Julia Louis-Dreyfus is the most Emmy-awarded TV actress in history, with lead actress trophies for each of her major roles, on Seinfeld, The New Adventures of Old Christine, and her current HBO project Veep. No surprise, then, that she had the crowd laughing at her Monday SXSW session.
Taking questions from Marie Claire editor Anne Fulenwider and audience members alike, Louis-Dreyfus dished on her advice for House of Cards’s Frank Underwood (“lighten up”), the best gift she’d ever received (“I return all gifts for store credit”), whether Seinfeld’s Elaine and Jerry would be married by now (“yeah, and then divorced”), and which American politician she finds most “sponge-worthy” (“I think I could get in trouble for this. I’d have to say… Woodrow Wilson.”).
The discussion hit a sincere note when an audience member who’d just had triplets asked Louis-Dreyfus for advice on being a working mother. “Give yourself a break,” the actress suggested. “Know that you’re going to completely screw up, and that’s part of the whole program, and it’s all going to be okay.” Along those lines, Louis-Dreyfus also discussed the pros and cons of switching to single-camera TV style. Having grown up as a performer on the multi-camera set of Seinfeld, she considers a set-based production schedule more conducive to raising a family.
Some questioners wondered if Louis-Dreyfus, having achieved the TV presidency, might someday seek even higher office. No, she announced, she has no desire to take over for John Stewart at The Daily Show. And her advice for the woman who may be our first real-life female president? “I don’t think Hillary Clinton should be taking advice from me,” Louis-Dreyfus said. “That’s my advice. If I give you advice, Hillary, please, don’t take it.”
Keep up with all our SXSW Film coverage at austinchronicle.com/sxsw/film.
This article appears in March 13 • 2015.
