Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Julia Louis-Dreyfus has long established herself as a comedic powerhouse through her iconic roles in television, including the critically acclaimed Seinfeld and the HBO political satire Veep. For the last few years, the veteran has been quietly operating in the shadows of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the enigmatic Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. After a few scenes in the other Marvel projects, we finally get to see more of Valentina in Marvel’s latest blockbuster, Thunderbolts*, which is now playing in theatres.
“It’s interesting you asked,” Louis-Dreyfus said in an interview in Toronto last week, recalling the initial conversation with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and producer Louis D’Esposito. “A number of years ago when this was first brought to me by Kevin Feige and Louis D’Esposito they told me the character’s name, Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. And I was like, ‘Oh, yeah. As soon as I heard the name, I’m like, absolutely, I’m gonna play her knowing nothing about her, of course.”
Intriguingly, Louis-Dreyfus revealed that she’s been privy to Val’s larger arc for quite some time. “Then they went on to describe what she was gonna do, and I actually have known for a number of years now, five or six years or whatever, that she was gonna be a part of Thunderbolts and where she was gonna end up with the Thunderbolts at the end of the film. I’ve kept it a secret this whole time. And I’m really happy that it all came to fruition.” When complimented on her ability to keep such significant secrets, she affirmed with a laugh, “I’m very good at keeping secrets. I can keep a secret from anyone.” That includes her two sons too.
Her immediate connection to the idea of Valentina, even before knowing the specifics of the role, speaks to an intuitive artistic sensibility, her willingness to embrace intriguing characters based on instinct and the sheer allure of a well-crafted persona. It’s clear Louis-Dreyfus relished the role and had fun fleshing out Valentina and her political agendas in the film.
Valentina has quietly been gathering a group of assassins to work on covert operations for her and now has her own superteam that she can control. The unconventional team of antiheroes includes Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and John Walker (Wyatt Russell). They embark on a dangerous mission that forces each of them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.
So does she see Valentina as a villain? Louis-Dreyfus offered a nuanced perspective, adding. “I see her as an anti-villain the way that our characters are anti-heroes. She’s complicated and we have an opportunity to really get to know who she was and why she is the way she is and we sort of peel back the layers on her, on her early life to understand a trauma that she went through, which is sort of the driver of her insatiable desire for power and control.”
Her emphasis on understanding Val’s motivations, particularly the trauma that fuels her actions, underscores Louis-Dreyfus’ commitment to imbuing her characters with depth and psychological realism. This isn’t simply about portraying a villainous archetype; it’s about excavating the human core, the experiences that shape even the most morally ambiguous individuals. This dedication to understanding, rather than judging, aligns with a seasoned artist who finds truth and complexity in every portrayal.
There’s a moment of pure vulnerability when Valentina’s traumatic backstory flashes before her eyes. Understanding this backstory has been crucial for Louis-Dreyfus’s portrayal. “Completely,” she stated when asked if understanding Val’s backstory informed her approach. “I mean, you sort of come at a character not judging and trying to understand.”
Louis-Dreyfus is no stranger to fleshing out complex, intriguing characters – she portrayed the sharp-witted Elaine Benes in Seinfeld, which not only cemented her place in television history but also garnered her a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. Later, Louis-Dreyfus played Selina Meyer in Veep, where she set a record for the most Primetime Emmy Awards won by a single performer for the same role, earning six consecutive awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
Thunderbolts* allows the anti-heroes and anti-villains to be more human, fractured with their own past trauma and collective depression and this emotional arc is what sets this Marvel entry apart from its predecessors. It’s the most vulnerable, raw exploration of identity that makes these characters more three dimensional and relatable.
Louis-Dreyfus agreed, also pointing to the emotional resonance of Thunderbolts. “It was the very issues of depression, mental health, isolation, shame, sadness. These are themes that are in the movie that so many of our characters are dealing with and feel isolated because of it. The movie discusses that idea and how to handle and understand where you’ve been in order to move forward and then, of course, connecting with other people as it’s theme of the film,” she said.
“The film is chock full of explosions and fights and car chases and all the rest, but also it has this story that deals with these themes and the power of community and banding together and finding your connection with others, as a way out through sort of the darkness. I think that matched with all the action and the comedy makes for a pretty entertaining movie.”
Louis-Dreyfus’s expectations of joining the Marvel Universe was that “this is gonna be wild because it’s such an iconic genre” and it continues to surprise her, the scale and production of things, but also the fandom. “I’ve been floored. I’m in awe of how extraordinary a place it is in terms of the ability to make these huge movies. It’s really a wild thing to actually witness, but what’s also wild to witness is the universe of fandom. I am just floored by that. I feel a great deal of responsibility to the fans who are devoted to this world and I think that’s very touching and I take it seriously.”
She reveals herself as an artist driven by empathy and a deep respect for storytelling. Perhaps most telling is her personal artistic philosophy, rooted in curiosity and the pursuit of fun.
Drawing a parallel with a character’s potential journey of self-discovery within the film, Louis-Dreyfus shared her own driving forces. “I think I’m a curious person and I’m always looking to try something new. I’m also looking to have fun while doing it. I had a teacher when I was in high school who used to say have fun at all costs and so I sort of applied that to my work.” This philosophy guides her project selection: “If I have a feeling like, ‘Oh, I think this could be fun. It’s different. It might be challenging. It’s a little scary. I’m down.”
It’s clear, Louis-Dreyfus believes in the power of engaging with her craft with both depth and a sense of joyful exploration. She isn’t just inhabiting a character; she’s actively dissecting, understanding and ultimately bringing her own rich artistic sensibilities to the forefront, promising a compelling and multifaceted portrayal of the enigmatic Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.
We wondered if she could go head-to-head with another Marvel villain, who would she like it to be? She pondered and said, perhaps Thanos? We’d sure like to see those two villains face off against each other.
Thunderbolts* is now playing in theatres.
