Julia Louis-Dreyfus has had a lot of big TV roles over the years. She’s played one of "the guys" in Seinfeld and a divorcee in The New Adventures of Old Christine. She’s currently playing the President of the United States on HBO’s Veep, which returns to the schedule this weekend. However, there is one type of female role that Julia Louis-Dreyfus refuses to take on. The role is that of the generally tolerant housewife. Here’s what the veteran actress had to say in a recent interview:
I'm not interested in being the wisecracking this or that or the eye-rolling wife, Those roles are out there, and they've come my way, but I'm not doing that. I'm bored shitless by that.
We’re living in an age where there are a lot more exciting comedic roles for women. However, there are still plenty of comedies on TV that rely on women supporting the male lead in a series. More than that, there are plenty of comedies on TV that use the nagging wife, the annoyed wife or the disapproving wife as the counterpoint to the fun and relatable husband. Those roles may have their place now and again, but they’re not the type that can showcase the female performer. Julia Louis-Dreyfus seems to know she is too good for that. She’s accomplished too much in her career to be relegated to roles alongside a more prominent male comedian, and after having been on Seinfeld for the duration of the show’s run, it’s not exactly like she needs the money. Besides, Veep and to a lesser extent New Adventures Of Old Christine have proven what a diverse range of roles she’s capable of playing.
Eventually, one would imagine Julia Louis-Dreyfus would like to try her hand at movies. She’s been in some great flicks now and again, notably Enough Said, but it would certainly be nice to see her in a few big movie hits a year. Television is getting more acclaimed and even better by the year, but ultimately, it’s films that are able to turn a really talented performer into a household name. Or at least one that Hillary Clinton is familiar with, as THR hilariously noted in the same interview.
For now, though, the actress is doing quite well over on HBO, where she stars in Veep. The series will return to the schedule for its fifth season this Sunday, along with Game of Thrones and Silicon Valley. In addition, HBO also just recently announced that Veep will not be ending anytime soon. News broke earlier this week that the comedy has been renewed for a sixth season, as well.
You can catch Veep when it returns to the schedule on Sunday, April 24 at 10:30 p.m. ET. To find out when the rest of your summer favorites are returning to the schedule, check out our TV premiere schedule.
