Lena Dunham’s Strategic Pause from Acting Post-‘Girls’ Era

Nearly a decade after the conclusion of Girls, Lena Dunham is making her way back to television with the new Netflix series Too Much.

The acclaimed Golden Globe recipient recently shared her reasons for stepping back from the spotlight and acting, following several contentious issues related to her renowned HBO series, which aired over six seasons from 2012 to 2017.

“In the past, distinguishing between what should and shouldn’t be shared publicly was confusing for me. I was unsure of the appropriate responses,” she conveyed to The Times. “I believed that if I could just explain myself clearly or show a bit of my true self, people’s views would change, and we could connect. However, I realized that people aren’t necessarily interested in that — and that’s okay.”

Dunham humorously remarked, “I often say I should wear a T-shirt that reads, ‘I survived New York media in 2012 and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.’ And from it, all I got was this lousy PTSD.”

Dunham also faced significant criticism for supporting series writer/executive producer Murray Miller when actress Aurora Perrineau accused him of sexual assault in 2017, in addition to earlier criticisms regarding the show’s lack of diversity and other issues.

Following a stint in rehab for an addiction to prescription anxiety medication, Dunham expressed, “I felt like all the personal growth that had been delayed by my time in the spotlight suddenly hit me all at once. It was an intense, sometimes painful transformation. I definitely needed a deliberate break from the public eye.”

Set to debut on July 10 on Netflix, Too Much features Meg Stalter as Jessica, a New Yorker who relocates to London after a tumultuous breakup and begins a relationship with musician Felix (Will Sharpe). Dunham and her husband Luis Felber co-created the series, with Dunham portraying Jessica’s older sister, who similarly steps back from public exposure after a messy divorce forces her to move back in with their mother.

Initially, Dunham chose not to act in the series, stating, “I was not prepared to undergo another ordeal similar to my experiences during Girls at this stage in my life,” referring to the intense scrutiny she faced regarding her body image. “Physically, I was just not ready to have my body scrutinized once again,” she shared with The New Yorker last July.