“There were certain people that weren’t down to do those bits — and they won’t be named.”

Julia Louis-Dreyfus says other stars refused to do bits with her and Amy Poehler at awards shows

"There were certain people that weren't down to do those bits — and they won't be named."

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

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January 1, 2026 12:30 p.m. ET

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Amy Poehler and Julia Louis-Dreyfus at the 2012 Emmys. Credit:

Lester Cohen/WireImage

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Amy Poehler long for the days when awards shows were fun, when they could delight audiences with unexpected bits. But they do admit, even during the hale days of *Veep *up against *Parks and Recreation *up against *30 Rock*, not every nominee was down to clown.

"You and I have done, a couple of times done bits around award shows — and when we're competing against each other!" Louis-Dreyfus reflected on a recent episode of Poehler's *Good Hang* podcast. "What I have found over the years is that it's very good to focus on what to do if you win or you lose. And Amy Poehler is very fun to come up with bits with."

Louis-Dreyfus and Poehler conspired independently and together on some of the best-loved bits from the last two decades of Emmys, Oscars, and other awards show telecasts. "I was always so grateful that you were up for a bit," Louis-Dreyfus explained, "because there were certain people that weren't down to do those bits — and they won't be named. But we did try a few bits with other people, and they didn't want to do it."**

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Amy Poehler at the 2009 Emmys.

Michael Caulfield/FilmMagic

"Love a bit at an award show!" Poehler exclaimed. "Because it used to be fun. It used to be, like, goofy, and now it's so serious." Louis-Dreyfus concurred, insisting that, all jokes aside, "we took speeches seriously, but from a comic point of view."

Louis-Dreyfus and Poehler have presented a number of awards to one another, taking the opportunity for some brutal yet hilarious ribbing. Take Poehler's speech inducting Louis-Dreyfus into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2014, in which she joked, "Unlike the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Television Academy is open-minded. And they're choosing to induct Julia while they overlook her well-known history of gambling on *Seinfeld* episodes."

But they took the bit past mere zingers on several occasions. "We did a couple of them where we might — I think my favorite one with you, but you tell me — when we pretended to switch acceptance speeches," Louis-Dreyfus said with a mischievous grin.****"That was my favorite," Poehler enthused.

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When Louis-Dreyfus' name was called as the winner in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category for *Veep *for the first (but certainly not the last) time in 2012, she hugged Poehler on the way to the stage. Poehler was nominated for *Parks and Recreation *that year, a performance she'd actually never win an Emmy for. But in a way, she got to say her piece that night.**

Poehler explained, "You went up there, we gave each other a hug, and then we pretended to — oopsie! — switch speeches. You went up and you started thanking people from *Parks and Rec*, and then we had a moment of like, 'Oh f---,' and the camera cut to me."

The comedy legends rushed to meet each other at the edge of the stage where they switched their crumpled up balls of paper, and Louis-Dreyfus carried on thanking the correct people.

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"Those were the years, I have to say, there were so many great women always in our category that came and went," Poehler reflected. "Julia was always there, because she always crushed us all every year. But people were really game to have fun, and I don't remember anything other than the fun times of those bits."

Louis-Dreyfus reminded Poehler that not *everyone *was game. "I think some of them were nervous! Like genuinely nervous," Poehler ventured, to which Louis-Dreyfus dryly shot back, "Okay fine, you can say that."

She went on to win every Emmy in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category from 2012 to 2017, edging out the likes of Poehler, Tina Fey, Lena Dunham, Edie Falco, and more. But at least they were both in on the joke.****

You can watch Louis-Dreyfus' full interview on *Good Hang* above.

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