Julia Louis-Dreyfus talks political correctness, the roles she’s drawn to, and starring in an upcoming film. Tuesday (out June 14th) she plays a mother with a terminally ill teenage daughter. The New York Times.
The actress has played a variety of characters with “sharp edges.” SeinfeldFrom Elaine Benes to the self-centered Selina Meyer Veep “They’re very funny, but they’re not ‘good girls,'” she said. “I don’t play girls who behave the way good girls should. If I did, I’d play them with bitterness and insecurity.” Times. “I’ve played a lot of characters who are rebelling against their place, who are not happy with their place in the world. And it’s real. Women are disenfranchised. And women are not happy. And I play those women.”
and Veep Though it was political satire, Meyer was far from politically correct. Louis-Dreyfus’ former co-star Jerry Seinfeld recently made headlines by complaining that “far-left and PC bullshit” was killing comedy and stifling creativity, a stance he was praised by far-right influencers. But Louis-Dreyfus disagreed.
“My feeling about all of this is that political correctness is obviously fine as long as it equates to tolerance,” she said. “And of course, I reserve the right to boo anyone whose words offend me, while still respecting their right to free speech, right?”
As for what’s stifling creativity, she believes those with the power and money to greenlight productions are the source of the problem. “But I think the bigger problem, and the real threat to art and art making, is the consolidation of money and power,” she said. “I think all of this siloing of studios, outlets, streamers, distributors is not good for creative voices. That’s what I mean in terms of threats to the arts.”
if Seinfeld It wouldn’t be possible to make it today, she said. “Probably not.” New Yorker I’m afraid that in April I won’t be able to tell the same jokes. Seinfeld Louis-Dreyfus blames the show for being too idiosyncratic and not being politically correct enough for the times, just like when it was made for political correctness: “I mean, what the hell is going on with network television? Seinfeld “When the show was made, it was unlike anything else that was out there at the time. It was just a bunch of underdogs. So I think one of the main reasons it’s not made now is because it’s hard to get recognition for something different. Especially nowadays, it feels like people are scared away.”
When asked directly about her co-star’s controversial comments about political correctness, Louis-Dreyfus emphasized how comedy has evolved over the decades.
“If you look back at comedies and dramas from, say, 30 years ago through the lens of today, you might find some that haven’t aged well. And I don’t think it’s a bad thing to be sensitive about sensitivities,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean all comedy is ruined.
“When I hear people start complaining about political correctness, I understand people are going to be rebellious about it, but to me that’s a red flag because sometimes it can mean something else,” she added. “I don’t think being aware of certain sensitivities is a bad thing.”
