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When Seinfeld actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2017, she said that it was her close family and friends who helped her get through the tough time.
“You hear it all the time, but the people that I relied on the most, besides the very capable doctors and nurses who took care of me, were my family and my close friends,” the Veep actress told People in April 2020, about an 18-months after announcing that she was cancer-free.
Looking back on that period of her life, the Downhill star revealed that the experience created an even tighter family bond. “I think whenever a family goes through a crisis and comes out the other end, you’re bound to have an intimacy that, perhaps, wasn’t quite there like it was before,” she said. “I mean, we were very close before, but I know how precious life is.”
“I got diagnosed with cancer, and I powered through it, and I came out the other side,” shares Louis-Dreyfus. “I’m grateful for all of it.”
On their 35th anniversary in June 2022, the actress posted a photo of her and Hall on their wedding day. “Even though we’re surrounded by a lot of bad news, I’m celebrating some good news today,” she captioned the photo. “Been tied to this superb guy for 35 years!”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ 35-Year Marriage With Brad Hall
Julia Louis-Dreyfus married fellow actor Brad Hall in June 1987. The couple first met while attending Northwestern University when Louis-Dreyfus auditioned for Hall’s theater production in the early 1980s. The couple share two sons Henry, 30, and Charlie, 26.
“There were a couple of moments, some of which I will not share,” the actress said of meeting her future husband. “But I would say that I knew almost immediately. It’s really the truth.”
Since they wed, the acting couple has collaborated on a range of projects, including Saturday Night Live, NBC comedy Watching Ellie and a 2012 short film titled Picture Paris.
“He always appreciates the hard work but sometimes he’ll say… we are honest with one another so that if he doesn’t think it quite works or something, he’ll tell me why. And I’ll do the same with his work,” Louis-Dreyfus said on a recent episode of Live With Kelly and Mark.
Which Cancer Was Julia Louis-Dreyfus Diagnosed With?
The day after her Emmy win, Julia Louis-Dreyfus was diagnosed with breast cancer. Julia Louis-Dreyfus admitted to David Letterman that her first reaction after hearing the news, which was just 10 hours after her historic win was to laugh.
“Not that it’s funny, but it is funny juxtaposition-wise. It’s kind of unbelievable,” she clarified. “And I did start sort of laughing hysterically like a crazy person, and then it morphed into something else of course.”
She announced the news on Twitter later that month with a powerful statement about healthcare. “1 in 8 women get breast cancer. Today, I’m the one,” the actress wrote.
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“The good news is that I have the most glorious group of supportive and caring friends, and fantastic insurance through my union. The bad news is that not all women are so lucky, so let’s fight all cancers and make universal health care a reality.”
Just over a year later, after undergoing a double mastectomy and six rounds of chemotherapy, she announced that she was cancer-free. She praised her loved ones on getting her through the grueling treatments. “I was surrounded by people who were supporting me,” she explained. “That was hugely meaningful, and I needed it. It helped me to believe I was going to get through.”
She described her husband and two children as “It was like they had their hands underneath me holding me up.”
What Helped Julia Louis-Dreyfus Get Through Her Cancer Diagnosis?
While speaking with The New Yorker in 2018, Julia Louis-Dreyfus explained that alongside the support she received from her family and close friends, it was her ability to laugh that got her through those dark days.
“The old cliché about laughter being the best medicine turns out to be true: when I was getting my hideous chemotherapy, I’d cram a bunch of friends and family into the tiny treatment room with me… We really did have some great laughs.”
“Of course, I was heavily medicated and slipping in and out of consciousness, so I was a pretty easy audience,” she said, wiping away tears. “My point is that laughter is a basic human need along with… love, and an HBO subscription,” she added, choked up. “That would have worked better if I weren’t weeping.”
The Emmy winner also explained that the hope of returning to HBO comedy Veep also kept her motivated throughout the treatment. “I was thinking about it all the time—I couldn’t wait to get back to this normalcy,” Louis-Dreyfus told David Letterman. “This pursuit of making something good as a group is just the most elevated of experiences.”
Who Are Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Famous Sons?
Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ son Charlie has followed in his famous parent’s footsteps by becoming an actor. 26-year-old Hall played basketball at Northwestern University, where his parents met.
Charlie is an exciting up-and-coming actor. His first role was in Veep alongside his mother, but he has gone on to have recurring roles in Single Drunk Female, Bel-Air, and Love, Victor. He made his film debut in Amy Poehler‘s Netflix movie Moxie.
More recently, he played Nick on the second season of the Disney+ series Big Shot and as Andrew in Mindy Kaling‘s HBO Max series The Sex Lives of College Girls.
Julia and Brad’s eldest son has a passion for music, releasing his debut solo album in 2020. In a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone, Henry talked about his mother’s support for his career. “My mom was very supportive of my music and still is and comes to all the shows. It’s great to have creative people in the family and bounce things off of. I really respect her opinion on all things creative.”
