After being diagnosed with breast cancer in September, Julia Louis-Dreyfus has given fans several updates via social media — usually in the form of hilarious videos the Veep cast sends to her before a round of chemo.
Although it's clear Louis-Dreyfus hasn't lost her sense of humor during this difficult time, she's kept the exact details of her condition relatively private. But Veep executive producer Frank Rich gave an encouraging update during an appearance on SiriusXM’s "Press Pool" today.
"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," Rich told Julie Mason. "But the expectation is that we will shoot again. We have one more season we’re doing, which we’re incredibly excited about."
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Louis-Dreyfus was diagnosed with breast cancer one day after making Emmy history and HBO has stated that her health had no impact on the decision to end Veep after this season. Although production has been postponed, the actress is still working whenever possible and Rich confirmed that she's attending table reads when her treatment schedule allows.
"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. So it’s been quite something because she’s fighting a serious, what is for anybody, a real illness," Frank said. "And yet, she wants to keep working as much as circumstances allow without being crazy about it. I’ve seen her as recently as ten days ago, and watched her just be hilarious playing Selina Meyer."
Although Louis-Dreyfus' focus is on her health, it seems like she never misses an opportunity to be on the Veep set. Last week she posted a photo of herself with seven women colleagues who work behind the scenes, all wearing matching "Nevertheless She Persisted" t-shirts.
"Yes, we do. From some of the women who bring you @VeepHBO. Shirts and attitude courtesy of @georgiapudding. #womenwhoworktogetherposetogether, she captioned the photo.
"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," Rich added.
This health update sounds promising and we can't wait to see Louis-Dreyfus back in action as Selina Meyer, racking up post-presidential failures and facing off with none other than Jon H. Ryan (uh, Jonah Ryan) for the Oval next season.