More than five years since the series wrapped, the political satire series Veep is experiencing a resurgence, and star Julia Louis-Dreyfus is “delighted.” The show’s viewership has increased by an astonishing 353% (according to Luminate), but this has little to do with nostalgia (a la Suits‘ renewed popularity after landing on Netflix) and everything to do with the current U.S. political climate. The show’s boost in views occurred just a day after U.S. President Joe Biden announced he was dropping out of the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nominee. In Veep, Lous-Dreyfuss starred as Selina Meyer, a senator who became the first female vice president, which mirrors Harris’ political trajectory.
During a recent conversation with Entertainment Weekly at Comic-Con while promoting the MCU’s Thunderbolts*, Louis-Dreyfus discussed Veep‘s rediscovered popularity:
“It’s been a wild thing to witness. Viewership went up something insane like 350 percent. I’m delighted. I’m happy people are getting a kick out of it. And I know that Kamala Harris is — big time.”
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During an interview with Variety last year, Louis-Dreyfus shared that Harris and her husband told her “they love ‘Veep,’ and that it’s more like D.C. than anyone would care to admit.” Louis-Dreyfus starred as Selina Meyer in the critically acclaimed comedy for its entire seven-season run from 2012-2019, earning six consecutive Emmy Awards, among other accolades, for her portrayal. The HBO series follows Louis-Dreyfus’ character as she finds that being Vice President of the United States is nothing like she hoped and everything that everyone ever warned her about.
Veep & Kamala Harris Comparisons Are a Double-Edged Sword
Just days ago, Veep creator Armando Iannucci said that, despite Selina Meyer’s similarities with the current vice president (and presumptive democratic candidate for presidency), the fictional character, who is often ill-equipped for her role, is not based on Harris.
On social media, the Selina Meyer/Kamala Harris comparisons are abundant, and whether they’re positive or negative depends on where you fall on the political spectrum. While some are excited by the prospect of the first female U.S. President (Selina Meyer takes the top seat after running for the position when the president suddenly backs out), others point at the character’s missteps as being somewhat foreboding. During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Veep executive producer and showrunner David Mandel examined the contrasting opinions being expressed online:
“First, I love that apparently Kamala is a ‘
Veep’
fan. I think it’s great. I think it’s great that she has a sense of humor, because we’ve seen the other side that has no sense of humor. There’s something about someone who can laugh at themselves that just seems safer in the White House, as opposed to someone who can’t laugh at themselves and thinks weird references to Hannibal Lecter are funny.So I think it’s a delight that she’s a fan. I love anything that’s positive. But I get driven crazy when people try to use
Veep
to diminish her. I hate that. Yes, they are both women. Yes, they are both VPs being elevated. Selina was elevated into office; Kamala is being elevated to head of the ticket. There are some simple comparisons. But there are two types of people doing ‘
Veep’
memes right now: There are people really enjoying Selina’s moment of telling her staff that she’s running for president; there’s a joy there that’s fun and nice and celebratory. And then there are assholes who are using it differently. Surprise surprise, Kamala is a woman of color, and it seems like those people are using it as a simple way of insulting her. So I don’t like that part.”
Veep
is streaming on Max.
Veep
5/5
Former Senator Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) has accepted the call to serve as Vice President of the United States. The job is nothing like she imagined and everything she was warned about. Veep follows Meyer and her staff as they attempt to make their mark and leave a lasting legacy, without getting tripped up in the day-to-day political games that define Washington. Meyer’s inner circle includes: her chief of staff Amy (Anna Chlumsky), longtime press spokesperson Mike McClintock (Matt Walsh), right hand and body man Gary (Tony Hale) and secretary Sue (Sufe Bradshaw) all of whom often do battle with Dan Egan (Reid Scott) an ambitious interloper and smug White House liaison Jonah (Tim Simons).
- Release Date
- April 22, 2012
- Seasons
- 7
- Studio
- HBO
- Creator
- Armando Iannuccu
- Network
- HBO Max
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu , HBO Max