Top 10 Hilarious Julia Louis-Dreyfus Moments
#10: When Bernie Met Elaine “Saturday Night Live” (1975-)
Top 10 Hilarious Kevin Hart Moments
Although she made her claim to fame as Elaine Benes, Julia had already established herself as a comedic heavyweight throughout her three years on “SNL.” During her final year as a regular “SNL” cast member, Julia met a writer who’d go on to co-create “Seinfeld,” Larry David. In 2016, the two returned to their “SNL” roots, with David portraying Bernie Sanders and Julia reprising her role as Elaine, who seemingly hasn’t changed her hair or wardrobe in almost twenty years. The banter between Bernie and Elaine is very “Seinfeld”-esque, even borrowing some direct quotes. Elaine also points out a flaw in Bernie’s plan to tax the wealthy, which would mean less money for a certain sitcom creator. Yada yada yada, Bernie gets on Team Hillary.
#9: Maggie Lizer “Arrested Development” (2003-06; 2013)
Top 10 Maggie Smith Moments
The best comedic performers will constantly leave the audience guessing and Maggie Lizer may be the most unpredictable character in Julia’s filmography. Maggie also gives Julia a chance to showcase her knack for physical comedy. Although she spells trouble for his family, this blind lawyer nonetheless catches Michael Bluth’s eye. As it turns out, Maggie is faking her blindness, but must keep up the charade when Tobias breaks into her house. Maggie gives up the blind act after a Bible to the head helps her to see the light, although she resurfaces several months later, apparently with child. Whenever Maggie shows up, we can always expect an uproarious game of cat-and-mouse, but you’d need a seeing-eye dog to sniff out her true motivations.
#8: Her Mark Twain Prize Acceptance Speech Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (2018)
After over thirty-five years on television, Julia more than earned the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2018. Since this award was for comedy, she naturally turned her speech into a standup routine. Julia joked that she felt annoyed when she received an email about the award, thinking they wanted her to be a presenter. Upon realizing that the award was for her, however, she had a change of tune. In the midst of thanking her famous friends, Julia kept coming back to her failed audition for “The Merchant of Venice.” Finally, she put the whole speech on hold just to deliver a Shakespearean monologue. Julia wrapped up with some poignant words about her breast cancer diagnosis, but still found the comedy in adversity.
#7: Walk of Fame Typo “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” (2014-)
She may be a household name, not everybody can spell “Louis-Dreyfus” off the top of their head. It would appear even the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce needs help in the spell-checking department. In 2010, Julia was honored with a deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Shortly before the event, however, Dreyfus was informed that they spelt her name wrong on the star. How does that happen in a post-Wikipedia world? While they corrected the spelling error at the last minute, you can tell it was a rush job. What makes the typo especially funny is that we could totally see this sort of thing happening to Selina Meyer. At least it made for a great story to share on “The Tonight Show.”
#6: The Restroom “Veep” (2012-19)
Top 20 Hilarious Kevin Hart Moments
Whatever you make of their relationship, Selina and Gary arguably share the best dynamic on “Veep.” Although Gary would take a bullet for his boss, Selina primarily views him as the pawn who carries her bag. In a restroom of all places, we see these two bond over good news: POTUS is out, meaning Selina is in. Gary is so overwhelmed that he can’t hold back his happy tears… or his happy bloody nose. Reversing roles, Selina takes care of Gary in a rare moment of affection, going through his bag for tissues. Pulling out random items, the two hysterically break down over their current circumstances and Selina’s future in the White House. You can tell that Julia and Tony Hale’s laughter is 100% genuine.
#5: Elaine’s Wardrobe Malfunction “Seinfeld” (1989-98)
Over a decade before Janet Jackson’s infamous Super Bowl halftime show, Elaine endured a wardrobe malfunction of her own. Looking at a Christmas card that Kramer photographed for Elaine, Jerry points out an exposed region of her body. Elaine, or “Nip” as she’s eventually labeled in the workplace, is mortified that she sent the card to her friends, colleagues, family, and boyfriend. The only two people she apparently didn’t send the nip pic to are Newman, who’s quick to notice the oversight, and George, who’s upset that he got left out. Beyond frustrated, Elaine gives George his own personal Christmas card. You don’t want to push Elaine’s buttons, a lesson that the Soup Nazi would learn the hard way.
#4: The Kiss “66th Primetime Emmy Awards” (2014)
Top 10 Unscripted Award Show Moments That Went Viral
Julia and Bryan Cranston both became Emmy magnets as their careers took off. So, it’s only fitting that Elaine and Tim Whatley, played by Cranston, hooked up on an episode of “Seinfeld.” Fun fact, Julia had a cold while shooting that scene and inevitably passed it on to her kissing co-star. As part of a promotional sketch for the 2014 Primetime Emmys, Julia tried pawning off her first Emmy to two creeps played by Cranston and Aaron Paul. While presenting on the Emmy telecast that same year, Julia noticed a striking resemblance between Cranston and Whatley. Memories came flooding back to Julia after she won the Emmy that night and Cranston gave her another passionate kiss. For longtime “Seinfeld” fans, this was the ultimate callback.
#3: Selina’s Eulogy “Veep” (2012-19)
Selina has always put her career before her family, but both worlds collide in this classic “Veep” episode. After pulling the plug on her mother, Selina appears mostly unfazed. At the funeral, however, Selina learns that she lost Nevada and finally breaks down while giving her eulogy. What makes this scene so hilarious and tragic is that it’s never made clear why Selina is crying. Losing the popular vote definitely pushed Selina over the edge, but could some of those tears be for her mother? If so, this scene gives dimensions to Selina that we never knew existed. Of course, it’s also possible that Selina is just crying over her failed political aspirations. Either way, you can see why this episode won Julia another Emmy.
#2: An Emmy for Selina Meyer “65th Primetime Emmy Awards” (2013)
Top 10 Funniest Ricky Gervais Moments
No matter how many Emmys she wins, Julia knows how to keep her speeches fresh. Picking up her fourth Emmy in 2013, Julia was joined on stage by Tony Hale, who held her purse just as Gary would do for Selina. Julia started off thanking the various people who made her show possible while her co-star awkwardly nodded along. As the speech continued, though, Selina Meyer started to shine through. In typical Gary fashion, Hale whispered into Julia’s ear, reminding her to thank her family and to acknowledge that she loves them. Anna Chlumsky, who plays Selina’s chief of staff Amy, also got in on the fun when the camera cut to her texting away. The whole “Veep” cast was in character that night. Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: Elaine’s Little Kicks “Seinfeld” (1989-98) Christine at Gynecologist “The New Adventures of Old Christine” (2006-10) “Veep” Bloopers “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” (2014-) “Veep” White House Correspondents’ Dinner “White House Correspondents' Association Dinner” (2014) “Pool Boy” “Saturday Night Live” (1975-)
#1: Sponge-Worthy “Seinfeld” (1989-98)
Elaine had no shortage of memorable one-liners, but none have become more prominent in pop culture than “sponge-worthy.” Finding out that the Today contraceptive sponge is being taken off the market, Elaine sets out to salvage as many as possible. She manages to track down a case of sixty sponges, but those won’t last forever. Elaine thus must reevaluate her entire system, interviewing potential mates to determine if they’re worthy of the sponge. She also can’t spare a sponge for poor George, who was on the verge of his own makeup intercourse. If it weren’t for this episode, people would likely forget that the sponge was ever a birth control method. Thanks to the ingenious dialogue and Julia’s delivery, though, “sponge-worthy” will never stop being funny.
