Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus ( LOO-ee DRY-fəss; born January 13, 1961) is an American actress, comedian, and producer. She is known for her roles in a string of successful comedy series and several comedy films. Louis-Dreyfus has received numerous accolades including eleven Primetime Emmy Awards, nine Actor Awards, and a Golden Globe Award. She entered comedy as a performer with the Practical Theatre Company, and was a cast member on the sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1982 to 1985. Her breakthrough came playing Elaine Benes on the NBC sitcom Seinfeld (1990–1998), one of the most successful sitcoms in television history. She earned further acclaim for her roles as Christine Campbell on The New Adventures of Old Christine (2006–2010) and Selina Meyer on Veep (2012–2019), and has guest starred on shows such as Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and 30 Rock. Louis-Dreyfus has had leading film roles in the comedy-dramas Enough Said (2013), Downhill (2020), You Hurt My Feelings (2023), and Tuesday (2023), with supporting film roles in comedy films such as Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989), Deconstructing Harry (1997), and You People (2023). She has voiced roles in Disney animated films A Bug's Life (1998), Planes (2013), and Onward (2020) and The Sheep Detectives (2026). She has played Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2021. On stage, she made her Broadway debut in the revival of the Jon Robin Baitz play Other Desert Cities (2026). As one of the most awarded actors in television history, she has won more Actor Awards than any other performer, and is tied with Cloris Leachman, Jean Smart, and Allison Janney for the most acting Emmys. Louis-Dreyfus has received various honors including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010, the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2018 and the National Medal of Arts in 2021. She was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2014 and was named as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2016.