Underneath This Is a Foulmouthed (Very Funny) Feminist

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is the Lucille Ball of this era, an Emmy-laden comedian who’s both executive and actress. And she’d like you to know she’s A) fearless, B) ‘not interested in being the eye-rolling wife’ and, yes, C) ‘still pretty f—able'

- Lacey Rose

In early 2013, Julia Louis-Dreyfus received what she considered the ultimate fan note.

"Dear Julia," it began, "Hope you get everything you want as Veep — gun control, immigration and education reform." The letterhead read Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State.

For Louis-Dreyfus, it was more than flattery. Here was confirmation, at the highest level, of just how much her HBO comedy had won the respect of the finicky Beltway crowd.

Then, some two years later, Louis-Dreyfus would learn of a second document — the note behind the note, as it were. This one, dated around the same time and unveiled as part of a batch of exposed Clinton emails, was from the secretary of state to her then-aide, Robert V. Russo.

“A friend wants me to sign something for Julia Lewis-Dreyfus for Veep. Any ideas?” Clinton wrote, her question (and mangling of the star’s name) suggesting unfamiliarity with the series. Russo responded: “Let me brainstorm on this one/do some research. I confess I haven’t seen the show!”

When I ask the seven-time Emmy winner whether she was piqued that Clinton might not be the loyal viewer she professed to be, Louis-Dreyfus cocks back her head of thick black curls and laughs. “Are you kidding?” she says. “I mean, it’s perfect — just perfect.” The joke, she understood, was on her, as if ripped from a Veep script. Louis-Dreyfus — whose on-set hairstylist has worked with Clinton and had relayed the actress’ admiration to her — keeps both notes framed side by side in her office.

That instinct to embrace the humor of almost any situation helped Louis-Dreyfus, 55, eclipse a similarly fearless performer, Lucille Ball, to become the most nominated comedy actress in television history. She also is the only one to have taken home Emmys for three different series — Seinfeld