Julia Louis-Dreyfus Says That Filming 'Veep' Helped Her Through 'a Lot of Personal Challenges'

Julia Louis-Dreyfus explained that Veep was great distraction from her health issues, allowing her to direct her attention elsewhere

After a successful 7-season run, Julia Louis-Dreyfus is beginning to reflect on her time with the hit comedy series, Veep.

The actress, 58, who has won six Emmy Awards for her portrayal of President Selina Meyer on the show, has been at the forefront of the political satire since it began airing in 2012. Now, Louis-Dreyfus credits the series for lifting her spirits after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017.

“I’ve had a lot of personal challenges, losses, dear ones in my family, my own battle with cancer,” Louis-Dreyfus told Entertainment Tonight at the HBO For Your Consideration event in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The actress added that she doesn’t know how she would have dealt with everything “had I not had this really close intimate relationship with all of these people.”

“We linked arms and we tried to do the most joyful funny thing possible as a team,” she continued. “It was like being on a sports team … and that was the most buoying thing, to constantly be coming back to. It really helped me.”

The cast of Veep. Julia Louis-Dreyfus/Instagram

The star explained to the outlet that Veep was great distraction from her health issues. “It gave me something to laser focus on during my illness, and I needed to laser focus [on something] beyond my illness, so it was a lifesaver,” she shared.

In an interview with Vanity Fair released earlier this month, Louis-Dreyfus admitted that despite being in remission, the cancer has left lasting scars. “I’m glad I got through it, but there’s a part of me that’s still a little frightened, you know?” she said.

The finale of Veep, which the cast wrapped in December 2018 and aired in March of this year, earned great reactions from fans and critics — garnering nine Emmy nominations including outstanding comedy series, outstanding writing for a comedy series, and another nod for Louis-Dreyfus for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series.

“I’ve been fiercely protective of the quality of the show for eight years, like fiercely, and so I did not want to screw this up from a creative point of view,” Louis-Dreyfus added to the outlet of the finale. “The reaction has been very enthusiastic.”

“We worked long and hard and went through many iterations of what was it going to be. Really, many. And so I think we landed in the right spot,” she told Entertainment Tonight.