Julia Louis-Dreyfus Criticized ‘SNL’ As ‘Very, Very Sexist’ During Her Time On The Show

Julia Louis-Dreyfus made her SNL in 1982 and stayed on the comedy institution until 1985. She was the youngest female cast member in the show’s history, and as she told Stephen Colbert during a recent interview at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center for the annual Montclair Film fundraiser, she felt out of place. “I was incredibly naive,” Louis-Dreyfus said. “I didn’t understand how the dynamics of the place worked. It was very, very sexist. People were doing crazy drugs. I was oblivious; I just thought, oh wow, he’s got a lot of energy.” The Veep star didn’t specify which “he” she’s referring to, but there were numerous options; of the 10 cast members in her final season, seven were guys.

There was one silver lining for Louis-Dreyfus during her time on SNL, though: meeting Larry David, who later asked her to read for this show (then) called The Seinfeld Chronicles. You might have heard of it. “We bonded because he was as miserable as I was,” she said about David. “He would write these sketches and they would not see the light of day. I would go into his office and cry a lot.” Larry David? Miserable? No way:

Her time at SNL helped Louis-Dreyfus decide that she “didn’t have to walk and crawl through this kind of nasty glass if it’s not ultimately going to be fulfilling. I sort of applied the fun meter to every job I’ve had since.” When, a couple of years later, David asked her to read for a part on The Seinfeld Chronicles, her “fun meter” responded.

Louis-Dreyfus has since won 11 Emmys, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series a record seven times. She was right to trust her “fun meter.”

(Via North Jersey)

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