Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus (born January 13, 1961) is an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1982 to 1985.
On SNL, she appeared alongside several actors who would later rise to prominence, such as Eddie Murphy, Jim Belushi, Billy Crystal and Martin Short. She also married a fellow cast member from that period, Brad Hall.
After her retirement from Saturday Night Live, she became well-known for her roles as Elaine Benes on the NBC sitcom Seinfeld from 1989 to 1998 (co-created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David), voicing Princess Atta in the 1998 Disney/Pixar computer-animated comedy-adventure film A Bug's Life, Christine "Old Christine" Campbell on the CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine, from 2006 to 2010, and currently as Vice President Selina Meyer on the HBO comedy series Veep from 2012 to 2019.
Louis-Dreyfus was born in New York City, the daughter of French billionaire Gérard Louis-Dreyfus, and broke into comedy as a performer with the Practical Theatre Company in Chicago. This led to her being cast in the sketch show Saturday Night Live. Her breakthrough came in 1989 with her debut at the start of a nine-season run on Seinfeld, which became one of the most critically and commercially successful sitcoms. She has made guest appearances on shows such as Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and 30 Rock. She has had supporting film roles in Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989), Deconstructing Harry (1997), and leading film roles in Enough Said (2013), Downhill (2020), You People (2023), and You Hurt My Feelings (2023). Her voice acting work includes A Bug's Life (1998), Planes (2013), and Onward (2020). Since 2021 she has played Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Louis-Dreyfus has received 11 Primetime Emmy Awards (eight for acting and three for producing) in addition to nine Screen Actors Guild Awards and one Golden Globe Award. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010 and was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2014. She was named as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2016.[4] She has also received numerous honors including the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2018 and the National Medal of Arts in 2021.
She returned to Saturday Night Live to host for the first time, making her the first former female cast member to come back to host, on May 13, 2006, the nineteenth episode of Saturday Night Live's 31st season, with musical guest Paul Simon.
On March 17, 2007, Dreyfus returned to Saturday Night Live to hosted for the 2nd time, hosting the fifteenth episode of Saturday Nighg Live's 32nd season, with musical guests Snow Patrol.
She returned to Saturday Night Live again to hosting for the 3rd time and her first appearance in 8 years, 11 months and 30 days on April 16, 2016, the eighteenth episode of Saturday Night Live's 41st season, with musical guest Nick Jonas.
Michaela Watkins as Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the January 10, 2009 episode during the "two first Names" sketch.
She was also impersonated by Michaela Watkins on the January 10, 2009 episode during the "two first Names" sketch.
Characters/Impressions[]
Characters[]
- April May June
- Becky
- Consuela
- Big-Zit Cindy
- Darla
- Patti Lynn Hunnsacker
- Weather Woman
Impressions[]
- Ali MacGraw
- Andie MacDowell
- Christina Ferrare
- Diana Ross
- Helen Caldicott
- Hu Na
- Jeane Kirkpatrick
- Jo Anne Worley
- Joan Mondale
- JoBeth Williams
- Linda Ellerbee
- Linda Ronstadt
- Marie Osmond
- Mary Travers
- Nastassja Kinski
- Nina Blackwood
- Robin Antin
SNL Career[]
- 1982-1985: Repertory Player
- May 13, 2006: Host
- March 17, 2007: Host
- April 16, 2016: Host
Gallery[]
