HBO/Colleen Hayes(LOS ANGELES) — The Emmy-winning HBO political comedy Veep launches its seventh and final season Sunday, and no one is sadder to say goodbye than the show’s tight-knit cast, led by Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer.
Timothy Simons, who plays Selina’s rival, Jonah Ryan, admits he was the first to cry at their final table read, but Tony Hale, who plays Selina’s dedicated assistant, Gary, says he was the one who couldn’t stop crying when they were done shooting.
The reason they were all so emotional, explains Matt Walsh — who plays Mike McLintock — was because they realized how rare the show was.
“I think it was such a meaningful experience for all of us and we’re all very connected as a cast,” Walsh says. “So I personally tried to engage with that…I think comedians sometimes try to laugh things off and not engage with what their feeling, and I think we all did a pretty good job of saying farewell.”
Anna Chlumsky, who plays Amy Brookheimer, agrees.
“People are like, ‘Well, what about this show are you gonna miss?’ I’m like, ‘Well, you know, hopefully there are many things about the way that this show worked that I’ll get in other projects in the future,’” Chlumsky says. “But the thing you are guaranteed not to get is these relationships.”
The cast promises things will get pretty dark in season seven, but they all agree they’re happy with how it ended. Will fans be satisfied as well?
“I think they really will,” says Sam Richardson, who plays Richard Splett. “I think, without spoiling anything, I think every character reaches a very interesting and sometimes unexpected, sometimes perfect place.”
Veep airs Sunday at 10:30 p.m. ET on HBO.