New York – When Julia Louis-Dreyfus joins you for coffee and a chat, don’t expect to be treated to a glimpse of Elaine’s spazzed-out dance. And if you catch her off-guard with something you say, don’t expect her to register surprise, Elaine-style, with “Get OUT!” followed by a two-handed shove.
For any devotee of “Seinfeld,” on which Louis-Dreyfus served indelibly for nine seasons (and will reign large in reruns until something better than “a show about nothing” comes along), a certain point, however obvious, bears repeating: Julia Louis-Dreyfus is not Elaine Benes.
Nor, by the way, is she the equally dizzy character she plays on her CBS sitcom, “The New Adventures of Old Christine.” Instead, Louis-Dreyfus seems someone who knows just what she’s doing, which includes being funny when the camera rolls. It also entails a serious streak: levelheadedness, no matter how her lush head of hair might hint otherwise.
Except on this recent morning, her mane – a Louis-Dreyfus trademark, on- and off-camera – is disappointingly pulled back tight in a bun.
“Still wet,” she explains. “But it’s clean!” “Old Christine,” which premiered in March and airs at 8:30 p.m. Mondays on KCNC-Channel 4, won’t make anyone forget “Seinfeld.” What could? Therefore, while her hopes are high, they’re within reason: Louis-Dreyfus just wants the new show to be funny and to run many years.
“Old” Christine is a character who resonates with this phase of Louis-Dreyfus’ life: Unlike perpetually self-absorbed Elaine, Christine is a devoted mother.
But fueling the comedy, Christine is an insecure single mom locked in a triangle with her amicable ex-husband, Richard (Clark Gregg), and the “new” Christine (Emily Rutherford), who is Richard’s younger, goodhearted if dimwitted girlfriend.
Christine owns a workout spa for women, which is a funny notion since she clearly has doubts about her own body, especially as she re-enters the dating pool. Implicit in a 30-minute workout plan is the promise of near-instant transformation – and the likelihood of failure. Failure can be funny, Louis-Dreyfus notes. And it’s very relatable. “There’s a lot of pressure on us girls,” Louis-Drefus declares. “Not that there isn’t pressure on guys too.” But this is a show from a girl’s point of view.
Back on the male-oriented “Seinfeld,” Elaine shared the guys’ comic bent for self-sabotage stemming from their stubbornness, sloth and an insatiable appetite for generating chaos out of (yes) nothing.
Christine’s self-sabotage feeds on more substantial origins. She’s a woman on her own with a youngster to raise, a business to run and a romantic life to kick-start – while fretting that she doesn’t measure up in any department.
Workout coach, heal thyself! But in the interest of comedy, Christine doesn’t seem to know how. Louis-Dreyfus seems to know plenty.
Besides her success as a comic actress, she can boast of a long-
standing marriage to writer-producer Brad Hall, with whom she has two sons.
Another thing going right for her: She is petite, fit and beautiful, and looks a decade or more younger than her 45 years.
Now, with 13 episodes of “Old Christine” in the can and a sizable audience on board, she awaits the May 17 unveiling of CBS’s fall schedule. By then, she’ll know if more good “Old” days lie ahead.
