Julie Louis-Dreyfus is opening up about her negative experience working on "Saturday Night Live."
Louis-Dreyfus got her start on the NBC comedy show back in 1982 and remained a cast member for three seasons. While Speaking to Stephen Colbert at a Montclair Film event in Newark, N.J., the actress admitted she was "miserable" during her three-year stint on the show.
"It was a pretty brutal time, but it was a very informative time for me," she told Colbert via Daily Mail.
A factor that played into her negative view of the show was its stereotypes and wild behavior she was initially "naive" to. She had dropped out of Northwestern University before graduation to join the show.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus arrives at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. In a recent interview, the actress recalled her time on "Saturday Night Live" as "miserable." (AP)
"It was very sexist - very sexist," Louis-Drefyus stressed, adding that people on set "were doing crazy drugs at the time."
At age 21, Louis-Dreyfus said she "didn't really understand how the dynamics of the place worked."
Looking back now, the actress now realizes the experience helped her make better decisions about work projects.
"It is so important and so basic, but I just felt like, 'I don't have to; I don't have to do this, I don't have to walk and crawl through this kind of nasty glass if it's not ultimately going to be fulfilling," she explained to Colbert.
Pictured: (l-r) Jason Alexander as George Costanza, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Elaine Benes, Jerry Seinfeld as Jerry Seinfeld, Michael Richards as Cosmo Kramer (George Lange/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
"And so that's how I sort of moved forward from that moment and I sort of applied that kind of 'fun meter' to every job I've had since and it definitely has been very helpful."
The funny woman added that she "bonded" with co-star Larry David over their "miserable" experiences on the late-night show in the 1980s. David later helped co-create "Seinfeld" along Jerry Seinfeld, where Louis-Drefus' lead character of Elaine Benes, skyrocketed her to fame.
NBC has garnered much criticism in recent months over a handful of #metoo allegations, and most recently, the network was put on blast by celebrities standing behind former "America's Got Talent" judge Gabrielle Union.
Variety reported last month that Union, 47, had spoken out against the network after enduring an alleged "toxic" workplace environment at the show. The actress then swiftly exited the show, with many of her supporters believing she was unjustly fired.
"Grey's Anatomy" star Ellen Pompeo was one of the first to call out NBC for its treatment after Union's departure.
"Workplace cultures will continue to be toxic until there is unity and solidarity among all women. If you go for self in these moments you undermine the work we are out here trying to do. Obviously this network feels like they can operate this and it's okay," she wrote on the social media platform.
Last week, Union tweeted that she had a "productive" five-hour meeting with NBC executives.
She explained: "I was able to, again, express my unfiltered truth. I led with transparency and my desire and hope for real change."
Gabrielle Union previously worked at NBC on "America's Got Talent." (Trae Patton/NBC)
In a statement obtained by Fox News, a representative for NBC said that the "initial conversation was candid and productive."
"While there will be a further investigation to get a deeper understanding of the facts, we are working with Gabrielle to come to a positive resolution," NBC continued.
Meanwhile, Linda Vester, an ex-NBC correspondent and former Fox News anchor who accused NBC News' Tom Brokaw of sexual misconduct, has repeatedly called for NBC to investigate its list of alleged complaints.
