Julia Louis-Dreyfus has been synonymous with comedy for decades. From her iconic role as Elaine Benes on Seinfeld to her portrayal of the sharp-tongued vice president Selina Meyer in Veep, Louis-Dreyfus has built a career on sharp wit, impeccable timing, and an undeniable charm. Yet, in 2025, she is stepping into uncharted territory with her performance in Tuesday, a fantasy drama directed by Daina Oniunas-Pusić. This marks a significant departure for the actor, who has long been a comedic powerhouse, as she navigates one of the most dramatic and emotionally challenging roles of her career.

A Leap Into the Unknown

In Tuesday, Louis-Dreyfus plays Zora, a mother facing the excruciating reality of losing her 15-year-old daughter, Tuesday (played by Lola Petticrew), to a terminal illness. What makes this film particularly unique is its fantastical premise: Death, personified by a macaw, comes to collect Tuesday’s soul, and Zora must fight to keep her daughter alive. The surrealism of the story, combined with the stark emotional stakes, presents Louis-Dreyfus with a completely different challenge—one that calls for vulnerability, grief, and an entirely new range of acting skills.

When the script for Tuesday first arrived on Louis-Dreyfus’s desk, she admits she was surprised. “I did think, Why me?” she recalls. “But I’m really grateful it was me, because it was an opportunity to do something completely outside my comfort zone.” Known for her expertise in comedy, Louis-Dreyfus was hesitant at first but quickly saw the potential for an emotionally rich performance in a deeply dramatic story.

A Complex Tonal Balance

The film’s premise—Zora battling Death itself—struck a personal chord with Louis-Dreyfus. She was drawn to the symbolism of the mother’s desperation to protect her child. “The thing that grabbed my heart was—spoiler alert!—the fact that the mother would do anything to keep Death away, including eating Death,” she says. For an actor accustomed to the humor of sitcoms and sketch comedy, playing a mother facing the loss of her child required a completely different approach. Yet it was a challenge she was eager to take on.

The tone of Tuesday was unlike anything Louis-Dreyfus had worked with before. The mix of magical realism and heart-wrenching emotional drama was a tightrope to walk. “There’s an emotional investment that has to be in place,” she reflects. “In my own life, I’ve had people very close to me die. I had to tap into all of that.”

The Surreal and the Heartfelt

What truly sets Tuesday apart is its blend of the surreal and the deeply human. The presence of Death as a macaw—an exotic bird who comes to claim Tuesday’s soul—is both absurd and poignant. Louis-Dreyfus, who has spent her career in comedic roles, found herself in uncharted territory as she shared scenes with the mystical bird. “It was wacko,” she says with a laugh, though she quickly adds that the bird wasn’t just a whimsical creature—it was a being she had to reckon with as a mother. “When I was having scenes with it, I was negotiating with somebody who had power that I needed to take away,” Louis-Dreyfus explains.

For the actor, the fantastical elements of the story only intensified the emotional stakes. “I was dealing with something that I think we all feel: the sheer, unrelenting desire to protect your child,” she adds. This emotional rawness is what she believes makes the film so universal, despite its fantastical premise.

Breaking Out of the Comedy Mold

Throughout her career, Louis-Dreyfus has often played strong, confident women—often with a comedic edge. But in Tuesday, Zora is a mother who is vulnerable, broken, and deeply human. The film forced Louis-Dreyfus to stretch in ways she hadn’t before, and she is the first to acknowledge that this was a challenge. “I had to dig deep,” she says. “I had to tap into those parts of myself that I don’t usually access on set.” The experience, however, was one she found profoundly rewarding.

Looking Forward

With the success of Tuesday, Louis-Dreyfus shows that she is more than just a comedic icon—she is an actor capable of tremendous emotional depth. While the film is a significant departure from the roles she’s best known for, it also proves that her talents go far beyond comedy. And while comedy will always be part of her DNA, Louis-Dreyfus is excited to continue exploring new territory, both as an actor and as a storyteller.

The unexpected success of her dramatic turn in Tuesday signals that Louis-Dreyfus is ready for whatever new roles come her way. As she reflects on her journey, she remains grateful for the opportunity to take on something so different: “It was one of the most profound and beautiful experiences of my career. It was worth stepping outside of my comfort zone.”