Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Why the Last Season of 'Veep' Was the Most 'Meaningful' to Her (Exclusive)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is reflecting on the end of her critically acclaimed HBO series, 'Veep.'

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is reflecting on the end of her critically acclaimed HBO series, Veep.

ET's Kevin Frazier spoke with the 58-year-old actress on the 2019 Emmys red carpet on Sunday, and she explained what made the last season of Veep so special. Louis-Dreyfus announced she had been diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2017, and filmed the last season after undergoing multiple rounds of chemotherapy.

"The last season of the show was the most meaningful to me, to come back to the show after walking through my illness, and focus on making the best possible show ever and having that kind of agenda -- priority -- it was sublime," she tells ET.

She also said that battling breast cancer definitely gave her a new appreciation for getting to celebrate the show at the annual awards show. The actress has won six consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for playing Vice President turned President Selina Meyer, and is nominated twice at this year's Emmys.

"I am so grateful to be here," she says.

As for Veep already coming to an end, she says the cast is still as close as ever.

"Yes, we stay in touch all the time, we get together a lot, and we'll never let each other go," she shares. "That's the truth."

"She'll always be a part of me," she adds of her character, Selina Meyer. "She'll never leave me. I  love playing that woman."

Louis-Dreyfus praised the last season of the show, especially for staying true to its political satire roots despite the current unpredictable political climate.

"I'm not gonna lie, it was a challenge, but somehow I think we managed to do it without being a parody," she notes. "It was a political satire. We stayed true to that agenda all season, but I'm sure if you watched this last season of Veep compared to the first season, the show has definitely evolved and it's a reflection, I believe, of the times that we live in."

"On our show, we never identified parties, and that was a huge asset," she adds. "It helped us tell stories without seeming partisan."

ET spoke with Louis-Dreyfus last month at HBO's For Your Consideration event at the Landmark Theaters in Los Angeles, where she said Veep was her "lifesaver" during her cancer battle. Watch the video below for more:

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