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Actress. Born January 13, 1961 in New York City. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is best known for her roles in the sitcoms Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine. The great-great granddaughter of businessman Leopold Louis-Dreyfus, who founded the international Louis Dreyfus Group. After studying drama at Northwestern University, Louis-Dreyfus began her acting career in nearby Chicago at the Practical Theatre Company and with the prestigious Second City comedy troupe. After moving to New York, she was cast as a regular on Saturday Night Live in 1982, where she showcased her comedic talents for the next two seasons.
In 1986,"Julia Louis-Dreyfus"launched her film career, appearing in Woody Allen'sHannah and Her Sisters and Soul Man. But it was her portrayal of the fabulously flawed and cynical Elaine Benes on NBC's hit sitcom Seinfeld that launched Louis-Dreyfus to stardom. The New Yorkcentric comedy, also costarring Jason Alexander and Michael Richards, was created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David and ran for nine seasons (1989-1998). Though the role of Elaine was not part of the show's original concept, NBC producers insisted thatSeinfeld needed a feminine perspective. She earned a Golden Globe in 1993 and an Emmy in 1996 for her performance.
During breaks from Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus continued to make films, with uneven results. These included Jack the Bear (1993), Rob Reiner's North (1994), Father's Day with Billy Crystal and Robin Williams, and Woody Allen'sDeconstructing Harry (1997). And in 1998, she lent her voice for the role of Princess Atta in the computer-animated feature A Bug's Life.
In 2002, Julia Louis-Dreyfus starred in her own NBC sitcom called Watching Ellie. Despite a promising debut, the real-time comedy featuring Louis-Dreyfus as a Los Angeles lounge singer took a dive in the ratings and was canceled midway through its first season. A revamped version"of the show returned to"NBC's prime time"lineup for spring 2003, but it failed to find an audience.
Undaunted, Julia Louis-Dreyfus returned to television with a new sitcom, New Adventures of Old Christine, in 2006. She stars as Christine, a divorced mother of one, navigating the ups and downs of parenting, dating, and running a business. The show's title is drawn from the fact that her former husband gets involved with a younger woman who shares her first name and becomes known as "New Christine." Louis-Dreyfus won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2006 for her work on the show. The show ran for 5 seasons.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus is married to actor and producer Brad Hall. The couple met at Northwestern University and married in 1987. Their son, Henry, was born in 1992.
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