Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Biography

Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus (/ˌluːiˈdraɪfəs/ LOO-ee DRY-fəs; born January 13, 1961) is an American actress, comedian, and producer. She is known for her roles in a string of successful comedy series and several comedy films. She has received numerous accolades, including 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and nine Screen Actors Guild Awards. The daughter of French billionaire Gérard Louis-Dreyfus, she entered comedy as a performer with the Practical Theatre Company. She was a cast member on the sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1982 to 1985. Her breakthrough came playing Elaine Benes on the NBC sitcomSeinfeld (1990–1998), one of the most successful sitcoms in television history. She earned further acclaim for her roles as Christine Campbell on The New Adventures of Old Christine (2006–2010) and Selina Meyer on Veep (2012–2019), and has guest-starred on shows such as Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and 30 Rock.  Louis-Dreyfus has had leading film roles in the comedy-dramas Enough Said (2013), Downhill (2020), You Hurt My Feelings (2023), and Tuesday (2023), with supporting film roles in comedy films such as Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989), Deconstructing Harry (1997), and You People (2023). Her voice acting work includes roles in the Disney animated films A Bug's Life (1998), Planes (2013), and Onward (2020). She has played Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2021. Louis-Dreyfus is one of the most awarded actors in television history, winning more Emmys and Screen Actors Guild Awards than any other performer. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010. She 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. She also received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humour in 2018 and the National Medal of Arts in 2021.

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