and final season with Vogue.
“The whole ending of the season has been an emotional rollercoaster. This is a very tight-knit group of people and we’ve been working really hard for eight years, all together, to make this fabulous thing called Veep. It feels right to be saying goodbye to it, but at the same time, it’s kind of gut wrenching.”
Despite the heartbreak of leaving a long-running, successful series, Louis-Dreyfus can be happy that she beat the Seinfeld curse!
