“I’m Not Surprised”: Julia Louis-Dreyfus Gives Frank Response To Seinfeld’s Growing Popularity

Seinfeld star Julia Louis-Dreyfus opens up about the classic sitcom’s recent resurgence, saying she isn’t surprised the series is still popular.

Seinfeld star Julia Louis-Dreyfus says she isn’t surprised the classic sitcom is still popular 25 years after its finale. Louis-Dreyfus played Elaine Benes on Seinfeld, the ex-girlfriend of the titular Jerry Seinfeld (played by the actor of the same name) who is friends with him, George Costanza (Jason Alexander), and Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards). The four of them made up the core group of Seinfeld, their characters becoming classic pop culture icons.

Speaking with People, Louis-Dreyfus says she isn’t surprised that Seinfeld is still popular. She’s happy to know the series is still being watched, and that there’s been a resurgence in interest from younger generations. Check out what Louis-Dreyfus says below:

I think it’s incredibly cool that it continues to have life. I’m not surprised, because it’s funny, and it stands the test of time.

How Elaine Helped Keep Seinfeld Popular

Of the four major characters in Seinfeld, Elaine was the only one who did not appear in the pilot episode. She wasn’t introduced until season 1, episode 2, as NBC believed Seinfeld needed a female lead character in the cast. This ended up being a positive decision for the series, as Elaine has since become a classic character within sitcom history.

While Louis-Dreyfus had to fight for Elaine to get more screen time in earlier seasons, it wasn’t long before she became just as involved in Seinfeld’s storylines as Jerry, George, and Kramer. While Elaine is often depicted as sarcastic and smarter than the rest of the group, she also tends to lose her temper or make poor dating decisions. Just like the rest of Seinfeld’s characters, her faults get her into comedic situations with hilarious results.

There are plenty of reasons why Seinfeld maintains its popularity today, but the addition of Elaine is a key aspect of the show. Without Louis-Dreyfus’ performance as Elaine, the series would have had an all-male main cast, which may not have made it as memorable as it still is today. Louis-Dreyfus’ Elaine is one of the many elements of Seinfeld that have kept it popular, even 25 years after its final episode.