Pop Culture

Julia Louis-Dreyfus Dismisses 'Seinfeld Curse' as ‘So Moronic’

Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won 10 Emmys—many for her role as Selina Meyer on HBO's 'Veep'—since the illustrious 'Seinfeld' came to an end in 1998.

The cast of "Seinfeld" plays with Screen Actors Guild award.
The cast of "Seinfeld" plays with the award they won during the Inaugural Screen Actors Guild Award Show.
Getty

Julia Louis-Dreyfus doesn’t believe in the idea of a “Seinfeld curse.”

“It was invented by the media,” Louis-Dreyfus said in an interview with 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!”

The Seinfeld curse came about when Jason Alexander (Bob Patterson), Michael Richards (The Michael Richards Show), and Louis-Dreyfus (Watching Ellie) were unable to find sustained success with their own television series following the conclusion of the Larry David co-created juggernaut in 1998. Many would consider Louis-Dreyfus to be the outlier in the trio, as she eventually starred in The New Adventures of Old Christine, which aired for five seasons.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Louis-Dreyfus mentioned the Seinfeld curse after receiving an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2006. “I’m not somebody who really believes in curses, but curse this, baby!” she said.

Louis-Dreyfus went on to win the Emmy in the same category six consecutive years for her role as Selina Meyer on Veep, breaking the record for most wins as a single character, which was previously held by Candice Bergen for Murphy Brown. JLD also tied Cloris Leachman for most Emmy wins with eight.

Jerry Seinfeld discussed the alleged curse in a 2012 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, saying, “There never was a Seinfeld curse, because Larry David’s done so well. I’ve done well…The New Adventures of Old Christine, Julia won an Emmy, so, curse fans, sorry, it’s over.”

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