Why Seinfeld Was So Creatively Satisfying For Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Four friends navigating work, love, and yada yada yada. That's the basis of "Seinfeld," the successful sitcom that follows the lives of standup comedian Jerry Seinfeld, his best friend George Costanza (Jason Alexander), his ex-girlfriend Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and his neighbor Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards). The show aired for nine seasons, winning 10 Primetime Emmys during its run, and created several memorable moments that are now cemented in pop culture, including Jerry's puffy shirt, Elaine's unique dance moves, and a Festivus for the rest of us.
Louis-Dreyfus first appeared on the show in Season 1, Episode 2, "The Stakeout." Jerry goes to a birthday party with Elaine and falls for one of the guests. While Jerry tries to flirt, Elaine is explaining a dream she had where Jerry had wooden teeth. This would be just one of many comedic moments between Jerry and Elaine as they learn what their friendship looks like after their breakup.
While fans continue to enjoy the classic comedy, Louis-Dreyfus reflects on her role and why "Seinfeld" was so creatively satisfying for her.
Louis-Dreyfus said timing and fun were key to the success of Seinfeld
In a 2002 interview with Charlie Rose, Julia Louis-Dreyfus said the creative satisfaction she got while working on "Seinfeld" made a big difference in her life, noting that joy was a main ingredient in making the show. "I think it was extraordinary that we were all lucky enough to come together, but once we came together it was sort of there ... it was just a great group of people at the right place at the right time ... we enjoyed the process and I think that translated," she said.
During the interview, Louis-Dreyfus pointed out that before "Seinfeld," she was no stranger to comedy, working on "Saturday Night Live" alongside "Seinfeld" co-creator Larry David who sent her scripts for the sitcom. Of course, the rest is history and they would go on to make more than 100 episodes of the series. Louis-Dreyfus said that much of "Seinfeld" required three days of rehearsals before filming for a day and a half. And while the cast and crew worked hard to bring comedy to the masses, she told Charlie Rose that the fun they had on set translated very well on screen: "That's what was so great about doing 'Seinfeld' actually, is that we were having so much fun and then other people were digging it. It was like, 'Wow! This is so cool.'"