Julia Louis-Dreyfus may have portrayed a female vice president-turned-president on HBO’s Veep, but she emphasized that her character, Selina Meyer, is quite different from Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. During a visit to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Monday, Louis-Dreyfus addressed these distinctions.
“Let me clarify: On Veep, I played a narcissistic, megalomaniac sociopath, and that is not Kamala Harris,” Louis-Dreyfus said. She added a playful jab, suggesting that such a description might fit another candidate in the race.
Louis-Dreyfus’s remarks came amid increased interest in Veep, particularly following President Joe Biden’s announcement that he would not seek reelection and his endorsement of Vice President Harris. The show’s first season saw a dramatic rise in viewership, increasing by over 350% last month.
When asked by Colbert about which character from Veep might resemble J.D. Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate, Louis-Dreyfus didn’t hold back. She identified Jonah Ryan, portrayed by Timothy Simons, as the most similar. “That would be Jonah Ryan,” she said, referencing Simons’ role as Meyer’s White House liaison. Louis-Dreyfus humorously added, “I’m sure Jonah’s made love to many couches,” a nod to a viral rumor about Vance.
Colbert then inquired about a moment in the series that reflected the harsh treatment women often face in politics. Louis-Dreyfus recalled a scene where Mike McClintock, played by Matt Walsh, wrote a speech for Meyer that started with “as a woman.” She found this approach problematic. “I looked at him and said, ‘First of all, as a woman, I’m not going to start a speech with ‘as a woman,’ because I can’t identify as a woman,’” Louis-Dreyfus explained. “Men hate that, and women who hate women hate that, which is most women.”
In a related conversation at Comic-Con, Louis-Dreyfus described the resurgence of Veep as a “wild thing to witness.” She expressed delight over the renewed interest and noted, “I’m happy people are getting a kick out of it. And I know that Kamala Harris is — big time.”
Louis-Dreyfus is not alone in recognizing a resemblance between the show’s characters and real-life political figures. David Mandel, the showrunner for Veep, also addressed the comparison. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mandel suggested that former President Donald Trump might be considered the “Selina-est candidate.” He described Trump as vain, preoccupied with his appearance, and petty — qualities he associated with Meyer. “Vain, worried about his looks, has a ridiculously better relationship with his body people than his own children, petty, vindictive, worries about his own money, doesn’t believe what he says, says whatever to get elected,” Mandel said. He contrasted Meyer’s character with Trump’s, noting that while Meyer supported a woman’s right to choose, Trump lacked any such moral compass.
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As the discussion around Veep and its characters continues to evolve, both Louis-Dreyfus and Mandel offer unique insights into how the fictional world of Veep intersects with contemporary political figures.
