’Veep’ production postponed during Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ cancer treatment

LOS ANGELES – Production on the seventh and final season of HBO’s “Veep” has been postponed while its star, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, undergoes treatment for breast cancer.

“We’re obviously postponing production of the show. We were supposed to have started now, while she’s in treatment,” journalist Frank Rich, who is an executive producer on the Emmy-winning HBO series, said on SiriusXM’s “Press Pool” on Wednesday. “But the expectation is that we will shoot again. We have one more season we’re doing, which we’re incredibly excited about.”

In September, the iconic “Seinfeld” alum found out she had breast cancer the day after winning her sixth consecutive Emmy Award for playing career politician Selina Meyer. She went public with her diagnosis days later. HBO, which had already announced plans to end the series in 2018, said Louis-Dreyfus’ diagnosis had no bearing on the decision. The premium cable network also said that it would adjust production as needed.

“Rather impressively, while we wait for her to gather her full strength around her treatment, we’ve been having – with the cast in Los Angeles – table reads of scripts for the final season as they’re ready,” Rich said. “It’s been quite something because she’s fighting a serious, what is for anybody, a real illness. And yet, (she) wants to keep working as much as circumstances allow without being crazy about it.”

The 56-year-old star has been documenting her treatment on social media, sharing chemotherapy updates and silly inspirational videos made by her co-stars.

Rich said that the actress participated in a table read recently and was hilarious as her character.

“She’s a very strong person, and we can’t wait to welcome her back at full speed,” he said.

There has been no word yet on how the postponement will affect the show’s slated 2018 premiere.