Julia Louis-Dreyfus: ‘I swear all the time now’
Actor Julia Louis-Dreyfus on breaking big with Seinfeld, how her years on Veep changed her everyday vocabulary, her battle with cancer and her passionate feelings about Donald Trump.
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Actor Julia Louis-Dreyfus on breaking big with Seinfeld, how her years on Veep changed her everyday vocabulary, her battle with cancer and her passionate feelings about Donald Trump.
You were 28 when Seinfeld premiered – a later age than a lot of today’s actresses who break big when they’re very young. Were you grateful you had more experience under your belt to handle that level of fame?
The short answer is yes. I think that disappointment and failure can be a gift, and I did have that early in my career. Hollywood is just rife with both. It kind of keeps you honest and if you can recover without shame paralysing you, you can benefit from it.
Before Seinfeld, you starred on the sitcom Day By Day, playing a sarcastic yuppie who looked down on people with children. Was she good training for Elaine Benes?
You know, it really was a gas to play. It was one of the first big professional jobs I got that was satisfying. They wrote well for my character – I’d come in, say a couple of zingers and get out. I learnt a lot doing it.
A profile written about you last year said that you “only take breaks when they’re thrust upon you”. Did you agree with that?
I never thought of my life or my career in those terms, but that is absolutely right. I just sort of keep going and feel pressure to keep going – God knows why, but I do. And at this moment, when we’re all being asked to slow down and stay put, it’s a real challenge... but I’m trying to take advantage of it.
You were diagnosed with stage II breast cancer in 2017, and took a year off for treatment. It’s now in remission. How is your health at present, and can you share any changes you made to your life or routine to minimise the risk of it returning?
My health is good, thank you for asking. In terms of making changes, I already lived a pretty healthy lifestyle prior to being diagnosed. I’m more acutely aware of what I put into my body from a nutritional point of view these days. That’s not to say I don’t make missteps... but I’m living and eating cleaner.
You’ve spoken out on Twitter about the US government’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Having been through cancer, and having had access to proper health care throughout, is it hard to watch what many would say is a lacking response?
Yes. I find the government’s response to this entire pandemic and crisis to be staggeringly incompetent and alarming.
One has to wonder how you think Selina Meyer, who you played to enormous acclaim on the satirical political comedy Veep, would have handled the situation.
Believe it or not, Selina Meyer was a joke of a politician... but I really think she would be a better president under these circumstances than our current so-called president.
Speaking of Selina, she unleashed some extraordinarily foul-mouthed tirades on Veep. Was that language new territory, or were you already a pro at dropping curse words?
Well, I wasn’t prim and proper, but I did not swear up, down and sideways like Selina does. But I must say some of it did rub off on me. I am very quick to swear like it’s just a part of normal language now, which it wasn’t eight or nine years ago, and I blame that entirely on the series. It’s hard to pull back.
In fact, sometimes I’m in a situation where I say, “This f*cking thing did that,” or “Can you believe the c*cks**ker?” and I’m talking to somebody that I don’t know quite well enough to be speaking to that way. Their eyes sort of go wide and then I realise I’ve kind of crossed a line I shouldn’t [laughs loudly].
Was there anything you had to say that made you think twice when you first read it in a script?
No, I don’t think so. There were a couple of things that I’d roll my eyes or wince at, but from a foul language point of view... no, I didn’t ever really have a problem with any of it.
Selina had a pretty epic designer wardrobe of bodycon dresses and chic pantsuits. After the show ended last year, most of it was put up for auction so fans could purchase it online. Did you keep any for yourself?
Oh, I did. I kept a good chunk of it – that is to say, items from specific scenes that were important to me. And in the first episode of every season, I always wore red.
So I believe I have every single one of those dresses from those openings and, of course, a dress from the finale. That wardrobe is important to me.
You won an Emmy for every season of Veep but the last, when you (and the show) lost to Phoebe Waller-Bridge and her series Fleabag. Have you watched it?
I have. In fact, I saw the stage version first. Then I watched it on television – both seasons. So it was hyper-interesting to see it as a one-woman show then turned into this breathtaking piece of entertainment. I thought it was fantastic; I love it.
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In your new film Onward you voice a busy working mum raising two boys, which mirrors your own life [with sons Henry, 27, and Charlie, 22]. It’s an animated film, but did you draw on your own experience?
Oh, 100 per cent. Whether it’s a voice role or live action, if you’re doing your job well as an actor, you’re trying to bring some truth to the performance. That means reaching into your being to find a way in, if that makes sense. And I absolutely feel that being a mother of two boys has been the greatest thrill and adventure of my life.
Which animated movies did you and your sons watch a thousand times over when they were growing up?
They were obsessed with Toy Story and The Lion King and, oh, The Iron Giant, which they just adored. I’m sure there’s something else important I’m forgetting off the top of my head... but those three were the real good ones.
Your character in Onward, Laurel Lightfoot, is widowed and she and her sons are learning to deal with their grief. That’s not always a story told on film, particularly ones aimed at children. Is that something that lured you to the role?
Well, in fact, yes. I found the whole story incredibly touching – I was very moved by the veracity and devotion and strength and power she has as the solo parent figure.
There’s a lot of magic in the movie. Given the uncertainty of the times in which we live, do you think this is the kind of story audiences are craving and needing now?
We never could have predicted we’d be here dealing with this pandemic. But the message of this film is to summon strength within yourself, of course, and to go beyond despair. So I think Onward has a lot of significance for these times, for sure.
Visit disney.com.au for Onward release date.