Actress, Julia Louis-Dreyfus's over forty-year relationship with Brad Hall is one of love and partnership. Here's everything from how they met to how they have been beside each other over the years.
You might know actress, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, for her stint on the hit Television series, Seinfeld. Here, she played the role of 'Elaine Benes', 'Jerry Seinfeld's' ex-girlfriend. Being one of the main characters on the show and appearing on all nine seasons, from 1990 to 1998, she earned herself a place in TV history. Since then, Julia has starred in several well-known TV shows and series, including Watching Ellie (2002–2003), The New Adventures of Old Christine (2006–2010), and Veep (2012–2019).
However, did you know that Watching Ellie was created by none other than her husband, Brad Hall? In the glitz and glamorous world of Hollywood, where celebrity breakups are a dime a dozen, Julia and Brad's love has stood the test of time. They have also celebrated several milestones over the years. This includes them welcoming two sons and beating cancer. In case you are interested in knowing more about their relationship, from how they met to when they got married, here's everything we know.
Like a lot of ordinary people, Julia and Brad met for the first time as students at Northwestern University way back in the 1980s. At the time, a young Julia auditioned for a performance that Brad was producing along with his comedy troupe. The troupe, which was called the Practical Theatre Company, welcomed Julia when she was still in her freshman year. Following this, the PTC had a successful run not only within their school campus in Evanston, Illinois, but also in nearby Chicago in the 80s.
The Practical Theatre Company's success did not go unnoticed. Soon, the troupe, which had four members in total, was all hired by Saturday Night Live producers, Dick Ebersol and Bob Tischler. This information was revealed in an essay in the New York Magazine by Julia and Brad's former castmate and PTC member, Gary Kroeger.
Julia's addition to SNL was nothing short of amazing, as at the age of 21, she was the youngest female cast member on the sketch comedy show at the time. The opportunity also gave her and Brad a chance to work alongside a number of now-famous actors, including Billy Crystal, Eddie Murphy, and Martin Short. The couple worked together on the show until 1984. Brad was the first to leave, and Julia followed him soon after in 1985. Although this did not end Julia's association with the show completely. She came back to host SNL in 2006, 2007, and 2016.
A couple of years after their exit from Saturday Night Live, Julia and Brad decided to tie the knot on June 25, 1987. The couple's wedding was held in a Santa Barbara, California, church where Brad grew up. According to a report by The New Yorker, Brad's father officiated their wedding. Meanwhile, Julia made a bold choice to walk down the aisle with both her father, Gérad Louis-Dreyfus, and her stepfather, Tom Bowles.
After 5 years of blissful married life, Julia and Brad expanded their family when they welcomed their first son, Henry Hall, in 1992. This was a time when Julia was still playing the role of 'Elaine Benes' in Seinfeld. With quick thinking, she hid her pregnancy on camera by wearing quirky, oversized clothing. In 1997, the duo welcomed their second child, Charles Hall. This time around, it wasn't so easy to hide the pregnancy on camera. In a 2008 Harper's Bazaar interview, Julia revealed:
"I went through two pregnancies over a nine-year period on Seinfeld, and I gained 45 pounds both times. Maybe it was 40 pounds, but not less than that, and I'm five foot three. I really tried not to put those 40 pounds on, but I was hungry, man. I craved red meat and lemonade, and I cannot believe the amount of food I could take in. And it's really documented on TV. I was trying to hide the weight."
Fast forward to 2017, just a day after Julia's historic Emmy, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Even during this tough time, Brad did not leave her aside and supported her as much as possible. This gave Julia the strength to share the news with the world on X (formerly Twitter) later that month. In a long note, she wrote:
"1 in 8 women get breast cancer. Today, I'm the one. The good news is that I have the most glorious group of supportive and caring friends, and fantastic insurance through my union. The bad news is that not all women are so lucky, so let's fight all cancers and make universal health care a reality."
Now, however, almost a decade later, the actress revealed that her decision to go public with the news was not entirely voluntary. This was because, at the time, her cancer diagnosis was the reason Veep, a show that she starred in from 2012 to 2019, had to shut down for a year. It also meant that “two hundred and fifty people weren't going to be working” and eventually lost their livelihood for that year. On a recent episode of the Good Hang podcast, the 64-year-old star opened up about the same, stating:
“Well, I was kind of backed into a corner on that one, because we had to shut our show down. It’s funny how that worked out, because normally I would not have done that. I am very private.”
In 2025, Julia's acting career as well as her marriage to Brad is still going strong. In Thunderbolts, which aired this year, Julia played the role of ‘Valentina Allegra de Fontaine'. According to the actress, she jumped at the chance to play this character as it is wildly different from any of her previous roles. Additionally, she also “wanted to impress” her kids with her acting. Two months after the successful release of Thunderbolts, Julia and Brad celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary.
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