The Untold Truth Of Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Sons Henry And Charlie
You likely know their famous mom, but Henry Hall and Charlie Hall, the sons of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Hall (pictured far left), are making a name for themselves too. It can be difficult growing up in the shadow of a comedy legend like Louis-Dreyfus, but Henry and Charlie have never been intimidated by mom.
Henry Hall and baby brother Charlie were born in 1992 and 1997, respectively, amid peak Seinfeld fandom. Louis-Dreyfus, who played Elaine, told The New Yorker that she had a nursery built on set to spend more time with the kids. Despite growing up in Hollywood, the California natives had a surprisingly traditional life, and neither was interested in acting as a child. In fact, Henry told Paper Magazine in 2019 that when he was a kid, he aspired to be a professional surfer. Very LA, no?
Through good times and bad, they've been there for their mother, including her 2017 breast cancer diagnosis. The brothers jumped at the chance to celebrate the end of Julia Louis-Dreyfus' chemo treatments in 2018. Louis-Dreyfus posted a video to her Instagram on her last day of chemotherapy, and in it, Charlie and Henry dance around as they lip-sync to Michael Jackson's "Beat It."
These days, Henry Hall and Charlie Hall are all grown up and ready to step out of their mom's shadow — here's everything we know about Julia Louis-Dreyfus' sons.
Henry and Charlie are super close with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Henry Hall and Julia Louis-Dreyfus are super tight. As noted above, he grew up spending time on the set of Seinfeld and has always been impressed with his mom's talent. Although the family is all doing their own thing (Henry has his music, Charlie is busy developing a comedy series, and mom and dad are often on set), Henry still makes sure to find time to hang with mom. In a 2019 interview with Paper Magazine, Henry said he and his mom like to work out together, calling her athleticism "amazing."
Henry is just as impressed with Julia Louis-Dreyfus' career as he is with her commitment to exercise. When talking to Rolling Stone in 2016, he said he likes watching his mom's work on TV. "My favorite part about Veep is to hear my mom saying, 'F**k.' The more cursing and raunchy humor, the better," he joked.
As for Charlie Hall, he and mom bonded over a shared love of sports, which inspired him to play on the basketball team at Northwestern University. Apparently, his parents never missed a game. In a 2016 interview with the Chicago Tribune, Julia Louis-Dreyfus said that she and husband, Brad Hall, think Charlie "is outstanding in every regard." She added, "We're his biggest fans."
Henry has built an impressive music career
Henry Hall might not have Julia Louis-Dreyfus' acting chops, but he's a whiz in the studio. While in college at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, he played in the most popular band on campus, Grand Cousin, according to the New York Post. The band released an EP before going their separate ways to pursue different projects. After graduating, Henry Hall threw himself into his art and released a solo EP and a few music videos. "Proverbial Ice," from his EP Questions, Comments, Concerns, dropped in 2019.
In a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone, Henry said that while he's not much of an actor and his mom isn't much of a musician, creativity fosters creativity in the Hall family. "My mom was very supportive of my music and still is and comes to all the shows. It's great to have creative people in the family and bounce things off of," he told the outlet. "I really respect her opinion on all things creative."
Besides his mom, Hall finds artistic inspiration in the music of Prince and Paul McCartney. Hall told Rolling Stone that, as a child, he'd try to imitate their voices, which led to his distinctive, high register singing voice, "When I was young, I would sort of sing like those guys, and try to sing their parts." It seems to have done the trick, too, as Paper Magazine called Henry Hall's voice instantly recognizable and "melodious." Looks like he's well on his way rock n' roll superstardom.
Charlie is following in Julia Louis-Dreyfus' footsteps
Although Henry Hall might not be taking the acting route, it looks like Charlie Hall is. For starters, Charlie followed in Julia Louis-Dreyfus' footsteps and enrolled in Illinois' Northwestern University after graduating from high school. But unlike mom, Charlie didn't spend his college years nurturing his artistic side. Instead, he played on the basketball team, which is no small accomplishment considering that Northwestern is a Big Ten school.
But instead of pursuing a career in athletics after graduation, Charlie Hall turned his sights to the world of comedy. In 2020 Hall released the first episode of his web series, Sorry, Charlie, which he co-created and co-wrote with fellow Northwestern graduate Jack Price, according to the Chicago Tribune. Hall plays an awkward 20-something, with no idea how to talk to girls or how to get his stand up career off the ground. The show received positive reviews, with the Chicago Tribune called the series a "joy to watch." It looks like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Want to know more about Louis-Dreyfus' life? Let's take a closer look at who her husband is.