Posted in: NBC, Netflix, TV | Tagged: jason alexander, jerry seinfeld, julia louis-dreyfus, larry david, michael richards, nbc, seinfeld

Julia Louis-Dreyfus Pushes Back on Seinfeld Curse as Media-Invented

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) offered her thoughts on the supposed Seinfeld curse, why it's nothing more than a media creation, and more.

It's hard to argue, especially in 2023, how much of a success and television legend Julia Louis-Dreyfus has become. The Saturday Night Live alumnae have had several successful projects throughout her career, with her arguably one of her three biggest to-date successes being Seinfeld as the sitcom's lone female presence in Elaine Benes. Following its nine-season run on NBC from 1989-1998, some of the stars struggled to find post-sitcom success – including principal stars Jason Alexander (George) and Michael Richards (Kramer). Series star and creator Jerry Seinfeld largely returned to the standup scene with the occasional on-screen and voice appearance. This phenomenon became known across the pop culture landscape as the Seinfeld curse.

"It was invented by the media," Louis-Dreyfus told Rolling Stone. "They thought it was clever. You don't need me to prove it wrong; it was ridiculous! It made no sense. I was amazed that it had legs because it was so moronic. I don't know how else to say it! [Laughs]" One can certainly make the argument that she's the most successful of the Seinfeld core cast members starting with her CBS series The New Adventures of Old Christine, which ran from 2006-2010, HBO series Veep which ran from 2012-2019, and her current role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.

"I think any time a project ends, it's gutting for me," Louis-Dreyfus said. "And that's true of movies and TV shows. There is a focus and a camaraderie that's very much present when you're working hard on a project that you believe in, and when the circus leaves town, it's a huge transition. There's a real feeling of sadness for me. 'Where did all my buddies go?' 'Where are my friends?'" Alexander's post-Seinfeld attempts include ABC's Bob Patterson, and CBS's Listen Up! Richards' The Michael Richards Show lasted only eight episodes on NBC, and Louis-Dreyfus' Watching Ellie on NBC lasted two seasons.

Alexander has been regularly active in live-action and voiceover front, including recent stints on Hulu's History of the World: Part II, Paramount+ animated series Star Trek: Prodigy, CBS' Young Sheldon, HBO Max animated series Harley Quinn and Amazon Prime Video's The Marvelous Ms. Maisel. Richards had a stint on TV Land's Kirstie in 2013 and most recently in the 2019 indie romantic comedy Faith, Hope & Love. His career has largely derailed since his infamous racist tirade on the stand-up scene in 2006. Seinfeld's largely played himself in his sporadic on-screen appearances, including Huge in France, The Jim Gaffigan Show, and Inside Amy Schumer. All the Seinfeld stars have made numerous appearances on sitcom co-creator Larry David's HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm as "themselves," which he also stars in. For more, including Louis-Dreyfus talking about her life and career, you can check out the interview here. Seinfeld is available to stream on Netflix.

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