Julia Louis-Dreyfus Recalls This Very ‘Veep’ Story About Hillary Clinton

As a long-time fan of Julia Louis-Dreyfus, I must say that her latest exploits are simply a delight to witness. Her ability to weave humor and politics so effortlessly is nothing short of remarkable, a testament to her unique talent and life experience.

2024 Democratic National Convention welcomes Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who previously appeared on Stephen Colbert’s Late Show and is now scheduled to lead an event with female Democratic governors on a Wednesday.

Stephen Colbert is hosting his late-night talk show in Chicago this week while the Democratic National Convention (DNC) is ongoing, recording from the Auditorium Theater which is just a short distance from the United Center where the convention is taking place. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Hillary Clinton, one of the speakers for the DNC’s opening night, were among his first guests. Backstage, they had an opportunity to meet – “So exciting! Divine,” said Louis-Dreyfus – and when Louis-Dreyfus sat down on Colbert’s couch, she shared the amusing story of their first encounter together.

2013 marked the second season of the TV show “Veep”. During this period, Julia Louis-Dreyfus shared an anecdote about a memorable gift she received from her hair and makeup team on set. The gift was a signed bill (or slip) from former President Clinton. Notably, Louis-Dreyfus portrayed Selina Meyer, a fictional character who served as the Vice President and later became the first female President in the hit HBO comedy series “Veep”, which won numerous Emmy awards.

In January 2013, actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus received a note from Hillary Clinton that she brought to Colbert. The message read: “Julia, you’re doing a fantastic job on VEEP. I hope you can tackle gun control, immigration reform, and job creation during this season!”

Back in 2016, when Clinton’s emails were notoriously hacked and leaked online, I remember finding an email from her that sparked my involvement in this little gift. Elaine May, aka Selina Meyer on ‘Veep’, and Stephen Colbert had a similar memory too.

“I’ve been asked to put my signature for Julia ‘Lewis’-Dreyfus regarding Veep. Can you think of a solution or look it up? To be honest, I haven’t watched the series yet.”

The admission made both Colbert and Louis-Dreyfus laugh heartily. Later, Louis-Dreyfus revealed that she had framed both a $2 bill and an emailed message from Clinton together, and even carried the framed item with her.

“To me, this situation is reminiscent of Washington D.C., and while I’m speaking respectfully about Secretary Clinton, it feels similar to a scene from the TV show ‘Veep’. It’s like what we exaggerated for comedic effect on that show.” She explains.

When Colbert implied that Matt Walsh’s Mike McClintock might have done the job for her character on the show, she replied humorously, “I suspect it would have been even more mishandled. But she certainly managed it with great poise and grace.”

Back in 2016, Julia Louis-Dreyfus initially disclosed this tale of the hidden message to The Hollywood Reporter, expressing, “It’s just… perfect!” in a way that sounded straight out of a Veep script. Since her on-set hairstylist had worked with Clinton and conveyed her admiration, Louis-Dreyfus preserved the framed notes in her office.

The Clinton era symbolizes the golden age of the TV show “Veep,” which initially appealed to viewers from all political spectrums during its early seasons. This nostalgic period has been fondly remembered by stars like Louis-Dreyfus, showrunner David Mandel, and creator Armanda Ianucci in recent times, especially as politics have grown increasingly divisive. With the series gaining renewed popularity and increased viewership following Kamala Harris’ rise to become the Democratic party’s 2024 presidential nominee, the trio has been reflecting on “Veep” again.

“Louis-Dreyfus, known for her role on ‘Veep’ and winning several Emmy awards, has stated that politics’ culture has grown increasingly corrupt over the past few years. This is a shift from when we first began, as our portrayal was exaggerated compared to reality, but now it seems less so, especially regarding the harshness of communication.”

Previously on the Colbert show, Louis-Dreyfus expressed her backing for Harris’ presidential campaign, referring to her old social media post celebrating Harris becoming America’s first female Vice President in 2020: “Madam Vice President” is no longer a fictional character, she stated. “I’m hoping that I can post something similar in November that says ‘Madam President’ is no longer a work of fiction,” she added.

She cited a memorable Veep scene, where she eviscerated Walsh’s character for beginning one of her speeches with, “As a woman,” as her favorite example of capturing how harshly women are treated in politics. And made clear of the comparisons between her Veep character and Harris: “On Veep, I played a narcissistic, megalomaniac, sociopath and that is not Kamala Harris. It might be another candidate in the race.” She also assigned Jonah Ryan, the character played by Timothy Simons, as the most J.D. Vance-like. “I’m sure he’s made love to many of couches… a sleeper sofa,” she said with a chuckle about GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s running mate.

Coming up, Julia Louis-Dreyfus will be highlighting female political leaders as she collaborates with the Democratic Governors Association on August 21st, during the third day of the DNC. On this same date, the renowned actress, producer, and activist is set to host a panel featuring eight Democratic women governors: Katie Hobbs from Arizona, Laura Kelly from Kansas, Janet Mills from Maine, Maura Healey from Massachusetts, Gretchen Whitmer from Michigan, Michelle Lujan Grisham from New Mexico, Kathy Hochul from New York, and Tina Kotek from Oregon.

“Following the upcoming election, there could potentially be as many as 11 Democratic female governors, it’s possible,” she shared with Colbert.

2024-08-20 22:55

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