Louis-Dreyfus explained that she had a development deal with the studio, which had provisions for an exit
Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus recently opened up about a significant turning point in her life that occurred between her roles in Day by Day and the iconic sitcom Seinfeld. She revealed that she faced a daunting situation when a major studio threatened her with a lawsuit.
Louis-Dreyfus expressed her initial fear, as she felt
intimidated by the fact that it was Warner Bros. while she considered
herself a relatively unknown actress at the time.
Elaborating on
the events, she explained that she had a development deal with the studio,
which had provisions for an exit based on the material being developed.
Unfortunately,
the project didn't work out, and Louis-Dreyfus made the decision to step
away. However, the studio mistakenly believed that she had breached their
agreement and threatened legal action against her.
At this point, Louis-Dreyfus found herself caught in a
predicament. Her representatives advised her to give back the development
money to resolve the issue swiftly, even though she knew she had done
nothing wrong.
Feeling uneasy about admitting fault, she sought
guidance from Gary Goldberg, the creator of Day by Day, Family Ties, and
Spin City.
"I called [Gary Goldberg], because it didn't sit well
with me," she said.
"He was a huge force at NBC and in television
specifically, and I called him and told him this story, and he said, 'You
know what? I don't respond well to bullying so just tell them to f--k off
and don't give them their money back.'"
"It really emboldened me
to stand up for myself, and so, that's what I did," she added..
"And
they just went away, that was the end of it... That was a seminal moment for
me when he said that. Because it was bullying by the way."
Remarkably,
the studio backed down, and the issue was resolved without further
consequences.
