One of the biggest TV shows in the history of entertainment, Seinfeld is still as famous as ever. Created and starring Jerry Seinfeld as a fictional character, it was the series’ witty writing and impeccable comedic timing that made it as popular as it is now. No less than a phenomenon, the series eventually inspired a bunch of lingo and even a curse.
Coined after the extremely famous lead actors of the hit NBC show failed to have any successful shows following the end of Seinfeld, the Seinfeld curse is a term specifically used to refer to the feats of the three Seinfeld actors- Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, and Michael Richards following the end of the show. And among them all Louis-Dreyfus fought particularly hard to break it, only for her show to brutally crash.
When Julia Louis-Dreyfus Tried to Break the Seinfeld Curse
Julia Louis-Dreyfus starred as the former girlfriend of Jerry Seinfeld in the hit NBC show and has since made quite a name for herself by starring in several acclaimed projects. Yet when she was right out of Seinfeld, the actress also dealt with the infamous Seinfeld curse.
After the end of the show, the Marvel actress starred in another NBC comedy called Watching Ellie. Despite the actress being immensely popular, the show failed and was discontinued after two seasons due to low ratings (via Seattle PI). However, the actress was determined to break the curse.
And it was her series The New Adventures of Old Christine, that led many to believe that the infamous Seinfeld curse had finally been broken. The show brought her a fresh wave of popularity and acclaim and even won her a Lead Actress Emmy for her role in the CBS sitcom. While accepting her Emmy award for the series back in 2006, Louise-Dreyfus stated (via E Online),
“I’m not really somebody who believes in curses, but curse this, baby!”
Her Emmy win widely led people to believe that the curse was finally broken. Yet as misfortune goes, right after the fame, the actress’ CBS sitcom had to be canceled after five seasons due to low ratings after it was moved from its usual time slot (via AV Club).
Julia Louis-Dreyfus Defeated the Seinfeld Curse Only for Her Show to be Canceled
Julia Louis-Dreyfus starred in The New Adventures of Old Christine, following the end of Seinfeld and her unfortunate failure with Watching Ellie. Starring as a divorced mother, the actress received immense praise for her portrayal as well as won the second Emmy award of her career.
The show’s success eventually led people to be convinced that Louis-Dreyfus had finally broken the Seinfeld curse. However, as luck would have it, the show’s success was short-lived and it was shortly canceled after running for five seasons in a surprise move by CBS (via AV Club).
While the series was an immense hit and won several awards, creator Kari Lizer blamed it on Hollywood’s inherent sexism that led to the cancellation of the show (via Digital Spy). While Julia Louis-Dreyfus found fame again by starring in the political drama Veep, the shocking cancelation of The New Adventures of Old Christine is something that still baffles fans.
Seinfeld can be streamed on Netflix and The New Adventures of Old Christine is available on Amazon Prime.
