Lena Dunham Explained The 'Hard Choice' Not To Star In Her Upcoming Netflix Show Because Of Body-Shaming
This post contains discussion of body image issues.
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For many people, Lena Dunham is best known for being the creator and star of "Girls."
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The popular HBO series — which had six seasons between 2012 and 2017 — follows a group of friends as they navigate life, careers, and relationships in New York City.
Over the years, Girls has been hailed as a “masterpiece,” but the show — and Dunham specifically — didn’t escape controversy throughout its run. Notably, Girls was criticized for its lack of diversity, and in 2017 Lena also faced intense backlash for defending one of the show’s writers amid rape allegations.
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As you may know, "Girls" — which also stars the likes of Allison Williams and Adam Driver — was inspired by Dunham's own life, and the character she played, Hannah, was partly based on her.
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And now, more than a decade after "Girls" premiered, Dunham is working on yet another semi-autobiographical series, "Too Much," alongside her husband, Luis Felber.
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Currently set for a 2025 release on Netflix, "Too Much" will follow Jessica, an American woman in her mid-30s who moves to the UK after a difficult breakup. In London, Jessica meets and falls in love with a musician named Felix, who is described in the official description as “a walking series of red flags.”
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Because the show’s description closely mirrors Dunham's experience of moving to the UK and meeting her husband, she was expected to take the lead role, just as she did in "Girls." However, it was announced in December that Megan Stalter would star as Jessica alongside Will Sharpe, who will play Felix.
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Now, speaking to the New Yorker for a new profile, Dunham explained that she was reluctant to star in the show after previous experiences with body-shaming.
“It’s about an American woman in London who has had a bad breakup in New York and is confused, meeting a recovering punk musician and trying to figure out if they can make a life together,” she told the outlet when asked about acting in the upcoming project. “It’s not a huge leap [from my experience]. But I knew from the very beginning I would not be the star of it.”
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Interestingly, Dunham — who’s talked openly about body image struggles — recalled it was difficult to “admit” that she wouldn’t feel comfortable in the lead role. However, she said casting Stalter was the perfect alternative, comparing her star to “a little Meryl Streep.”
“I also think that I was not willing to have another experience like what I’d experienced around Girls at this point in my life,” she said, recalling the body-shaming she endured while starring on the hit HBO show in her 20s.
“Physically, I was just not up for having my body dissected again. It was a hard choice, not to cast Meg — because I knew I wanted Meg — but to admit that to myself,” she continued.
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Notably, Dunham also talked about the importance of “protecting yourself and doing what you need to do to keep making work.”
“I used to think that winning meant you just keep doing it and you don’t care what anybody thinks,” she said, admitting that her perspective on true happiness has changed.
She added: “What makes me feel powerful is making my work. It’s the only thing I want to do.”
