Julia Louis-Dreyfus Finally Gets Real About Seinfeld's First Episodes And Polarizing Finale

Summary

• Julia Louis-Dreyfus wanted more early storylines for Elaine on Seinfeld, and she wasn't afraid to speak up about it to the show's creators.
• Despite understanding why fans were disappointed, the actress enjoyed the unique setting of the Seinfeld series finale in the courtroom.
• Louis-Dreyfus's honesty about the show's early episodes and finale emphasizes the love she had for Seinfeld, even with its flaws.

After Julia Louis-Dreyfus played the brilliant and quirky Elaine Benes on Seinfeld, she went on to become one of the wealthiest cast members on Veep partly thanks to her salary from the '90s sitcom. But while Patrick Warburton felt typecast after Seinfeld, there's no doubt that the actress embraces being known for Seinfeld. She even said in a Rolling Stone interview that she thinks the media created the concept of "the Seinfeld curse" and that it wasn't real.

Anytime the rich and successful Seinfeld cast members speak about the sitcom, fans are thrilled to hear what they have to say. Whenever Julia Louis-Dreyfus gives an interview, it's clear that she's going to have something compelling to say.

In this article, we'll take a look at the criticism Julia Louis-Dreyfus had about the beginning of Seinfeld, along with what the actress said about the much-hated series finale.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus Shared Her Honest Thoughts About Seinfeld's Early Episodes

Julia Louis-Dreyfus was critical of early Seinfeld episodes in an interview with The Daily Beast. There are only five episodes in season 1, and most of them are focused on George and Jerry's relationship.

Louis-Dreyfus said that she wanted Elaine to have more storylines early on. She said:

"Well, I never really approached it from the perspective of my gender, per se. I wanted to just play ball with everybody. I’m not going to lie, in the beginning, I didn’t always have a lot to do in certain episodes."

The actress continued:

"And I would go to Larry and Jerry multiple times and say, 'Hey, you guys, write me more, I need to be in this show more.' That’s what I just kept doing. And they did."

It's good to know that Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld were open to the feedback that Julia Louis-Dreyfus had about her character. Similarly, Jason Alexander once talked to Seinfeld about a scene featuring George and Jerry.

Seinfeld fans are definitely glad that Louis-Dreyfus said that Elaine should be in more early Seinfeld scenes. No matter how funny George and Jerry are, Elaine brings a special quality to each scene, from her extremely awkward dancing to her petty personality.

What Are The Episodes In Season 1 Of Seinfeld?

• "The Seinfeld Chronicles" (pilot)
• "The Stake-Out" (episode 2)
• "The Robbery" (episode 3)
• "Male Unbonding" (episode 4)
• "The Stock Tip" (episode 5)

In a 2023 interview with Bustle, Julia Louis-Dreyfus reflected on being 28 years old and beginning her tenure playing Elaine on Seinfeld. She echoed her comments that she hoped to be an equal player on the sitcom, just like the male actors.

She said, "The thing that was great about that show in its best iteration was that it was neutral from a gender point of view. It wasn't like the girl jokes and the boy jokes. You know what I mean?"

The star's comments prove that she was right to be a little critical of Seinfeld and ask that Elaine have more early plotlines. Since there are four main characters, it only makes sense for Elaine to play a major role.

As it turns out, Elaine isn't in the pilot episode of Seinfeld. Lee Garlington talked about playing Claire in the Seinfeld pilot in a 2013 interview with The Huffington Post. After she portrayed a server at the diner that Jerry and George went to, she learned that she was cut from the show.

What Did Julia Louis-Dreyfus Say About The Seinfeld Series Finale?

While many years have passed since the series finale of Seinfeld, there's no denying the fact that fans are still upset about it. Those involved with the popular sitcom have shared their thoughts over the years as well, and even Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David are aware of the negative public response. When she mentioned this episode in her interview with The Daily Beast, Julia Louis-Dreyfus said the characters had nothing to do in the series finale.

The actress said:

"I understood why people were disappointed. First of all, expectations were ridiculous. But I also understood, because we didn’t do too much in it. Once we had been arrested and in court, it was just us sitting there watching one person after another parade through.”

What Are Some Unpopular TV Series Finales? (According to Business Insider)

• Pretty Little Liars
• Game of Thrones
• X-Files
• Gossip Girl
• Lost
• Dexter
• Roseanne
• How I Met Your Mother

Some might be surprised that Louis-Dreyfus was so blunt and essentially said that she understood why fans thought the end of Seinfeld was boring as some actors only praise their projects. However, many would agree that she has a point. The star's words emphasize the frustration that people still feel. Instead of watching the main characters hang out and joke around and be bitter, like they did in every other episode, they were in jail. It was definitely a strange setting for Seinfeld. Even Seinfeld himself said he's "a little bit bothered" when he thinks about the sitcom's last episode, as he said in a 2024 interview with GQ.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus did preface her comments by saying what she enjoyed about the Seinfeld series finale. This proves that while she had some criticism of the last episode, she did love starring on the sitcom.

She said, “Well, I will say that just from a purely emotional point of view, it was really a delight to sit there in that courtroom and watch one guest actor after another parade through. I mean, it’s like we were watching the show, so that was really fun, that aspect of it."