Former ‘Seinfeld’ star to portray fictional VP in new HBO series ‘VEEP’

HBO’s upcoming series “Veep,” starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, will begin filming in Baltimore next month, according to an announcement this week from Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D).

Other TV shows that were filmed in Charm City include “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “The Wire.” “Veep,” a political satire, will be far more lighthearted than those gritty programs.

Dreyfus will play the role of Vice President Selina Meyer, a former Democratic senator who becomes vice president after losing a primary to the man who eventually becomes commander in chief. Dreyfus played the kooky Elaine character on the hit TV show “Seinfeld.”

A press release states that Meyer “finds being vice president of the United States is nothing like she expected and everything everyone ever warned her about.”

And while parallels may seem easy to draw between the lead character and former Sen. and current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, or former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin (whom Louis-Dreyfus somewhat resembles), those who have read the script report that Meyer isn’t quite so easy to pinpoint.

Big Hollywood, Andrew Breitbart’s blog, recently reported that other characters in the pilot include a “sharp-tongued chief of staff,” a “slobbish press secretary” and a “liaison between the president and VP’s offices … who is extremely unattractive and creepy but hopes his role as a White House ‘big shot’ will someday impress the chicks.”

The series is the brainchild of British-born Armando Iannucci, whose past work includes 2009’s feature film “In the Loop,” a send-up of British politics that quickly became a cult favorite among political wonks.

Like her new character, Dreyfus is a Democrat. She made political donations to Sens. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) in 2010. 

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