She also makes sure to mention how much she appreciates Holofcener’s take on her very complicated characters (“Her work is about understanding flawed people with kind eyes and I love that.”) and how the easy-going nature of the set helped to get Louis-Dreyfus to a comfortable place in bringing Eva to life, “A lot of Eva was on the page but it was very collaborative. I’m an improviser and Nicole loves and welcomes that so I brought it big time.”
Louis-Dreyfus plays opposite James Gandolfini in what would turn out to be his final film role—the actor passed away suddenly in June of this year. A departure of sorts for him, the actress reveals that he was insecure about playing the film’s romantic lead but had a great sense of humour about it: “He felt very undeserving of the role. He kept questioning why he got the part of the guy who gets the girl. He kept saying to Nicole, ‘if you feel like calling Clooney and getting him in for this, go ahead.’ But that made him even more perfect for the part.”
When asked to expound on her time spent with Gandolfini, Louis-Dreyfus gets quiet as she ponders what else to say about a man who was so beloved in the film industry and whose death is a very much talked about part of Enough Said’s promotional tour. In the end she settles on a simple tribute that speaks volumes about the impact he had on her, “It was amazing to work with him. I can’t believe I was able to. I’d always been a fan of his work but I think he’s one of the best actors of this generation – whatever this generation is. This part of Albert, this dear, thoughtful, self-effacing man, is very close to who James was. He was a gentle giant of a person.”
Looking to the future, Louis-Dreyfus promises not only to keep making audiences laugh on the small screen—Veep returns for a third season in 2014—but also to keep pursuing smart and well-written parts for the big screen, “I love making films!” she says smiling brightly. “Particularly when they’re good films directed by Nicole Holofcener. I’d really love to keep working with Nicole.”
We’d like to thank Julia very much for her time. Be sure to check out Enough Said when it hits theatres on September 27th, 2013.
