On Sunday, when Julia Louis-Dreyfus was winning her record-setting fifth Emmy in a row for lead actress in a comedy, she seemed shaken during her speech and ended by dedicating her award to her father, whom she explained had just passed on Friday. Many people were wondering why Julia had looked so pained during Kate McKinnon’s speech, when Kate thanked her own late father, and we learned why later in the ceremony unfortunately. Julia specified that her dad’s name was William Louis-Dreyfus (he founded an energy company and was a billionaire) but that didn’t stop a bunch of people from confusing him with the actor Richard Dreyfuss, no relation to Julia, who is still very much alive. Richard Dreyfuss set the record straight through Twitter and also wrote that he hasn’t won an Emmy yet despite his work on TV. He does have an Oscar though, and he strokes it frequently. I’ve actually read interviews with other Academy Award-winning artists who say the same thing though, so I doubt he’s the only person rubbing his Oscar as he claims. He has a dry sense of humor and he’s funny.
I'm actually not Julia Louis-Dreyfus' father. But I really appreciate all the concerned tweets. https://t.co/4heUxufeOa
— Richard Dreyfuss (@RichardDreyfuss) September 19, 2016
You know who else hasn't won an Emmy?
Me.
This has nothing to do with Hitler. Get your mind out of the gutter. https://t.co/TX0oT0yXd3
— Richard Dreyfuss (@RichardDreyfuss) September 19, 2016
cc @TheEmmys https://t.co/9IrLux1uGu
— Richard Dreyfuss (@RichardDreyfuss) September 19, 2016
One of my favorite things to do is just pet my Academy Award.
People think it's weird.
People have never petted their own Academy Award.
— Richard Dreyfuss (@RichardDreyfuss) September 19, 2016
I love how he says he’s not dead and oh yeah, where’s his Emmy? Dreyfuss has been a guest on two of my shows in the past few years – Parenthood and Weeds, both excellent and if you missed them they’re well worth marathoning. He also played Bernie Madoff in an ABC miniseries earlier this year which had middling reviews overall but his performance, opposite Blythe Danner, was said to be excellent. A quick glance at wiki shows he’s never been nominated for an Emmy but has plenty of other awards. I’m sure he’s done a lot of other excellent television work that I haven’t seen.
Getting back to Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Bryan Cranston was asked how she was doing and he made it a point to call her a trooper, essentially. (He’s a friend of Julia’s, they played a couple on Seinfeld and then they had a viral makeout moment at the 2014 Emmys.) Cranston said, “Oh, God! Bless her heart! It was so wonderful to have her be able to come in under those circumstances and be able to keep it together.” That’s a great point that Julia showed up anyway when she didn’t really have to. She’s a professional, she easily could have bowed out but she went to the ceremony. Also, I can tell Cranston is from California because they use “bless your heart” in a pure way on the left coast and over here in the southeast we mean it as shade. Sweet, sweet shade.
There’s also a movement to ask Louis-Dreyfuss to step aside next year and take herself out of consideration at the Emmys to give other actresses a chance. Apparently Candice Bergen did this in 1996 after winning five Emmys for Murphy Brown. Why is the onus on the actress though? Shouldn’t the academy be the one to recognize other actresses? Maybe Maggie Smith should step aside if it’s coming to that, she has three Emmys for Downton Abbey already, but I doubt she really cares either way. Her awards are sitting on a shelf somewhere, she’s not rubbing them nightly.
Photos credit: WENN.com and Getty Images
I may need to start following Richard Dreyfuss on Twitter.
“There’s also a movement to ask Louis-Dreyfuss to step aside next year and take herself out of consideration at the Emmys to give other actresses a chance.”
No. Just, no. Life shouldn’t be graded on a curve.
Plus I don’t think the winner next year would appreciate it, with all the speculation that she won only because Julia stepped aside.
At first glance of the cover pic I thought it was Hulk Hogan.
I’ve always liked Richard Dreyfuss, his performance in Close Encounters is one of my favorites.
And I don’t see why Julia should step aside, I agree the onus is on the academy to recognize other actresses if they think someone’s more worthy. There’s “a movement” about this? Sheesh.
Yup…on both thoughts.
I met Richard Dreyfuss when they filmed Close Encounters here in Mobile. Very nice guy.
Yeah. I had a good encounter with him, too. Very nice.
I suppose it does get boring if the same person wins over and over and I do think the ol’ patriarchy is slower to see new talent in women than in men.
But y’know. She is amazing in that role. Never seen timing like it. No way she should step aside.
She should stay in the race if she wants. Its not your fault if the system is rigged in your favor from get go. Its the system that needs review.
Also, i love Richard. He was in that Stephen Fry documentary on bipolar and his description was spot on.
She should step aside.
Winning 5 times in a row is enough.
What’s wrong with saying enough is enough.
It’s gluttony after a point.
Yeah, I mean. Why get recognized for hard work? Why even try? Once you’ve won 5 times, you might as well just retire so someone else – who hasn’t achieved what you have, and who wouldn’t be able to match your career and beat you – can get the same kind of recognition you’ve received.
You’re exactly right. Don’t stop there. I mean, what’s Michael Phelps going to do with all those gold medals anyway, am I right? Just get out of the pool already and give somebody else a chance to show they can swim really fast too! If Phelps’d just get outta the way other deserving swimmers would finally have a chance to look super duper fast and prove they were the best swimmers ever and no one else! So come on Julia, get out of the way and stop being an overachieving greedy cow so a solid #2 can pretend they are #1! *sarcastic eyeroll*
I loved that moment when she and Bryan Cranston kissed last year.
I’ve loved him ever since What About Bob.
baby steps 🙂
This bs wouldn’t be considered if Julia LD were a MAN. >:(
Genuinely thought they were related. Oops.
If I was an actress competing for a Best Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy, I would be embarrassed that someone had to step down for me to win. I would want to step up my game vs only have a shot at it because someone better said “no thanks”. That’s just my feelings on it.
I loved him in Mr Hollands Opus didn’t see in the cinema as I thought it was a stupid name as was Shawshank Redemption but he was excellent I cried like a baby.
Yup that was a great movie. I got teary eyed.
Wish I saw him in more stuff now. Always liked Richard Dreyfuss.
Someone did a funny impression of him on SNL back when they did the “Joe Pesci Show” skits…his doppelganger chuckled and had a sarcastic remark for everything. Predictably, he received a beatdown.
“Excuse me, gentlemen…the chief told me to tell you that you’re overloading this boat.”
(mumbles of derision)
“Okay, can you recommend a good hotel or restaurant on the island?”
“Sure, walk straight ahead [off the dock]!”
(to himself) “Heh-heh-heh, they’re all gonna die…”
Dolkite, did you see the SNL where they showed “tryouts” for Star Wars by famous actors? Someone pretended to be Richard Dreyfuss and it was hilarious. “I’m Richard Dreyfuss! I was in Jaws!”
Found it!
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/star-wars-20th-anniversary-dvd-screen-tests-part-1/2845597
Mr Lindy said exactly that when i told him about her speech. “Richard Dreyfuss is dead?? Why wasnt he on the In Memoriam thing they just did??”
Seriously, people are asking her to step aside? Did anyone ever asked Bryan Cranston or Jon Hamm to step aside when they were always nominated every year?
Being nominated and winning are two separate issues.
She is my ultimate girl-crush! She is so beautiful. She barely looks a day older than Elaine in season 3 of Seinfeld!
Maggie Smith’s Emmy is probably at the lost and found! Anyway, Dame Maggie responded to Kimmell yesterday. A very funny response. I hope she goes on his show and he gives her her Emmy.
Love JLD and Richard Dreyfuss!
Richard Dreyfuss brought this on himself. About a decade ago, he told the world he was part of the Louis-Dreyfus family, and he got called out for lying about it. Google it.
I tried Googling it, but this current cycle has completely overtaken Google. If he said that, I can’t imagine it wasn’t a joke.
Man, people are idiots.
Sharks ate your Emmy, Richard… Sharks ate it.