“Veep” actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus will attend the Democratic National Convention and will likely have a “special involvement” in helping elect Kamala Harris as president, according to a new interview revealed Sunday.
London Times We spoke with Louis-Dreyfus about the resurgence of popularity of her comedy series “Veep” since Vice President Harris was nominated for Democratic presidential nomination, as well as her upcoming projects.
“Veep,” which aired on HBO from 2012 to 2019, saw Louis-Dreyfus play the comedically inept fictional female vice president, Selina Meyer. Comparisons between the lead character and Harris have been hotly debated in recent years, with critics blasting the vice president for her so-called “wordplay.”
The comparisons are likely to continue, as Louis-Dreyfus has reportedly endorsed Harris.
Vice President Kamala Harris has frequently been compared to the lead character in the HBO comedy-drama “Veep.” (Photo of Kamala Harris by Ethan Miller/Getty Images | Screenshot of Vice President Selina Meyer on HBO’s “Veep” captured from The DailyShows YouTube channel)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus is “delighted” to see ‘Veep’ return following Harris’ candidacy, hopes it will help her campaign
“But Louis-Dreyfus’s statement that she will be ‘specially involved’ with the Harris campaign is sure to create further confusion between Meyer and Harris. Shortly after the interview, she records an advertisement informing Americans living abroad how to vote. Will she attend the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this month? She hesitates, fearing spoilers. ‘I will probably attend,’ she finally says,” the Times of London writes.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the DNC for comment.
Louis-Dreyfus previously hosted the final day of the virtual 2020 Democratic National Convention, a performance that was panned by conservative commentators.
While Louis-Dreyfus welcomed the connection with Harris, she argued many of the comparisons were sexist and sought to distance herself from the vice president and her fictional character.
“Veep” star Julia Louis-Dreyfus said she was happy the political satire show was making a comeback after Vice President Harris announced she would be running for president in 2024. (Getty Images)
“Let me just say this,” Louis-Dreyfus said, “If Serena has given Kamala any advice, she shouldn’t take it. Kamala is so smart, I don’t think she’d answer the phone.”
“Female candidates are scrutinized more,” she added. “That’s the reality. We used that to our comedic advantage. In one episode, a character encourages Serena to start her speech with, ‘As a woman,’ and she says, ‘I don’t identify as a woman! People shouldn’t know that! Men hate it, and women who hate women hate it, and I think most women do.’ So we used that a lot in our material.”
However, Veep series creator Armando Iannucci similarly denied any comparisons between Louis-Dreyfus’ character and Harris.
‘Veep’ producer slams ‘idiots’ who likened Kamala Harris to hapless vice president on show
“Selina Meyer is not Kamala Harris,” Iannucci said. The Hollywood Reporter“When I was making ‘Veep,’ I didn’t have any particular person in mind… I wasn’t really modeled after anybody.”
“I’m happy people are watching ‘Veep’ again, but I don’t want people to think Kamala Harris is like Selina Meyer,” he added.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus hosted the Democratic National Convention in 2020 and may also appear at the 2024 convention. (Dia Dipaspil/Getty Images)
The TV show saw a 353% increase in viewership for its first season on HBO Max, the day after President Biden dropped out of the race. according to Luminate streaming audience data.
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Fox News’ Christine Parks contributed to this report.
