Veep star Julia Louis-Dreyfus 'would relish' more dramatic roles

Louis-Dreyfus recently won her second consecutive Emmy for political comedy Veep

Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, star of US satire Veep, has said she "would relish" taking on more dramatic roles.

"I would love to spread my wings in that direction, why not?" the multiple Emmy winner told the BBC ahead of the release of her new film Enough Said.

The comedy, which had its UK premiere at this year's London Film Festival, tells of a divorcee who finds love just as her daughter is leaving for college.

Louis-Dreyfus won her fourth Emmy last month for her role in Veep.

Created by Armando Iannucci of The Thick of It fame, the HBO show sees her play an ineffectual US vice president whose attempts to expand her role are continually thwarted.

Though ostensibly a romantic comedy, Enough Said - the fifth film by writer-director Nicole Holofcener - has "a couple of very dramatic moments" according to its 52-year-old star.

"They were a great joy to do even if they were painful," the actress explained. "I hope my fans will be happily surprised."

The film, which had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September and is released in the UK on Friday, sees Louis-Dreyfus appear alongside James Gandolfini.

The late star of The Sopranos plays Albert, a well-meaning man unaware his massage therapist girlfriend - the character Louis-Dreyfus plays - has taken on his vindictive ex-wife as a client.

"I've never done anything as deceitful in my life but I understand why she does it," said the actress, who described her co-star as a "gentle giant" and a "dear, dear man".

"This is a woman on the precipice who's been emotionally hijacked by herself. The dread and fear of her daughter's impending departure fuels this horrible thing she does."

The scene in which her character's deception is exposed was both "tough" and "excruciating" to film, said the New Yorker, who is currently shooting the third season of Veep - a slang term for vice president.

"But it was exciting to do something so dramatic about large human emotions."