Julia Louis-Dreyfus Opens up About Her Cancer Battle and How This One Film Saved Her Life

Seven years and seven seasons, this was how long the political satire drama series Veep ran on HBO. Throughout, we’ve come to love the nitty-gritty of a topic less talked about, but did so lightly, thanks to the stellar cast spearheaded by its star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who played Selina Meyer since the show graced our televisions in 2012. In fact, under her belt are six Emmy Awards just for that portrayal and is actually nominated again this year.

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus played Selina Meyer in Veep

Challenges behind the Camera

The show is without a doubt, entertaining. Who doesn’t love politics served as a comedy? But despite the antics and tricks of the characters that make us cackle, Julia faced quite tumultuous years leading to the show’s finale.

Her father, former chair of Louis Dreyfus Energy Services Gerard Louis-Dreyfus, died in 2016, then the following year, she was diagnosed with stage II cancer. This prompted her to undergo a double mastectomy, the removal of both breasts, and six chemotherapies. By the time Veep was finishing its last run, her sister died of accidental substance overdose.

A Lifesaver

Yes, Julia had been through a lot. Now that the show is over, she obviously had a lot of things to unpack. But despite the hardships behind the camera that didn’t really show in how she portrayed the character, Veep largely helped her get through the challenges. In fact, the 58-year-old star credited the intimate relationship she and her coworkers had formed as a big help in dealing with the problems.

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Veep stars helped Julia go through the hard times in life

Recounting how crazy of a family they are on the set, Julia shared they once linked arms, much like a sports team, a hilarious moment that uplifted her.

Apart from the group comforting her, the actress also said that Veep distracted her away from her health problems, calling it a “lifesaver.” Indeed, the show’s cast had built a strong rapport that created a friendly and warm atmosphere, which was even evident during the last days of the final season of the series.

For a Different Mood

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Matt Walsh reportedly sang and danced to Beyonce’s Single Ladies

The multi-award-winner narrated that it became heavy for everyone to shoot the last scenes of each character. Fortunately, Matt Walsh, who played Mike McLintock, had some tricks up in his sleeve to lighten up the mood.

The actor took a mic and sang Beyonce’s Single Ladies, and Julia admitted it was weird, but then he explained that he had done this to save himself from crying. The odd combination of singing and dancing while crying became bizarrely effective, Tony Hale said.

The finale of Veep meant the end of a highly acclaimed project that managed to achieve a feat that most series couldn’t: offering an awesome final season with an equally awesome finale that almost everyone, from fans to critics, gushed about.

Needless to say, it entailed a lot of hard work to give a very satisfying goodbye to the fans. Julia explained that she had been relentless in maintaining the quality of the show, which reflected in the enthusiasm of the supporters toward the series.