'I couldn't tell she was going to be a star:' Julia Louis-Dreyfus' billionaire father William talks about his daughter's success



She made her name playing Elaine Benes on the hugely successful comedy series Seinfeld.



But it seems that Julia Louis-Dreyfus, 53, wasn't always destined for stardom, despite her privileged background.



Appearing on the Today show on Tuesday, Julia's father - the billionaire businessman William Louis-Dreyfus - briefly spoke about her upbringing, admitting that he didn't see his daughter's success coming.



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'I couldn't tell she was going to be a star:' Julia Louis-Dreyfus' billionaire father William reveals he had no idea his daughter would become an actress, while appearing on the Today show on Tuesday

Asked what his daughter was like as a child and whether he had foreseen her acting career, William revealed: 'Well, I couldn't tell whether she was going to be a star.'



He added: 'But I knew how natural she was, and how much she liked life, and fun, she was always very funny and fun to be around.'



Julia was promoting a new documentary titled Generosity Of Eye which follows her father William as he decides to donate pieces from his extensive private art collection to raise money for the charity Harlem Children's Zone.



No child star here: The Today show revealed this childhood snap of Julia, as her father revealed she was 'always fun to be around' when she was younger He means business: Billionaire William - born Gérard Louis-Dreyfus - is the great grandson of Léopold Louis-Dreyfus, founder of Louis Dreyfus Group, a French commodities and shipping conglomerate Privileged background: To say that Julia was 'born into money' is somewhat of an understatement, with her father William's estimated worth said to be around $3.4 billion Just giving: Julia was promoting a new documentary titled Generosity Of Eye which follows her father William as he decides to donate pieces from his private art collection to raise money for the charity Harlem Children's Zone Before she was famous: Julia studied theatre when she was younger eventually joining an improvisation group in Chicago, before asked to join SNL at the age of 21

Speaking about her father, Julia revealed: 'What I learned about making this film about my dad was his personal and emotional investment, not only in the artwork himself but also with the artists.'



Her father's collection includes more than 3,000 paintings, and the documentary can be viewed online.



To say that Julia was 'born into money' is somewhat of an understatement, with her father William estimated to be worth around $3.4 billion by Forbes back in 2006.



Father and daughter: Julia is seen here with William in February this year for the State Dinner being held for French President Francois Hollande at the White House

William - born Gérard Louis-Dreyfus - is the great grandson of Léopold Louis-Dreyfus, founder of Louis Dreyfus Group, a French commodities and shipping conglomerate which William is currently the chairman of.



However, Julia went on to make her own fortune on Seinfeld, and is reported to be now worth around $200 million in her own right.



In 1997 it was reported that Julia was earning around $600,000 per episode, and is said to have increased over time.



Big hit: Julia seen here playing Elaine Benes on the hugely successful comedy series Seinfeld, that ran 180 episodes over nine seasons until 1998 Unstoppable: Julia now plays Vice President Selina Meyer on yet another successful television venture, Veep

Seinfeld ran for 180 episodes over nine seasons until 1998, but is still shown across the world, with the stars of the show receiving royalty payments.



If her success on Seinfeld wasn't enough, Julia is currently the main star in the hit comedy Veep, in which she plays Selina Meyer, a fictional Vice President of the United States.

Just last month, HBO ordered a fourth season of the show, which has seen Julia taken home two Emmy Awards.



Julia is married to her husband of 26 years, director-producer Brad Hall, and the couple have two sons Henry, 21, and Charles, 16.

