Chris Godsick, MPAA Chairman Chris Dodd, Senator AL Franken, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Richard Plepler and Frank Rich. Photo courtesy Haddad Media
Production for the final season of HBO’s smash comedy Veep has been postponed, as six-time Emmy Award winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus undergoes treatment for breast cancer.
“Julia is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, and we’re obviously postponing production of the show — we were supposed to have started now – while she’s in treatment,” executive producer Frank Rich said on SiriusXM’s Press Pool. “But the expectation is that we will shoot again. We have one more season we’re doing, which we’re incredibly excited about. Rather impressively, while we wait for her to gather her full strength, around her treatment, we’ve been having with the cast in Los Angeles, table reads of scripts for the final season as they’re ready.”
Louis-Dreyfus announced in September – just one day after tying the record of legendary actress Cloris Leachman for most Emmys won by a performer – she had breast cancer.
“1 in 8 women get breast cancer. Today, I’m the one,” Louis-Dreyfus told fans in an Instagram post. “The good news is that I have the most glorious group of supportive and caring friends, and fantastic insurance through my union.”
Rich said that he had just seen Louis-Dreyfus on set 10 days before, as he “watched her just be hilarious playing Selina Meyer. With the cast all around her playing the assorted group of idiots that Selina has to deal with on a weekly basis on the show. So she’s got a great support system. She’s a very strong person and we can’t wait to welcome her back at full speed.”