I remember making people laugh when I was young. My mother was funny, my grandmother was funny, and my dad was very funny. I used to try and make them laugh all the time, and it worked! They would always laugh at whatever I said or did.

When I was really little, I tried to make my mom laugh by sticking raisins up my nose. It was a classic prank, but it ended in disaster. My mom laughed when she saw me doing it, and then she said okay, um, take them out. But as soon as I took the raisins out of my nose, I started to inhale them. It was a bad idea, and we both got into trouble for it. We had to go to the emergency room because I had inhaled too many raisins. But looking back, it was totally worth it. I got the last one, and that made me happy.

When I wasn't working at Saturday Night Live (SNL), I learned a lot about myself. I went to SNL very young, just 21 years old, and I was there for three years. It wasn't my best experience. I didn't really succeed in any kind of way except to say that I learned by not succeeding. I learned what I didn't want: a tense work environment, unhappiness, and feeling like I didn't fit in. I thought to myself, "If this isn't right for me, then I won't do it." And that's exactly what I did.

I have always been drawn to comedy because it makes people laugh, which is a great way to live life. When we share a laugh with someone, it's like another kind of language. It's a very special thing. Laughter is like endorphins for your soul. It's like Rocket Fuel for your body and mind.

One of my recent projects was making the movie Tuesday. It's sort of an adult fairy tale about a mother and daughter who are very close, but the daughter is very ill. The story has a lot of positive energy to it, but it's also magical and fanciful. I think people will really enjoy it because it's both funny and poignant at the same time.

Getting employed was not always easy for me. There was one period in my life where I was pounding the pavement, trying to find work as a writer or actor. I had a pilot that I had written, which is the first episode of a TV series, but it didn't get picked up. That was tough because I had invested so much time and energy into it.

Another challenge for me in my career has been juggling different things at the same time. While I was making Seinfeld, I gave birth to both of my children, which was super challenging but also fabulous. It really kept everything in perspective and made me realize that there's more to life than just comedy or acting. My husband was a huge support system for me during that time.

In 2012, I created the character of Selena on VEEP, who is both egomaniacal and kind of crazy. She's delusional in some ways, but also very smart and funny. I loved playing her because she's just so much fun to be around. Every time she walked into a room, she would say, "Did the president call?" And the answer was always no! It was hilarious, and it was also exhilarating to play someone who is so confident and self-assured.

In my podcast, Wiser Than Me, I interview older women who are still going strong. What I've learned from them is that there's a common thread among all of them: complete comfort in their own skin. They're not afraid to be themselves, and they don't care what others think. That's really freeing, and it's like Rocket Fuel for your soul.

As for my love of chocolate cake, let's just say I'm a fan. And if you ever want to teach me how to ice one, I'd love to learn!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enI'm here with Julia Louie dfus she needs no introduction do you think that you always meant to be a comedian or is it just like in in your DNA I think it's in my DNA C certainly in the culture of our family you know was funny my mother was funny my grandmother was funny my dad was very funny do you remember making them laugh when you were young what' you do when I was really little I was trying to make my mom laugh and I stuck raisins up my nose and she laughed just like that it's so funny and then uh she said okay um take them out and I inhaled them oh and we had to go to the emergency room but it was totally worth it cuz I got the last so in 1985 yes when you weren't renewed at SNL what did you learn from that experience it must have well I I went to SNL very young I was 21 and I was there for 3 years and I didn't really succeed in any kind of way there except to say I I learned by not succeeding and I learned what I didn't want I didn't want a tense work environment I didn't want to be unhappy and I thought to myself well if I can't find work that's Happy making like the work I was doing in Chicago in theater I I don't think I'm going to do this cuz it's not right for me I always think some of the worst things that ever happen turn out to be the best that's right because my final year on SNL Larry David was the writer there for one year he was deeply miserable there he was more miserable than you and I was deeply miserable and so we connected through our misery and then a couple of years later I heard from him about this show he was working on that was called the Seinfeld Chronicles and the rest is history and the rest is history how does it feel to make people laugh it's like endorphins you can take that's a good description I would say that the that the sharing a laugh with someone is like another kind of language it's a very God it's just just a a great way to live life just wonderful tell me about your recent movie Tuesday it's sort of an adult fairy tale the story centers around a mother and a daughter and the daughter's quite ill and um so it's it has a lot of POS to it but it's magical and it but it's completely fanciful so I think people might really enjoy it I hope you'll like it I'm sure I will what was the toughest time in your career well getting employed that there was a period of time where I was a after SNL um it was about a one two year period threee period in which I was you know I was really pounding pavement I nabbed a pilot which is the first episode of a TV series but then it didn't go to series the other challenge for me in my career has been the juggling act because while I was making Seinfield for example I gave birth to both of my children super challenging yeah but also fabulous because I was becoming very famous at at this time yeah and it really kept all of that in perspective it did isn't that interesting and did they put you behind the Potted Plant so they couldn't see that you were pregnant yeah well let's see the first go round uh yes I stood behind things I carried Boxes Etc by the time this I was pregnant the second time nobody cared and we just kept we it was like it wasn't happening we just sort of I walked in I was out to hear and no one said anything in 2012 you created the character of Selena in vep who is both egomaniacal and kind of crazy yeah and kind of delusional and some way right totally delusional yeah she's in a position of power but she's not quite there yet that's so smart and so you know you think you've made it no you didn't and nobody cares isn't that so I thought that there was so much to be so much material could be mined from that position starting with every time you walked into a room saying did the president call 100% just love that one so and the answer is always no it was just the most exhilarating experience because there was a lot of improvisation and a lot of goofing around that got folded into the show yeah and it was all caps fun all caps isn't that great yeah in your podcast wiser than me you interview older women what have you learned from them that was interesting the big takeaway for me is that all of the women including yourself there's a Common Thread and the Common Thread is complete comfort in their own skin isn't that interesting and that is very freeing and it's like Rocket Fuel it really gives you freedom to do exactly what you want to do that's right so I understand you like chocolate cake would you like me to show you how to ice a chocolate cake if you don't show me I'm going to kill you that I'm definitely going to show you I give up forI'm here with Julia Louie dfus she needs no introduction do you think that you always meant to be a comedian or is it just like in in your DNA I think it's in my DNA C certainly in the culture of our family you know was funny my mother was funny my grandmother was funny my dad was very funny do you remember making them laugh when you were young what' you do when I was really little I was trying to make my mom laugh and I stuck raisins up my nose and she laughed just like that it's so funny and then uh she said okay um take them out and I inhaled them oh and we had to go to the emergency room but it was totally worth it cuz I got the last so in 1985 yes when you weren't renewed at SNL what did you learn from that experience it must have well I I went to SNL very young I was 21 and I was there for 3 years and I didn't really succeed in any kind of way there except to say I I learned by not succeeding and I learned what I didn't want I didn't want a tense work environment I didn't want to be unhappy and I thought to myself well if I can't find work that's Happy making like the work I was doing in Chicago in theater I I don't think I'm going to do this cuz it's not right for me I always think some of the worst things that ever happen turn out to be the best that's right because my final year on SNL Larry David was the writer there for one year he was deeply miserable there he was more miserable than you and I was deeply miserable and so we connected through our misery and then a couple of years later I heard from him about this show he was working on that was called the Seinfeld Chronicles and the rest is history and the rest is history how does it feel to make people laugh it's like endorphins you can take that's a good description I would say that the that the sharing a laugh with someone is like another kind of language it's a very God it's just just a a great way to live life just wonderful tell me about your recent movie Tuesday it's sort of an adult fairy tale the story centers around a mother and a daughter and the daughter's quite ill and um so it's it has a lot of POS to it but it's magical and it but it's completely fanciful so I think people might really enjoy it I hope you'll like it I'm sure I will what was the toughest time in your career well getting employed that there was a period of time where I was a after SNL um it was about a one two year period threee period in which I was you know I was really pounding pavement I nabbed a pilot which is the first episode of a TV series but then it didn't go to series the other challenge for me in my career has been the juggling act because while I was making Seinfield for example I gave birth to both of my children super challenging yeah but also fabulous because I was becoming very famous at at this time yeah and it really kept all of that in perspective it did isn't that interesting and did they put you behind the Potted Plant so they couldn't see that you were pregnant yeah well let's see the first go round uh yes I stood behind things I carried Boxes Etc by the time this I was pregnant the second time nobody cared and we just kept we it was like it wasn't happening we just sort of I walked in I was out to hear and no one said anything in 2012 you created the character of Selena in vep who is both egomaniacal and kind of crazy yeah and kind of delusional and some way right totally delusional yeah she's in a position of power but she's not quite there yet that's so smart and so you know you think you've made it no you didn't and nobody cares isn't that so I thought that there was so much to be so much material could be mined from that position starting with every time you walked into a room saying did the president call 100% just love that one so and the answer is always no it was just the most exhilarating experience because there was a lot of improvisation and a lot of goofing around that got folded into the show yeah and it was all caps fun all caps isn't that great yeah in your podcast wiser than me you interview older women what have you learned from them that was interesting the big takeaway for me is that all of the women including yourself there's a Common Thread and the Common Thread is complete comfort in their own skin isn't that interesting and that is very freeing and it's like Rocket Fuel it really gives you freedom to do exactly what you want to do that's right so I understand you like chocolate cake would you like me to show you how to ice a chocolate cake if you don't show me I'm going to kill you that I'm definitely going to show you I give up forI'm here with Julia Louie dfus she needs no introduction do you think that you always meant to be a comedian or is it just like in in your DNA I think it's in my DNA C certainly in the culture of our family you know was funny my mother was funny my grandmother was funny my dad was very funny do you remember making them laugh when you were young what' you do when I was really little I was trying to make my mom laugh and I stuck raisins up my nose and she laughed just like that it's so funny and then uh she said okay um take them out and I inhaled them oh and we had to go to the emergency room but it was totally worth it cuz I got the last so in 1985 yes when you weren't renewed at SNL what did you learn from that experience it must have well I I went to SNL very young I was 21 and I was there for 3 years and I didn't really succeed in any kind of way there except to say I I learned by not succeeding and I learned what I didn't want I didn't want a tense work environment I didn't want to be unhappy and I thought to myself well if I can't find work that's Happy making like the work I was doing in Chicago in theater I I don't think I'm going to do this cuz it's not right for me I always think some of the worst things that ever happen turn out to be the best that's right because my final year on SNL Larry David was the writer there for one year he was deeply miserable there he was more miserable than you and I was deeply miserable and so we connected through our misery and then a couple of years later I heard from him about this show he was working on that was called the Seinfeld Chronicles and the rest is history and the rest is history how does it feel to make people laugh it's like endorphins you can take that's a good description I would say that the that the sharing a laugh with someone is like another kind of language it's a very God it's just just a a great way to live life just wonderful tell me about your recent movie Tuesday it's sort of an adult fairy tale the story centers around a mother and a daughter and the daughter's quite ill and um so it's it has a lot of POS to it but it's magical and it but it's completely fanciful so I think people might really enjoy it I hope you'll like it I'm sure I will what was the toughest time in your career well getting employed that there was a period of time where I was a after SNL um it was about a one two year period threee period in which I was you know I was really pounding pavement I nabbed a pilot which is the first episode of a TV series but then it didn't go to series the other challenge for me in my career has been the juggling act because while I was making Seinfield for example I gave birth to both of my children super challenging yeah but also fabulous because I was becoming very famous at at this time yeah and it really kept all of that in perspective it did isn't that interesting and did they put you behind the Potted Plant so they couldn't see that you were pregnant yeah well let's see the first go round uh yes I stood behind things I carried Boxes Etc by the time this I was pregnant the second time nobody cared and we just kept we it was like it wasn't happening we just sort of I walked in I was out to hear and no one said anything in 2012 you created the character of Selena in vep who is both egomaniacal and kind of crazy yeah and kind of delusional and some way right totally delusional yeah she's in a position of power but she's not quite there yet that's so smart and so you know you think you've made it no you didn't and nobody cares isn't that so I thought that there was so much to be so much material could be mined from that position starting with every time you walked into a room saying did the president call 100% just love that one so and the answer is always no it was just the most exhilarating experience because there was a lot of improvisation and a lot of goofing around that got folded into the show yeah and it was all caps fun all caps isn't that great yeah in your podcast wiser than me you interview older women what have you learned from them that was interesting the big takeaway for me is that all of the women including yourself there's a Common Thread and the Common Thread is complete comfort in their own skin isn't that interesting and that is very freeing and it's like Rocket Fuel it really gives you freedom to do exactly what you want to do that's right so I understand you like chocolate cake would you like me to show you how to ice a chocolate cake if you don't show me I'm going to kill you that I'm definitely going to show you I give up for\n"