Julia Louis-Dreyfus has been in the entertainment industry for quite a while, going back to 1981 when she was just 20 years old. That means she’s had a lot of life changes in the midst of her career, including becoming a mom. With that, the acclaimed actress recently opened up about being a working mom while she was a cast member on the hit sitcom Seinfeld. She also divulged exactly how the show handled her pregnancies.
The Emmy winner starred as Elaine Benes on all nine seasons of the hit NBC sitcom from 1989 to 1998. Throughout her time on the show, she gave birth twice, welcoming her first son, Henry, in 1992 and her second son, Charlie, in 1997, both with her husband Brad Hall. Being on a series full-time while also being a mother full-time wasn't easy, as the actress revealed to Ina Garten on the Be My Guest podcast. When it came to that balancing act, the You People star said (via People):
The other challenge for me in my career has been the juggling act. Because while I was making Seinfeld, for example, I gave birth to both of my children. Super challenging, but also fabulous, because I was becoming very famous at this time and it really kept all of that in perspective.
I can't even imagine getting pregnant and starting a family at the height of Seinfeld's popularity. I mean, think about it. Not only was Julia Louis-Dreyfus doing a lot of filming, but she was probably doing a lot of promotion and press for the series as well. It’s still one of the best sitcoms of all time but, back then, the multi-camera comedy was insanely popular. While it was a challenge for the former SNL cast member, it also sounds like she can see the beauty of it now.
Of course, then come the production hurdles that accompany a baby bump. TV magic works in fun ways, though, as stars like Ellen Pompeo and Kerry Washington have had pregnancies hidden while they were on screen. Also, sometimes, real-life pregnancies are written into the show if it makes sense for the overall storyline and, in many cases, it does. But, when it came to Seinfeld and Elaine, it didn’t really fit, so some slight changes had to be made:
Yeah, well, let's see. The first go-round, yes. I stood behind things, I carried boxes, etc. By the time I was pregnant the second time, nobody cared. It was like it wasn't happening. We just sort of… I walked in, I was out to here, and no one said anything.
Hiding behind big props or wearing baggy clothing seem to be key way to hide a pregnancy on TV, no matter how obvious it may be. There’s really no other way around it, but you have to do what you have to do. It’s funny to know, though, that by Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ second pregnancy, the crew apparently didn’t care much so they probably just did whatever was feasible. It seemed to have worked, and she was comfortable enough with it, which is really all that matters.
I really appreciate Julia Louis-Dreyfuss' sentiments on being a working mom and handling pregnancies while on the iconic '90s sitcom. One would assume that it's easier for her to talk about it all now that she's not in the midst of the craziness. But, of course, experiences like that can shape us all for the better.
Those with a Netflix subscription can stream all nine seasons of take Seinfeld and see how effective the crew really was at hiding the actress' pregnancies.