Exclusive: ‘Seinfeld’ actress Elaine on her role in ‘Thunderbolts’

IN HER over four-decade career in Hollywood, Julia Louis-Dreyfus firmly planted her feet in comedy, be it for a TV series or film.

- DEBASHINE THANGEVELO

That she is at the helm of Thunderbolts, the 36th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), is surprising and fascinating at the same time.

Of course, when I was offered a virtual interview opportunity with the veteran actress and newcomer Geraldine Viswanathan, I immediately agreed.

Seriously, Louis-Dreyfus is a legend, a fact Seinfeld fans will agree with.

As CIA director, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine's ambiguous morality will likely surprise viewers, as she operates in the gray area between good and evil. Viswanathan portrays Mel, Valentina's innocent assistant, who grapples with her superior's unethical tactics.

Louis-Dreyfus noted that her popularity in playing characters like Elaine (Seinfeld) becomes advantageous when agreeing to new projects. “It’s nice to be welcomed, assuming folks are on board, assuming they are willing to take on whatever journey you are proposing, character-wise, story-wise.”

In the movie, directed by Jake Shreier, a group of antiheroes is caught in a deadly trap and forced to work together on a dangerous mission, orchestrated by Valentina in a bid to conceal her involvement in a covert program. Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Chris Bauer, Wendell Pierce and David Harbour, are among the ensemble cast in the movie.