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Seinfeld is one of the most popular and influential sitcoms of all time. With nine seasons and 180 episodes, this beloved series aired for almost a whole decade, from 1989 to 1998, gaining plenty of nominations and awards during this time.
It’s no wonder that, in 2013, the Writers Guild of America named Seinfeld the second Best-Written TV Series of All Time, only second to The Sopranos.
Although many celebrities guest starred in Seinfeld throughout its original run, the show mainly focused on four characters: Jerry Seinfeld, his best friend George Costanza (Jason Alexander), his former girlfriend Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and his neighbor Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards).
It’s hard to imagine Seinfeld without its iconic cast but, believe it or not, Julia Louis-Dreyfus wasn’t originally cast as Elaine for the show’s pilot.
Elaine Benes Was Written Into Seinfeld Only After NBC Execs Complained About The Pilot
Seinfeld was created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, developed by the NBC executive Rick Ludwin, and produced by Castle Rock Entertainment. The show featured a mix of Seinfeld’s stand-up comedy routines and scenes that focused on mundane aspects of his everyday life.
In early 1989, Seinfeld’s 23-minute-long pilot, The Seinfeld Chronicles, was first screened to a group of two dozen NBC executives in Burbank, California.
However, it was not a huge success. The exces didn’t think that the show would be a success after watching the pilot. Despite this, the pilot aired on NBC later that year.
If you’re a hard-die Seinfeld fan, you’ve probably noticed that Julia Louis-Dreyfus doesn’t appear on it. Instead of her character, Elaine, Seinfeld’s first episode has Claire, a waitress that chats with George and Jerry about their lives. That’s because, originally, Seinfeld didn’t star in a female lead, which the NBC executives weren’t happy about.
After seeing the pilot, the execs from NBC told the show’s co-creators, Seinfeld and David, that they needed to add a strong female character to the main cast. That’s how they came up with the character of Elaine Benes, who was based on one of David’s ex-girlfriends.
How Julia Louis-Dreyfus Landed The Role Of Elaine In Seinfeld
After they decided to create the character of Elaine, Seinfiled’s creative team spent a lot of time auditioning up-and-coming comedic actresses for the role.
Some of the most popular actresses that auditioned for this role include Rosie O’Donnel, Will & Grace’s Megan Mullally, and Everybody Loves Raymond star Patricia Heaton. But, ultimately, Julia Louis-Dreyfus got the role.
When she first received a call from her agent to audition for Seinfeld, Louis-Dreyfus was quickly surprised by the quality of the material, so she decided to try her luck.
“In two out of the four scripts, I had some kind of meaty stuff to do—in the other two, less so,” she revealed in an interview for The New Yorker.
“And this was coming off of developing my own thing, so I thought, Gee, I don’t know. But I met with Larry and Jer at the old DesiLu studios, and we read a scene together. I remember Jerry was eating cereal, and he was very young and casual, in a way I thought was appealing.”
Although, at first, Louis-Dreyfus wasn’t sure if Seinfeld was the right move for her career, she signed on that weekend. “I had a feeling about ‘Seinfeld,’ like I had a feeling about ‘Mee-Ow,’” the actress admitted. “I’m sitting on top of a great treasure, and no one knows it.”
How Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Career Changes For The Best After Starring In Seinfeld
Starring in Seinfeld proved to be a great decision for Julia Louis-Dreyfus. After playing Elaine Benes throughout the sitcom’s nine seasons, the actress gained plenty of popularity, as well as an insanely high net worth.
Moreover, Louis-Dreyfus won plenty of nominations and awards for her performance on this popular sitcom, including winning a Golden Globes award and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Louis-Dreyfus even managed to get past the so-called Seinfeld Curse and appeared in many other movies and popular TV shows. Her most recent projects include several projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, such as Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), Black Widow (2021), and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022).