Julia Louis-Dreyfus Reflects on her Cancer Diagnosis & How She Feels Today

Julia Louis Dreyfus is on the special Emmys cover of Vanity Fair‘s September 2019 issue.

Here’s what the 58-year-old actress had to share with the mag…

On being cancer free after her breast cancer battle: “There is that moment that you have when you’re like, ‘Is this it for me?’ Because you know everybody here in this room is going to come across that moment in their life, but you never think you will…. I’m glad I got through it, but there’s a part of me that’s still a little frightened, you know?”

On her early comedy career, including a three year stint on SNL: “I didn’t fail, but I didn’t succeed. My ambition became clearer to me during that time. It helped me get my priorities in place in terms of what I was going to do moving forward and what I would not tolerate, [which was] nastiness or a culture of unhappiness. I didn’t want to work like that. I thought to myself, If I’m going to keep going, I’m not going to do this if it isn’t fun anymore. Fortunately, it became fun.”

On her post-Veep plans: “I realized I didn’t meditate this morning—like an asshole—but I should’ve because it’s useful. I just need time to think. So I’m thinking, formulating my next move and shit like that. Which is fun but it also requires thought. And sometimes maybe no thought. Maybe [I need time] to just look at those flowers and think: Wow, that’s amazing. What a gorgeous arrangement. I want to expand my creative universe here. I want to do stuff that maybe people wouldn’t think I would do.”

For more from Julia Louis Dreyfus, visit VanityFair.com.