PEOPLE reports that Julia Louis-Dreyfus has partnered with registered Federal PAC Local Majority to create a PSA about the importance of voting.
In the PSA, the actress says, “A corrupt, self-obsessed, inept moron who somehow becomes president of the United States? That’s the character I play on HBO’s Veep . But when I’m off of TV, I’m not a politician, I’m not an expert, I’m a citizen. And I know that the midterm election on November 6th is beyond important. It is vital.”
Several volunteers from California explain their own reasons for getting involved. Some are interested in protecting the environment, supporting equal rights, and fighting immigration reform. Dreyfus talked about an issue that hit closer to home for her: affordable health care. In September of last year, she announced she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
“I’m a cancer survivor, and I am really lucky because I had access to excellent health insurance, even with a preexisting condition. That’s the way it should be for absolutely everybody, and it’s not. The Republican Congress is making it worse, but the Democrats can change that.” She went on to say, “It’s not lost on me how dire my circumstances would be if I did not have really strong insurance through my union. I can’t say it’s a club I ever really wanted to be a part of, but now that I am part of it, I’m delighted to help those who need help. I guess you could say that’s a huge silver lining to all of this horribleness — being able to help others who are in the same spot.”
And according to USA Today , she has also worked with designer Wes Gordon on a t-shirt as part of Saks Fifth Avenue’s 20th year raising money through its Key to the Cure program. The limited-edition shirt will sell for $35 between October 1-31 and 100 percent of proceeds will go to the AiRS Foundation, which is a nonprofit that helps women with the costs of breast reconstruction surgery.
According to Dreyfus, “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.”
The actress completed her cancer treatment earlier this year and has returned to work on the HBO show. She says she’s thankful that the Veep crew has been so supportive.
“I am very grateful to my Veep crew — all of them, cast, writers, crew, everybody above and below the line — who have waited out this period of time. But I’m feeling good and feeling quite ready and delighted to focus on funny things as opposed to things that aren’t quite so funny.”
