Julia Louis-Dreyfus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Louis-Dreyfus in 2019
Born	Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus (1961-01-13) January 13, 1961 (age 64) New York City, U.S.
Alma mater	Northwestern University
Occupation	Actress comedian producer
Years active	1981–present
Spouse(s)	Brad Hall ​ (m. 1987)​
Children	2, including Charlie Hall
Parent(s)	Gérard Louis-Dreyfus (father)
Relatives	Lauren Bowles (maternal half-sister) Robert Louis-Dreyfus (paternal second cousin once removed) Kyril Louis-Dreyfus (paternal second cousin twice removed) Pierre Louis-Dreyfus (grandfather) Charles Louis-Dreyfus (great-grandfather) Léopold Louis-Dreyfus (great-great-grandfather)
Awards	Full list

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (born January 13, 1961) is a famous American actress and comedian. She is known for her amazing roles in many TV shows. These include Saturday Night Live, Elaine Benes on Seinfeld, Christine Campbell on The New Adventures of Old Christine, and Selina Meyer on Veep.

Julia has won more Primetime Emmy Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards than any other performer. This makes her one of the most awarded actresses in American television history. She has also acted in movies like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and voiced characters in animated films like A Bug's Life. More recently, she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.

Early Life and Education

Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus was born in New York City on January 13, 1961. Her mother, Judith, was a writer and tutor. Her father, Gérard Louis-Dreyfus, was a businessman. Her parents divorced when she was one year old.

When Julia was four, her mother married L. Thompson Bowles. He was a dean at a medical school. This meant Julia gained a half-sister, Lauren Bowles, who also became an actress. Because of her stepfather's job, Julia lived in many different places as a child. These included Colombia, Sri Lanka, and Tunisia.

She went to the all-girls Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, Maryland. She graduated in 1979. Julia later said that being in an all-girls school helped her try new things. For example, she was president of the honor society.

Julia then went to Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She studied theatre there. She performed in a student comedy show called the Mee-Ow Show. She left college early to join Saturday Night Live. In 2007, she received an honorary degree from Northwestern University.

Career Highlights

Starting Out: Saturday Night Live

Louis-Dreyfus as a part of The Practical Theatre Company's "Golden 50th Anniversary Jubilee" in 1982, alongside castmates Brad Hall, Gary Kroeger and Paul Barrosse

Julia started her comedy training at The Second City. This is a famous improv theatre group. Her performance with The Practical Theatre Company led her to join Saturday Night Live (SNL) at age 21.

She was on SNL from 1982 to 1985. At that time, she was the youngest female cast member ever. She met writer Larry David during her last year on the show. Larry David later co-created Seinfeld. Julia said joining SNL felt like a "Cinderella" story. But she also said it was sometimes tough to learn how to work in show business.

Some characters she played on Saturday Night Live:

• April May June, a TV preacher.
• Becky, El Dorko's date.
• Consuela, a friend and TV show co-host.
• Darla in a parody of The Little Rascals.
• Weather Woman, a superhero.
• Patti Lynn Hunnsucker, a teenage reporter.

After leaving SNL in 1985, Julia appeared in several movies. These included Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989). She also starred in the sitcom Day by Day for two seasons.

Becoming Famous: Seinfeld

Louis-Dreyfus at the 47th Emmy Awards ceremony in September 1995

In the early 1990s, Julia became very famous. She played Elaine Benes on NBC's Seinfeld. She was on the show for nine seasons. She appeared in almost every episode. Her character, Elaine, was added after the first episode. Executives wanted a woman in the cast.

Julia received great reviews for her role. She won many awards during the 1990s. She won a Golden Globe Award in 1994. She also won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1996 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. When she won the Emmy, she said it was a "shocker."

Seinfeld ended in 1998 after nine seasons. The final episode was watched by over 76 million people. While on Seinfeld, Julia also appeared in movies like Fathers' Day and Deconstructing Harry.

After Seinfeld

After Seinfeld, Julia lent her voice to the successful Pixar movie A Bug's Life (1998). She voiced Princess Atta. She also voiced Gloria in The Simpsons. In 2001, she appeared as herself on Curb Your Enthusiasm, a show created by Larry David.

She then starred in a new sitcom called Watching Ellie in 2002. Her husband, Brad Hall, created the show. It also featured her half-sister, Lauren Bowles. The show was about a jazz singer's daily life. It had mixed reviews and was canceled in 2003.

From 2004 to 2005, Julia had a recurring role on Arrested Development. She played Maggie Lizer, a tricky lawyer.

New Adventures of Old Christine

Louis-Dreyfus representing her role from TNAOC at the Museum of Television & Radio in April 2007

In 2005, Julia was cast in the main role of a new CBS sitcom. It was called The New Adventures of Old Christine. She played Christine Campbell, a single mom who runs a women's gym. The show started strong with 15 million viewers.

Critics loved her performance. They said she broke the "Seinfeld curse." This was a joke that actors from Seinfeld had trouble finding new successful shows. Julia won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2006 for her role. She joked in her speech, "curse this, baby!" She received many more nominations for this show.

In May 2006, Julia hosted Saturday Night Live. She was the first female former cast member to return as host. Her Seinfeld co-stars Jason Alexander and Jerry Seinfeld joined her. She hosted SNL two more times in 2007 and 2016. In 2009, she reunited with the Seinfeld cast on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Louis-Dreyfus at the unveiling of her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in May 2010

In 2009, Julia received the Legacy of Laughter award at the TV Land Awards. The next year, she got her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was on May 4, 2010. Her name was first spelled wrong, but it was quickly fixed. Many friends and colleagues attended the event.

Old Christine was canceled in 2010 after five years. Julia also guest-starred in the web series Web Therapy with Lisa Kudrow. She also appeared on the live episode of 30 Rock in 2010. She played Tina Fey's character, Liz Lemon.

Veep and More Awards

Louis-Dreyfus with then Vice President Joe Biden in April 2013

In 2011, HBO announced Julia would star in a new comedy series. It was called Veep. She played Selina Meyer, the U.S. Vice President. Julia also became a producer for the show. To prepare, she talked to former vice presidents and other political staff.

The show premiered on April 22, 2012. Critics highly praised Julia's performance. They called her "one of the medium's great comediennes." The Huffington Post named her one of the funniest people of 2012.

Louis-Dreyfus after receiving her third Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Veep in August 2014

For Veep, Julia won six straight Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. This was from 2012 to 2017. Her wins for Veep, along with her wins for Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine, made her the only woman to win acting awards for three different comedy series. Her sixth win in 2016 broke the record for most wins in that category. By 2017, she tied with Cloris Leachman for the most Emmys ever won by an actor. Veep also won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series from 2015 to 2017.

Louis-Dreyfus with her colleague Timothy Simons accepting the Peabody Award for Veep from Al Franken in May 2017

Julia also voiced Rochelle in the 2013 animated movie Planes. She also starred in the film Enough Said (2013). This was her first main role in a full-length movie. The film received excellent reviews. Many praised Julia's acting.

Since 2014, Julia has appeared in commercials for Old Navy. In 2015, she was in a sketch on Inside Amy Schumer. She played herself, giving advice about getting older. In 2016, she hosted Saturday Night Live again. She even brought back her character Elaine Benes.

Recent Work and New Projects

Louis-Dreyfus with Gladys Knight and Mindy Kaling in the White House in March 2023.

In 2020, Julia starred in the comedy-drama Downhill with Will Ferrell. She also voiced Laurel Lightfoot in Pixar's animated film Onward. In 2020, she signed a deal with Apple TV+ to create and star in new shows.

In 2021, Julia appeared in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. She played Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She played this role again in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) and will be in the upcoming film Thunderbolts* (2025). In 2022, she was a guest on the Netflix show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman.

In 2023, she starred in and produced the comedy film You Hurt My Feelings. She also played a mother in the Netflix romantic comedy You People (2023). That same year, she starred in the film Tuesday.

In 2023, Julia started hosting a podcast called Wiser Than Me. On the show, she talks to older women about their life experiences and wisdom. Guests have included Jane Fonda and Carol Burnett. The podcast was named Apple's Best Podcast of the Year in 2023.

Personal Life

Julia's maternal half-sister, Lauren Bowles, is also an actress. Julia has two paternal half-sisters, Phoebe and Emma. Emma passed away in 2018.

Julia met her husband, Brad Hall, at Northwestern University. He was also a comedian on Saturday Night Live. They married in 1987. They have two sons. Their older son, Henry Hall, is a singer-songwriter. Their younger son, Charlie Hall, is an actor.

Julia looks up to actresses like Lucille Ball and Mary Tyler Moore. She admires women who are not afraid to be silly to get a laugh. Actress Tina Fey said that Julia inspired her character Liz Lemon on 30 Rock.

In September 2017, Julia shared that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She found out the day after winning an Emmy for Veep. She used this moment to talk about the importance of healthcare for everyone. By October 2018, she announced she was cancer-free.

Julia was raised Catholic but now considers herself agnostic. This means she doesn't follow a traditional religion.

Advocacy and Public Service

Julia Louis-Dreyfus has supported several political causes. She supported Al Gore and Barack Obama in their presidential campaigns. She has spoken out about environmental issues. She has helped raise money for groups like Heal the Bay and the Natural Resources Defense Council. She also worked to pass a measure that helped clean up the Los Angeles water supply.

In 2016, she supported Hillary Clinton for president. In 2017, she spoke out against a travel ban, saying it was "un-American." She mentioned that her father had to flee his home during World War II.

In 2020, Julia hosted the final night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention. She supported Joe Biden. She has also encouraged people to vote.

Awards and Recognition

Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won many awards for her acting. She has won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series seven times. Once for The New Adventures of Old Christine (2006) and six times in a row for Veep (2012–17). She also won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Seinfeld (1996).

As of 2017, she holds the record for the most Primetime Emmy awards won by an actor for the same role. She is also tied with Cloris Leachman for the most acting Primetime Emmy awards overall (with eight).

She has been nominated for nine Golden Globe Awards. She won one for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Elaine Benes on Seinfeld (1995).

Julia has also been nominated for twenty-one Screen Actors Guild Awards. She has won five for her individual performances. These were for Seinfeld (1997–98) and Veep (2014, 2017–18). In 2018, she received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

In 2023, her podcast, Wiser Than Me, won Apple's Best Podcast of the Year.

Film and Television Roles

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Julia Louis-Dreyfus para niños