Something from a show about nothing

Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Photo / Supplied by TVNZ

Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Emmy win in 2006 for her sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine has debunked the myth of the 'Seinfeld curse', says Joanna Hunkin

Ten years separated Julia Louis-Dreyfus' two Emmy wins. As she accepted her second statuette in 2006, she held it triumphantly and declared "Curse this, baby".

The award - for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - was for her role as a divorced mother in The New Adventures of Old Christine. It came a decade after her first win for Best Supporting Actress as Elaine on Seinfeld and was a defining moment in the actress' career - proving there was no such thing as "the Seinfeld curse".

"It was a huge feeling of triumph, to be honest," says Louis-Dreyfus, speaking from Los Angeles, where she is recovering from a recent bout of flu.

Not that Louis-Dreyfus ever believed in the so-called curse, which referred to the Seinfeld cast's unfortunate string of failures following the end of the hugely popular sitcom.

"Of course it's completely ridiculous. That was something fabricated by a journalist and doesn't really make any sense. That's show business.

"For me, Seinfeld was hardly a curse, it was a complete blessing and opened up doors. And now I've moved on from that in the most happy of ways."

Three years after that second Emmy win, Louis-Dreyfus is still relishing her role as the hapless Christine, as the series plays out its fourth season. It's a character the actress can identify with - and more similar to her real-life persona than Seinfeld's Elaine ever was.

"I'm a working mother and I have the desperate desire to do the right thing by my kids," she says, explaining the similarities between herself and Christine.

"I think I would definitely be friends with Christine. I might walk the other way if I saw Elaine coming towards me," she laughs.

But the second round of sitcom success didn't come straight off the back of Seinfeld. First, there was the short-lived comedy Watching Ellie, which survived just 16 episodes in 2003, before it was cancelled due to waning ratings.

"To be honest with you, I think Watching Ellie was a little bit ahead of its time," she says of the series created by herself and husband Brad Hall.

"It was a single-camera comedy and nobody was really doing them then. Now everybody's doing it.

"I think it was such a departure from Elaine that it was hard for people to get. I think that if we were doing it now, it would probably be a different story.

"I'm very proud of that show. I loved doing that show. It was a tonne of work because it was single-camera, but I loved every second of it and it was disappointing when it got cancelled. I was sad to see it go."

The series came four years after Seinfeld wrapped up in 1998 and was Louis-Dreyfus' first recurring role following a self-imposed hiatus.

Louis-Dreyfus could also afford a break as she is one of the richest women in America - her father is French billionaire.

"I had two young children. I gave birth to both my kids while I was doing Seinfeld so I was eager for a rest. I was eager to stay home with my children. ... but then, you know, I got the bug again. I got the itch," she laughs conspiratorially.

That itch didn't abate even after the disappointment of Watching Ellie and when a script arrived for Old Christine, the actress was immediately interested.

"I entered it hopefully and optimistically," she says, recalling the first season's filming. "I did feel this idea and this story we were telling was one that had legs. It was one that could last over a long period of time.

"It's one thing to do a single episode, or even a single season, but to go beyond that the story really has to develop deep roots. I was very hopeful - and so far, so good."

Awards and ratings aside, perhaps the biggest testament to the series' success is fan reaction to Louis-Dreyfus herself.

"I would say in the last couple of years, I've had more people call me Christine [than Julia or Elaine]. Which is really hilarious."

That loyal fan base has seen Old Christine survive a host of setbacks, including a network that continues to bump the sitcom around their viewing schedule.

"It's hard for us," says the actress. "It's like if you're climbing a mountain and you're getting close to the top, and someone just pushes down.

"Having said that though, this past season we've started on Wednesday nights, which is a new night for CBS, and we've made a new night of comedy for them. We've succeeded.

"Everybody feels pretty good about that."

LOWDOWN
Who: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Born: January 13, 1961, in New York City
Key roles: Elaine Benes on Seinfeld (1989-1998); Ellie Riggs on Watching Ellie (2002-2003); Christine Campbell in The New Adventures of Old Christine (2005-present)
When: The New Adventures of Old Christine screens Fridays, 8pm, TV2.