TV star joins disease-awareness initiative

Julia Louis-Dreyfus happily returns to  Emmy-winning 'Veep' role after breast cancer

Instagram selfie with 'Veep' crew.  

TV stalwart Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who'll undoubtedly remember her breast cancer diagnosis and treatments for the rest of her life, is happily back at work at HBO's satirical "Veep."

And she's also involved in her first cancer-awareness initiative.

According to an Associated Press story by Leanne Italie today, the 57-year-old star says it feels "fantastic" to be acting again.

Louis-Dreyfus disclosed her cancer diagnosis last September, shortly after having garnered her sixth consecutive Emmy Award for her Selina Meyer role.

According to the AP, the seventh and last season of "Veep," which will air in the spring, evoked this from the former "Seinfeld" co-star: "I feel good. I feel strong. I've got energy and, yeah, back o my old tricks. It feels like I never left."

Her wading into the cancer-awareness waters, the piece continues, comes through her "helping Carolina Herrera designer Wes Gordon design a flower-adorned T-shirt as part of Saks Fifth Avenue's 20th year raising money through its Key to the Cure program."

Over two decades, the program has donated almost $40 million to cancer research and treatment organizations.

All proceeds from the shirt that will sell for $35 during October, which for decades has served as Cancer Awareness Month, reportedly will go to the AiRS Foundation, which the AP describes as "a nonprofit Louis-Dreyfus supports for its work in helping women with the costs of breast reconstruction after mastectomy."

The shirt features three poppies (in red and pine tones) and a slogan: "We are fighters & we are fighting for a cure."

Noted the actor about the design process, "It was a super-fun endeavor," elaborating that she "wanted it to have a sort of femininity and a powerful message at the same time because I believe the two can go hand in hand. I liked the idea of talking about fighting."

Regarding reconstruction, she'd noted that "up to 70 percent of breast cancer survivors who have had a mastectomy are really unsure or unaware of their reconstruction options, and many of those women who desire to have surgery don't have sufficient insurance or other resources to cover it."

Regarding her participation in the awareness program, she said that while she now was "putting my whole self into Key to the Cure," she'd previously been "very careful about managing my time and conserving my energy. You can't spread yourself too thin."

After going under the knife for breast cancer, Louis-Dreyfus had been perhaps a bit less eloquent and a bit more dramatic. She'd written on Instagram, "Hoorah! Great doctors, great results, feeling happy and ready to rock after surgery. Hey cancer, f**k you!"

More details about both reconstruction and awareness can be found in "Rollercoaster: How a man can survive his partner's breast cancer," a VitalityPress book I, Woody Weingarten, aimed at male caregivers.

Has Julia Louis-Dreyfus' disease disappeared?

'Veep' star celebrates end of breast cancer chemo by posting humorous video of two sons

Julia Louis-Dreyfus as TV's "Veep"

Emmy-award winning actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus celebrated the end of her chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer by posting a hopeful, humorous video tribute created by her grown sons.

This week's oft out-of-focus Instagram post featured Henry, a 25-year-old singer-songwriter, and Charlie, 20, a college basketball player at Northwestern University — who the former star of "Seinfeld" calls "my beauty boys" — and drew more than half a million viewers and more than 5,000 comments within about 24 hours.

Louis-Dreyfus posted the light-hearted video in the same timeframe as her 57th birthday.

The tribute to her was titled "Mom's last day!!! BEAT IT!!!" and was a lip-synched version of Michael Jackson's song.

The former star of "Seinfeld" was diagnosed in September the day after she'd won an Emmy for "Veep," and has since "been sharing her journey and support from loved ones and fans on social media," according to the Associated Press.

Louis-Dreyfus has won a record-setting Emmy for the HBO series five years in a row for her role as Selina Meyer.

About the boys, her offspring with her since-1987 husband, comedian-actor Brad Hall, she noted in a caption, "Pretty swell, right? Ain't they sweet?"

After her second round of chemo in October, she'd shared a photo of herself with an over-the-top drawn-on mustache, and before starting her third round, a story in the Sydney Morning Herald validates, she "posted a skit her 'Veep' co-stars, Matt Walsh and Sam Richardson, filmed to help her get 'psyched,' featuring motivational quotes from a range of problematic historical figures like Joseph Stalin and Harvey Weinstein."

Has her breast cancer disappeared? No announcement about that has been forthcoming yet.

But a discussion of the myriad forms that loving reactions can take may be found in "Rollercoaster: How a man can survive his partner's breast cancer," a VitalityPress book I, Woody Weingarten, aimed at male caregivers.

'Veep' star finishes 2nd round of chemotherapy

Julia Louis-Dreyfus utilizes Instagram to update followers about breast cancer treatments

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the Emmy-winning star of "Veep" and "Seinfeld," has borrowed pop sensation Katy Perry's lyrics from the 2013 hit "Roar" to update fans about her breast cancer treatments.

Louis-Dreyfus, who'd announced in September that she'd been diagnosed with the disease, had used her condition to call for universal health care in the United States. 

Now, giving credit to Perry and "Veep" co-stars Timothy Simons and Tony Hale "for their hilarious and loving inspiration," she used Instagram to spread the news — comically — that she'd finished her second round of chemotherapy and is ready to continue her battle.

Her posting included a photo of her wearing a black hoodie, sunglasses and a hand-drawn mustache, and she wrote, "'I've got the eye of the tiger. The Fighter dancing through the fire cuz I am a champion and you're going to hear me ROAR."

Her initial announcement had asserted that "1 in 8 women get breast cancer. Today, I'm the one," then cited a support system led by her family and friends and noted that she had "fantastic insurance through my union."

The 56-year-old star's declaration came a day after this year's Emmy award ceremony in which she won her sixth consecutive statue, setting the record for the most victories for a performance by the same actress in the same series.

The five-year survival rate for breast cancer is now 90 percent, according to the American Cancer Society.

More information about cancer treatments can be found in "Rollercoaster: How a man can survive his partner's breast cancer," a VitalityPress book I, Woody Weingarten, aimed at male caregivers.

Former 'Seinfeld' star urges universal health care

'Veep' multiple Emmy winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus reveals that she's fighting breast cancer

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, 56-year-old multiple Emmy-winning star of "Veep" and "Seinfeld," has breast cancer.

The actress disclosed her diagnosis on Twitter yesterday "in a signed message snapped on personal stationery," according to a Huffington Post story by Sara Boboltz.

Her note began, "1 in 8 women get breast cancer. Today, I'm the one."

She also took the opportunity to plug universal health care: "The good news is that I have the most glorious group of supportive and caring family and 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."

Actress Deborah Messing, who again is starring in the TV sitcom "Will and Grace," tweeted that "you are incredible to use this moment as an opportunity to support others."

And actress Anna Kendrick tweeted, "I don't think I realized how much I love this woman, who I don't know. Love her more for speaking up for others in this moment."

Christina Applegate, an actress who had a double mastectomy in 2008 after she was diagnosed with breast cancer, said Louis-Dreyfus could contact her if she wanted to talk.

Former vice president Joe Biden, whose son Beau died of cancer in 2015, tweeted that "we Veeps stick together. Jill and I, and all of the Bidens, are with you, Julia." 

Just under 240,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.

Louis-Dreyfus, who did not immediately announce what treatments she's contemplating, won her sixth consecutive Emmy for playing bumbling politico Selina Meyer on "Veep," a political satire, earlier this month, a record. 

Her latest award came the day before her diagnosis. 

More information on the disease, as well as reactions to diagnoses, can be found in "Rollercoaster: How a man can survive his partner's breast cancer," a VitalityPress book I, Woody Weingarten, aimed at male caregivers.