Latest news with #Louis-Dreyfus
Elle
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
Julia Louis-Dreyfus Knew ‘Almost Immediately' Brad Hall Was the One When She Met Him in College
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Hall may have the perfect love story. The pair met when they were both college students pursuing comedy, going on to work on Saturday Night Live together. The Seinfeld star has admitted she knew 'almost immediately' that Hall was the one, and she seems to appreciate him more every year, if her Instagrams are any indication. They've been married now for almost four decades and share two children. Here is Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Hall's complete relationship timeline so far. In 2013, Louis-Dreyfus told Craig Ferguson that she first met Hall when they were both students at Northwestern University in the early 1980s. Hall was producing a show with the Practical Theatre Company, and she auditioned. She joined PTC, and the group had a run at their campus in Evanston, Illinois, and in Chicago. 'There were a couple of moments, some of which I will not share,' she said of connecting with Hall. 'But I would say that I knew almost immediately [he was the one]. It's really the truth.' The couple did an interview with Grist in 2003 and talked more about the early days of their relationship. 'In our skits, we parodied the problems of the day—oil dependency, environmental negligence, a lot of the issues we're now seeing reemerge on the public radar,' Hall said of that time. Louis-Dreyfus laughed and replied, 'I don't even remember those skits. I was about 19 at the time and had fallen head over heels in love with Brad. He was a senior with a big old beard and Jesus hair. I may have been just taking his word for it at that point.' All four members of the Practical Theatre Company found success at Saturday Night Live after being hired for the sketch show by producers Dick Ebersol and Bob Tischler. Louis-Dreyfus was only 21 years old at the time, making her the youngest female cast member. June 1987 On June 25, 1987, the couple married in Santa Barbara, California, close to where Hall grew up. They were married by Hall's father, an actual minister, per The New Yorker. June 1992 The couple welcomed a son in 1992, Henry Hall. During her pregnancy, Louis-Dreyfus was starring in Seinfeld. She told Vogue in 2019, 'This [oversize] clothing was very helpful to me as a pregnant person. Both getting more and more pregnant and then becoming less and less pregnant after giving birth.' May 1997 Their second son, Charles Hall, arrived in 1997. In a 2008 interview with Harper's Bazaar, the actress had a different perspective on hiding pregnancy while on TV, saying it was challenging. 'I went through two pregnancies over a nine-year period on Seinfeld, and I gained 45 pounds both times. Maybe it was 40 pounds, but not less than that, and I'm 5'3',' she said. 'I really tried not to put those 40 pounds on, but I was hungry, man. I craved red meat and lemonade, and I cannot believe the amount of food I could take in. And it's really documented on TV. I was trying to hide the weight.' April 2013 Hall accompanied Louis-Dreyfus to the season 2 premiere of Veep. They attended the premiere of season 4 of Veep together. They went with their son Charlie to a basketball game that same month. Louis-Dreyfus won an Emmy Award her role as Selina Meyer on Veep. She and Hall celebrated her win with a sweet kiss. Louis-Dreyfus is fairly consistent about celebrating their wedding anniversary every year on Instagram, often showing throwback photos from their wedding. In 2016, she wrote in the caption, '29 years ago today. A good choice.' March 2017 The couple's son, Charlie, became a basketball player at Northwestern. In 2019, the pair watched him play for the Northwestern Wildcats against Rutgers's Scarlet Knights. In September 2017, Louis-Dreyfus made Emmys history by winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series six years in a row for Veep. That same month, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She shared the news on Twitter at the time, writing, '1 in 8 women get breast cancer. Today, I'm the one. The good news is that I have the most glorious group of supportive and caring friends, and fantastic insurance through my union. The bad news is that not all women are so lucky, so let's fight all cancers and make universal health care a reality.' Sharing another throwback pic for their 31st wedding anniversary, Louis-Dreyfus wrote, '31,000 years ago today, I married my current boyfriend.' The couple created a PSA for the 2018 midterm elections to spur voting, with Hall directing. 'A corrupt, self-obsessed, inept moron who somehow becomes president of the United States? That's the character that I play on HBO's Veep,' Louis-Dreyfus said in the production. 'But when I'm off of TV, I'm not a politician, I'm not an expert, I'm a citizen. And I know that the midterm election on November 6 is beyond important. It is vital.' The couple attended the 2019 InStyle Awards with their two sons, Henry and Charlie. In April 2020, Louis-Dreyfus shared more about her cancer battle with People, explaining how important her friends and family were during treatment. 'You hear it all the time, but the people that I relied on the most, besides the very capable doctors and nurses who took care of me, were my family and my close friends,' she said. 'I was surrounded by people who were supporting me. That was hugely meaningful, and I needed it. It helped me to believe I was going to get through. It was like they had their hands underneath me holding me up.' She continued, 'I think whenever a family goes through a crisis and comes out the other end, you're bound to have an intimacy that, perhaps, wasn't quite there like it was before. I mean, we were very close before, but I know how precious life is.' The star shared some more recent pics for their 34th anniversary, writing, '34 years in, keeping our head above water. Love and love to the love of my life.' In the photos, they're in the ocean, and she kisses his cheek. On the red carpet at NRDC's Night of Comedy event, she revealed the secret to a long marriage: 'You gotta marry Brad Hall, that's what you gotta do,' she told Extra. That same month, for their 35th wedding anniversary, Louis-Dreyfus shared another pic from their ceremony, writing, 'What in the living hell? How did that happen so quick?' During an appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark, Louis-Dreyfus discussed her wedding dress, noting it looked very similar to Princess Diana's. 'Look at that wedding dress,' the Veep star said of a photo of the event. 'You'll see I fashioned my dress after Princess Diana.' She also shared a bit about working with Hall on comedy, saying, 'We are honest with one another so that if he doesn't think it quite works or something, he'll tell me why. And I'll do the same with his work.' She said more about the dress during an episode of her podcast, Wiser Than Me. Though Louis-Dreyfus joked about the look, the actress said she still thought that the late royal's 'wedding dress kicked ass.' 'Lady Di's dress had these poofy sleeves with two layers of lace that came off the cuff,' she explained. 'And I totally stole that from my dress, which was a sort of study of everything awful in the '80s. Well, I mean, that's not fair. It was fine, but it was so '80s.' She added that 'one of the great things about clothes' is that they 'identify with an era,' and that she felt like 'Cinderella at the ball' in her wedding dress. 'Maybe I'm a tiny bit embarrassed when I look at that dress now, but it was a statement of a particular moment,' she continued. 'The huge sleeves, the sweetheart neckline, the fabric flowered wreath in my hair. I'm pretty sure Brad wore a suit. Anyways, man, it was romantic, and I was getting married. And for that, okay, I admit it. It was perfect.' There were more special details as well. 'I had this tiny little dolphin that was hand carved out of stone, sort of a charm, like a little talisman,' Louis-Dreyfus shared. 'And I had them sew it into my dress because I thought it was a good symbol of joy. You know, dolphins are so joyful.' She continued, 'And I still don't know where it is in the dress, which I think is kind of fabulous. It's in there somewhere. Fortunes whisper sewn in with lucky threads of grace.' They walked the red carpet together at the Fourth Annual Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles on October 19. The couple attended SNL50, a celebration of Saturday Night Live's 50th season.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Thunderbolts*': Julia Louis-Dreyfus praises Marvel for women characters not 'defined' by relationships with men
Thunderbolts* (now in theatres) may in fact be the movie that saves the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Starring Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lewis Pullman, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell and Geraldine Viswanathan, the new film doesn't just focus on the glitz of its visuals, it puts the storytelling first. If you've fallen victim to "superhero fatigue," Thunderbolts* is worth a shot to bring you back to the genre. The film starts with Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) not in a great place mentally, she feels lonely and isolated as she's trying to manage the trauma of her past and the grief after Natasha's death. And it's those themes that guide the rest of the film. "I think what was so effective about this particular project was that it deals with some really interesting themes, .... themes of depression and mental health and feeling isolated and ashamed," Louis-Dreyfus told Yahoo Canada in Toronto. "Human beings do feel that way, on occasion." "I think the movie discusses the idea of sort of pulling back the layers on that and really investigating those feelings, and discusses the way to move forward out of those feelings of despair and ... connecting in your community as a way out. ... That sounds very sort of preachy, and I don't mean it to, because the movie is super entertaining, explosives and car chases and fighting and all the rest, lots of humour, but I think it's those themes that really have a shape in the film that drive it from a story point of view." Yelena is really just going through the motions of completing assignments for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Louis-Dreyfus), struggling to find a purpose. But in what she plans to be her final job ,Yelena ends up stuck with rejected Captain America John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Taskmasker (Olga Kurylenko), realizing that the intention is that they would kill each other. They're also joined by the shy Bob (Lewis Pullman), and no one can figure out why he's there, including Bob himself. That's what starts us off on the team adventure. Meanwhile Valentina, who's working as CIA director, with the help of her assistant Mel (Geraldine Viswanathan), is facing some heat from a congressional investigation into how she operates. In addition to being a movie and TV star, Louis-Dreyfus hosts the "Wiser Than Me" podcast, where she has conversations with older women who share their wisdom, with guests including Carol Burnett, Ina Garten, Jane Goodall, and most recently marine biologist and oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle. But in an episode with Sally Field, they discuss the dated idea in the entertainment industry that "women don't bring in money," and most roles for women are all centred around a relationship with a man. And that's what Louis-Dreyfus highlighted Thunderbolts* doesn't do. "I'm proud of the fact that the women in this movie are not defined by their relationship with male characters," Louis-Dreyfus said. "They stand on their own, and they're complicated. They're complicated human beings. They're not the girl or the girlfriend or the mother, and that gives me a great sense of pride." But aside from the more serious and emotional elements of Thunderbolts*, don't underestimate all the comedy in the film, and particularly what we see between Valentina and Mel, which leans into Veep territory, with some similar beats to Selina Meyer and Gary Walsh. "We got along ... from the first day that we met," Louis-Dreyfus said. "She's got a great comedy background and is a really strong improviser, and turns out we have a lot of friends in common." "We just ended up actually hanging out off set ... and that really worked well, because it played into the work that we had to do in the movie." But who has the harder job, Mel as an assistant to Valentina, or Gary with Selina? "Valentina only because Valentina could really kill you," Louis-Dreyfus said.
Toronto Sun
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
‘Thunderbolts*' star Julia Louis-Dreyfus jokes about 'Doomsday' absence
'I love working at Marvel and I look forward to doing more with them and ... I can't say anything more beyond that' Get the latest from Mark Daniell straight to your inbox Julia Louis-Dreyfus attends the "Thunderbolts*" UK Special Screening at Cineworld Leicester Square on April 22, 2025 in London. Photo by Joe Maher / Getty Images Now that she's part of the Marvel family thanks to her role in Thunderbolts* , Julia Louis-Dreyfus isn't saying someone is getting fired for omitting her name from the studio's 5.5-hour cast reveal for next summer's Avengers: Doomsday . This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account But she's not denying it either. 'I can't say too much about that,' Louis-Dreyfus, 64, tells Postmedia with a laugh during an interview at a downtown Toronto hotel. 'But I will say the following. I love working at Marvel and I look forward to doing more with them and … I can't say anything more beyond that.' After debuting as nefarious CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in the 2021 Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier , Louis-Dreyfus has been lurking in the background, operating outside the lines in various Marvel projects, including Black Widow and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever . As her shadowy operations catch up with her in Thunderbolts* , now playing in theatres, Val and her assistant Mel (Geraldine Viswanathan) ensnare some of her biggest assets — including Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) and a rando named 'Bob' (Lewis Pullman) — in a plot to cover up her crimes. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Val's plan involves having her 'disposable delinquents' kill one another to hide her crimes. Of course, Marvel's ragtag group of misfits have other ideas and band together — alongside Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes and David Harbour's Red Guardian — to stop Val and put an end to her evil government programs. As it delves into the interior lives of its damaged antiheroes who are wracked by malaise and depression, Thunderbolts* , which is directed by Jake Schreier and penned by Joanna Calo and Marvel vet Eric Pearson, ends up being one of the most emotional superhero movies the studio has released since 2019's Avengers: Endgame . 'This was a real opportunity. There was a lot of Val, a lot of meat on the character's bones of this particular story,' Louis-Dreyfus says. 'It was a true delight to peel back some layers on Val. You get to understand maybe why she's built the way she is. The trauma she may have suffered in her youth, and how that informs her insatiable desire for power and control.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in 'Thunderbolts*.' Photo by Marvel Studios Below, the 11-time Emmy winner, whose career has been shaped by roles on TV's Seinfeld , The New Adventures of Old Christine and Veep , spoke more about her new era as part of the MCU. You're no stranger to franchises. Thunderbolts* is the 36th film in the MCU. What's it been like to become a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? 'It's been awesome. I came onboard six years ago. I knew, because they pitched it to me, what was going to happen with Valentina. They pitched me Thunderbolts* many years ago. Even the end of the movie they pitched to me and I kept my mouth shut the whole time. But it's such an iconic genre and to be a part of that gives me an enormous amount of pride.' Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in 'Thunderbolts*.' Photo by Steve Swisher / Marvel Studios Tell me about that pitch. Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige calls you and says… 'Kevin and (producer) Louis D'Esposito call and they say, 'We've got this character — Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. We would love for you to play her.' To be honest they had me at the name. The name is so groovy. I remember thinking she sounded incredible. Then they pitched me what the story was going to be and how it would all unfold. But the idea of playing somebody who is manipulative and three steps ahead of everyone around her all the time? It's just fabulous.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. I mentioned that Thunderbolts* is the 36th film in the MCU, which has been going for 17 years. Do you have a favourite Marvel movie? 'I don't have one favourite. I have a number that I love. I loved Guardians of the Galaxy , Black Panther , Iron Man , of course. Just to name a few.' So we saw Val's name was not part of the Avengers: Doomsday casting announcement, but she has great chemistry with everyone she interacts with. If she does return, is there someone from the MCU, hero or villain, that you would like to see her link up with? 'It would be great if she could meet Nick Fury. It would be great if she could meet Tony Stark. I it would be great if she could meet the Hulk. I love Mark Ruffalo. There are a lot of folks that it would be fun for her to interact with.' We've spoken a few times, so you know that I love Seinfeld . Which Seinfeld character would be the one to ruin the surprise ending of Thunderbolts* ? 'Oh gosh … (laughs) George.' Thunderbolts* is now playing in theatres. mdaniell@ Read More Canada Editorial Cartoons Canada Toronto Maple Leafs Ontario
The National
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Julia Louis-Dreyfus acted as 'on-set mum' to her Thunderbolts* co-stars: 'She has the best snacks'
It does not matter what stage of your career you are at – there is nothing quite like making a Marvel film. Even multi-award-winning TV actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus is not quite sure how to handle the global fervour of the franchise's fans. Last week she attended the premiere of Thunderbolts*, in which she stars as the villainous Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Despite being a pop culture star with 11 Emmy Awards to her name, she was stunned by the reception. Louis-Dreyfus tells The National: 'To witness it is kind of awe-inspiring. It's a different deal altogether.' And while the actress, 64, famed for her roles in Seinfeld and Veep may still be getting used to the huge scale of the film, her co-stars are getting used to having a comedy heavyweight among their ranks. Geraldine Viswanathan, who co-stars as Mel, puts it plainly: 'She's the coolest, smartest, funniest, hottest – she's just the greatest. She's really just the person that I want to be.' 'Yep, everything I do is perfect,' Louis-Dreyfus adds with a smile. Every elder statesman handles their role a bit differently. Some prefer to pontificate, others to distance themselves entirely. Louis-Dreyfus, on the other hand, is a bit more practical. She lets her co-stars do their thing when acting, behaving more as a caretaker to her younger collaborators between takes. 'She's such a good mum,' says Viswanathan. 'She makes sure we stay hydrated. And she's always got good snacks on deck.' Louis-Dreyfus specifies: 'Dill pickle potato chips and pumpkin seeds.' Found family is certainly the vibe of Thunderbolts*, both in front of and behind the camera. The story finds a host of Marvel's most dysfunctional anti-heroic characters united against a common foe – their boss, played by Louis-Dreyfus. While each of these characters has appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before, this feels decidedly different from the franchise's other recent instalments. Director Jake Schreier (Netflix/A24's Beef) relied far more on in-camera effects and dramatic chops and far less on green screen and CGI, giving the movie a throwback feel. Schreier says: 'When I came in, [Marvel head] Kevin Feige said: 'Make it different.' And if you're going to tell a more internal, human story about these characters, you're going to need the world around them to feel more human too – more tactile and home-made. 'You want even the things behind their head to not be green-screen CGI extensions, because you'll notice it. We wanted to avoid those triggers of: 'Is this real?'' It has been hugely successful. The film has received the best reviews of any Marvel movie in years, with fans welcoming the studio's return to its most winning formula: building flawed, human characters that audiences cannot help but root for. A big part of how Schreier accomplished that was through his all-star cast, which features not only Louis-Dreyfus and Viswanathan, but Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell and David Harbour. 'They care so much about these characters that they'll really let you know if they think there's a moment in there that feels false to where that character would be,' says Schreier. 'All of them made changes to the script. They each brought their own perspective, and wanted to honour the truth of their characters, and then it was my responsibility to honour their performance,' he continues. For Louis-Dreyfus, who has a good case for being crowned the queen of comedy, the biggest challenge was stopping herself from being too funny. 'There were moments when I felt like we could have pushed the comedy in a way that would have been wholly inappropriate, but really fun for us,' she says. 'We did riff, and when it worked story and tone wise, it was folded in. Some of that definitely made it into the movie, but we relied heavily on Jake to help us find where the balance was.' While Louis-Dreyfus is thrilled with her Marvel experience, the challenge now will be finding something else that will scratch an itch she's never scratched before. 'There's lots of things left out there I still want to try. Why, you got something for me?' she asks. Thunderbolts* is in cinemas now across the Middle East
The National
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Julia Louis-Dreyfus combines Marvel villain on-screen with 'on-set mom' to Thunderbolts* co-stars
It does not matter what stage of your career you are at – there is nothing quite like making a Marvel film. Even multi-award-winning TV actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus is not quite sure how to handle the global fervour of the franchise's fans. Last week she attended the premiere of Thunderbolts*, in which she stars as the villainous Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Despite being a pop culture star with 11 Emmy Awards to her name, she had never seen anything quite like it. Louis-Dreyfus tells The National: 'To witness it is kind of awe-inspiring. It's a different deal altogether.' And while the actress, 64, famed for her roles in Seinfeld and Veep may still be getting used to the huge scale of the film, her co-stars are getting used to having a comedy heavyweight among their ranks. Geraldine Viswanathan, who co-stars as Mel, puts it plainly: 'She's the coolest, smartest, funniest, hottest – she's just the greatest. She's really just the person that I want to be.' 'Yep, everything I do is perfect,' Louis-Dreyfus adds with a smile. Every elder statesman handles their role a bit differently. Some prefer to pontificate, others to distance themselves entirely. Louis-Dreyfus, on the other hand, is a bit more practical. She lets her co-stars do their thing when acting, behaving more as a caretaker to her younger collaborators between takes. 'She's such a good mom,' says Viswanathan. 'She makes sure we stay hydrated. And she's always got good snacks on deck.' Louis-Dreyfus specifies: 'Dill pickle potato chips and pumpkin seeds.' Found family is certainly the vibe of Thunderbolts*, both in front of and behind the camera. The story finds a host of Marvel's most dysfunctional anti-heroic characters united against a common foe – their boss, played by Louis-Dreyfus. While each of these characters has appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before, this feels decidedly different from the franchise's other recent instalments. Director Jake Schreier (Netflix/A24's Beef) relied far more on in-camera effects and dramatic chops and far less on green screen and CGI, giving the movie a throwback feel. Schreier says: 'When I came in, [Marvel head] Kevin Feige said: 'Make it different.' And if you're going to tell a more internal, human story about these characters, you're going to need the world around them to feel more human too – more tactile and home-made. 'You want even the things behind their head to not be green-screen CGI extensions, because you'll notice it. We wanted to avoid those triggers of: 'Is this real?'' It has been hugely successful. The film has received the best reviews of any Marvel movie in years, with fans welcoming the studio's return to its most winning formula: building flawed, human characters that audiences cannot help but root for. A big part of how Schreier accomplished that was through his all-star cast, which features not only Louis-Dreyfus and Viswanathan, but Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell and David Harbour. 'They care so much about these characters that they'll really let you know if they think there's a moment in there that feels false to where that character would be,' says Schreier. 'All of them made changes to the script. They each brought their own perspective, and wanted to honour the truth of their characters, and then it was my responsibility to honour their performance,' he continues. For Louis-Dreyfus, who has a good case for being crowned the queen of comedy, the biggest challenge was stopping herself from being too funny. 'There were moments when I felt like we could have pushed the comedy in a way that would have been wholly inappropriate, but really fun for us,' she says. 'We did riff, and when it worked story and tone wise, it was folded in. Some of that definitely made it into the movie, but we relied heavily on Jake to help us find where the balance was.' While Louis-Dreyfus is thrilled with her Marvel experience, the challenge now will be finding something else that will scratch an itch she's never scratched before. 'There's lots of things left out there I still want to try. Why, you got something for me?' she asks. Thunderbolts* is in cinemas now across the Middle East
