Julia Louis-Dreyfus is preparing to usher in Veep‘s upcoming seventh and final season, as Selina Meyer — her “wretched,” “unchecked,” and “very undeveloped person, emotionally” character — prepares to run for President of the United States (again). In the latest episode of “The Big Picture,” Louis-Dreyfus sits down with MTV News correspondent Josh Horowitz to reflect on the hit HBO series and everything it took to get there.
“I have to say that we poured our hearts and souls into this final season, so it has great meaning to the entire group as a result. And the journey that all of these characters take, not just Selina Meyer but everyone through to the final episode is pretty intense,” Louis-Dreyfus said, offering not one tease of what those journeys will look like, other than the ever-cryptic (and, quite frankly, completely expected), “Selina is at her most Selina.”
But unlike her character, Louis-Dreyfus, who executive produces the show, enforces a strict “no assholes rule” on set, which she implemented after experiencing both excellent and not-so-excellent work environments as she worked her way up the comedy ladder from Chicago’s esteemed Second City, to SNL, to Seinfeld, and beyond.
That’s part of the reason the show works so well — and also, probably, the reason fans of the show think the real Louis-Dreyfus would make a very capable candidate should she ever decide to run for office. “But it’s not what I do,” she said. “Listen, I’m not saying that I would be bad at it necessarily, but I am saying that I really like to perform and as a character and I don’t want to enter that fray. That’s not my skill set.” Aptly, Louis-Dreyfus added, “You don’t have to run for office to impact the world.”
And if anyone should know that, it’s the woman who played Elaine Benes, an exemplar of ’90s street-style — even if photos from the time do make her cringe. “My look. I could die from that. With that hair and those outfits but anyway, whatever,” she hurriedly moved past, mortified by the thought that the looks are actually quite trendy at the moment.
The legacy of Elaine still lives on in Louis-Dreyfus’s daily life, be it through fashion notes or her dance skills. “I’m keenly aware that if there’s a dance floor, people are watching to see if I can actually dance and yes, I can,” she clarified.
But as we enter the final chapters of the story that will become Selina’s legacy, Louis-Dreyfus has one request: “I want folks to look back at her and laugh. At her. I would like them to laugh at her.”
For more from Louis-Dreyfus, watch the full interview above. Veep returns to HBO for its final season Sunday, March 31.
