Julia Louis-Dreyfus Talks “Silly” Seinfeld Curse

Good help is hard to find, but in the case of Thunderbolts* stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Geraldine Viswanathan, it’s even harder to define. 

In director Jake Schreier’s now-critically acclaimed upcoming MCU installment, Louis-Dreyfus’ CIA Director character, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, has her back against the wall due to a congressional investigation into her many questionable practices. So she places contracts on all her hired guns — such as Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) — in an effort to mutually destroy the evidence of their collective existence at the same time.

When the band of MCU loners and rejects catch on, they form an unlikely team and take matters into their own hands against a greater threat that “Val” has unleashed. At the same time, Val’s assistant, Mel (Viswanathan), has to carry out her boss’ many impulsive directives, and while Mel proves her worth in a variety of ways, Louis-Dreyfus isn’t ready to extol her virtues just yet.

“I can’t give anything away, but she doesn’t always do what I expect her to do. So I call that crappy assistant work, if you don’t mind my saying,” Louis-Dreyfus cheekily tells The Hollywood Reporter amid Viswanathan’s protest.

Viswanathan, who hopes to one day encounter her Bad Education co-star Hugh Jackman in the MCU, channeled inspiration from a number of highly effective assistants she’s met, including two particular people in the Thunderbolts* orbit. 

“There are flavors of assistants across the board, such as Jake’s [Schreier] dynamic with his assistant [Samara Handelsman]. I got to observe them, and also Julia and her gorgeous assistant, Will [Schlegel],” Viswanathan says in support of Thunderbolts* May 2 theatrical release.

After Louis-Dreyfus wrapped what many consider to be the greatest sitcom of all time in Seinfeld, the 2000s-era media invented the idea of the “Seinfeld curse.” It was all in response to Louis-Dreyfus and her co-stars not immediately repeating that same singular level of success. However, between The New Adventures of Old Christine and Veep, Louis-Dreyfus would go on to squash that fallacy to the tune of ten more Emmy wins. And now that she’s the arguable villain of the most substantial film franchise’s latest chapter, the claim seems even more preposterous in hindsight.

“It was ridiculous then, and fortunately, it’s really been dropped. It was so silly,” Louis-Dreyfus recalls. “It was a media invention, but it made no sense. It did not make logical sense.”

Below, during a recent conversation with THR, Louis-Dreyfus and Viswanathan also discuss being the new occupants of the former Avengers Tower, before addressing whether they’re involved in Avengers: Doomsday or not. 

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Val has a new streak of color in her hair. Does she treat it like a mood ring? Does she change the color depending on her mental state? 

JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS Oh, that would be cool, and that is a very interesting question. I think the answer to that is about perception. She needs to be perceived seriously [right now], and that color is serious as hell.

Geraldine, you probably encounter Mel-type people all the time through your various teams and reps. Did you base her on any particular assistant?

GERALDINE VISWANATHAN There are flavors of assistants across the board, such as Jake’s [Schreier] dynamic with his assistant [Samara Handelsman]. I got to observe them, and also Julia and her gorgeous assistant, Will [Schlegel]. So I’ve witnessed that dynamic a lot, and I’d say I definitely pulled inspiration from a lot of them.

Julia, do I dare ask who you took inspiration from for Val? There’s no shortage of possibilities, but is that too dangerous to probe? 

LOUIS-DREYFUS Yes, it’s very dangerous that you just asked me that question, and you should be careful now: your life is on the line. 

LOUIS-DREYFUS & VISWANATHAN (Laugh.)

Geraldine referenced your assistant a moment ago. When he saw how capable Geraldine’s assistant character was on set, did you notice him upping his game off-set in response?

LOUIS-DREYFUS I’m not sure Mel, my assistant in this film, is that capable.

VISWANATHAN (Laughs.)

LOUIS-DREYFUS I can’t give anything away, but she doesn’t always do what I expect her to do. So I call that crappy assistant work, if you don’t mind my saying. 

VISWANATHAN Whoa! It’s like that?

LOUIS-DREYFUS Yeah, I said it.

But Val made a point to compliment Mel’s mean cup of coffee. 

VISWANATHAN Thank you! 

LOUIS-DREYFUS Yeah, she does, but she does a few other things beyond the mean cup of coffee. I just can’t say what else.

Geraldine, I last spoke to you for Bad Education, starring one Hugh Jackman. Have you begun to calculate the ways in which Mel could cross paths with his Wolverine? 

VISWANATHAN Ooh, that’s a good idea! I need to get cooking on that. So I am in full support, and while I’m curious how that would happen, crazier things have happened in the Marvel universe.

LOUIS-DREYFUS Well, Kevin Feige is roaming these hallways, so I’m on it. 

VISWANATHAN Thank you. 

LOUIS-DREYFUS You’re welcome.

Julia, I’m old enough to remember the ridiculous notion of the Seinfeld curse, something you’ve repeatedly disproved, including here, as the arguable villain of a Marvel movie. Do you ever have a laugh about that media invention now?

LOUIS-DREYFUS Yeah, I’m having a laugh now. It was ridiculous then, and fortunately, it’s really been dropped. It was so silly. Like you said, it was a media invention, but it made no sense. It did not make logical sense.

Geraldine, like Mel, you were a teenager when the Avengers first saved the day in 2012. So it must’ve been quite strange to now be hanging out in their former clubhouse. 

VISWANATHAN Yeah, it was pretty wild, and it only dawned on me recently. It’s insane that I say that line in the movie, because I really was in high school when I went and saw The Avengers in theaters at the mall. So it’s bizarre. Life is crazy, man.

Did Val get a screaming deal from Tony Stark?

LOUIS-DREYFUS Yeah, she did get [Avengers Tower] from Tony Stark, and she got a great deal. She’s very into real estate, and, of course, making a profit on real estate. So we shall see what happens to the property.

Julia, I have to bring up a non sequitur that involves wet carpet. I think we were all robbed of many riches by not getting a Todd and Margo Christmas Vacation spinoff movie. Was it ever discussed in any capacity?

LOUIS-DREYFUS (Laughs.) It was never discussed. This is, in fact, the first time I’ve heard it. I’m not kidding. It was never discussed by anyone. Isn’t that odd?

It practically writes itself. 

LOUIS-DREYFUS Thank you. We’re going to pitch it tomorrow.

Nobody’s done more for Evian water than Margo. 

LOUIS-DREYFUS (Laughs.) That was a long time ago, man.

Lastly, the two of you were not a part of Chairathon 2025, but it stands to reason that you’ll both be in the next Avengers movie at the very least. What’s the best non-answer you can give me?

LOUIS-DREYFUS The best non-answer that we can give you is we love being a part of the Marvel universe. For real! That’s not BS.

VISWANATHAN For real.

LOUIS-DREYFUS We’re delighted to have made this one, and we’re happy to make more. But we can’t really say anything beyond that because this is a non-answer per your request. So we’re sticking to our guns on that.

VISWANATHAN Yeah, I’m happy to be here, and I’m available.

J.L.D. and Geraldine, congrats on a mold-breaking Marvel movie.

VISWANATHAN Thank you!

LOUIS-DREYFUS Thank you for making the interview interesting. 

I try!

LOUIS-DREYFUS I appreciate it more than you could possibly know.

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Thunderbolts* opens May 2 in movie theaters nationwide.