Seinfeld Bios
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS AS ELAINE BENES
As Elaine Benes, who held her own as the endearingly eccentric sole female member of the Seinfeld foursome, Julia Louis-Dreyfus was recognized with several critical honors. For her role as the dance-challenged, workplace-weary, and “get out”-yelling purveyor of bad dates, she received an Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Golden Globe Award, four American Comedy Awards and two Viewers for Quality Television Awards.
Louis-Dreyfus returned to series television in 2002, starring in the innovative sitcom that unfolds in real time, “Watching Ellie,” which has been renewed for mid-season 2003. Since the conclusion of Seinfeld, her other roles include starring as The Blue Fairy in The Wonderful World of Disney's “Gepetto,” a musical based on the Pinocchio legend. She was also heard as Princess Atta in Disney/Pixar's box-office smash animated movie “A Bug's Life,” which also featured David Hyde Pierce and Kevin Spacey, and as Mollie in the cable telefilm “Animal Farm.” She also was recently a guest voice on “The Simpsons” and has guest-starred on Larry David's Emmy Award-nominated HBO series “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
Born in New York City and raised in Washington, D.C., Louis Dreyfus became interested in acting at a young age. She studied theater at Northwestern University and, while there, worked extensively as a member of The Practical Theater Company, an improvisational group with a large following in the Chicago area. Her talent and improv skills eventually also brought her to the attention of the world-renowned Second City troupe, which she also joined.
During a performance of The Practical Theater's "Golden 50th Anniversary Jubilee," she garnered attention and was asked to join the ensemble cast of “Saturday Night Live.” She remained with the late-night comedy series for three years.
Adept at both comedy and drama, her other film credits include Woody Allen's “Deconstructing Harry” and “Hannah and Her Sisters”; Ivan Reitman's “Fathers' Day,” with Robin Williams and Billy Crystal; and “Queen of the Whole Wide World.” Louis-Dreyfus also starred in the television adaptation of the Neil Simon comedy “London Suite.”
She has also been seen frequently on television as a commercial spokesperson for such companies and products as AT&T and Clairol “Nice and Easy.”
Louis-Dreyfus is married to writer/producer Brad Hall; the pair have known each other since their college days at Northwestern and were co-stars on “Saturday Night Live.” Hall also created “Watching Ellie” and serves as the series executive producer.
