Biography

Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus (born January 13, 1961) is an American actress and comedian. Often described as one of the most outstanding performers in television history, she is widely known for her roles as various characters on Saturday Night Live (1982–1985), Elaine Benes on Seinfeld (1990–1998), Christine Campbell on The New Adventures of Old Christine (2006–2010), and Selina Meyer on Veep (2012–2019). Her list of accolades makes her one of the most award-winning actresses in American television history, and she has received more Primetime Emmy Awards and more Screen Actors Guild Awards than any other performer.

Louis-Dreyfus was born in New York City, the daughter of the French billionaire Gérard Louis-Dreyfus, and entered 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 1990 with her debut at the start of a nine-season run on Seinfeld, which became one of the most critically and commercially successful sitcoms. In addition to leading roles on The New Adventures of Old Christine and Veep, she has made guest appearances on shows such as Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and 30 Rock. On film, Louis-Dreyfus has had supporting film roles in Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989), Deconstructing Harry (1997), and You People (2023), and leading film roles in Enough Said (2013), Downhill (2020), You Hurt My Feelings (2023), and Tuesday (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 in three films and one Disney+ miniseries.

Louis-Dreyfus has received 11 Primetime Emmy Awards (eight for acting and three for producing), nine Screen Actors Guild Awards, and one Golden Globe Award. 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 one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2016. She has also received numerous honors including the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2018 and the National Medal of Arts in 2021.