Lena Dunham reflects on the scrutiny her body faced during the Girls era
Lena Dunham will not be the defining voice or central character of this generation.
At 38 years old, she recently explained why she will not be taking on a leading role in her new Netflix series Too Much, following her experience starring in the comedy-drama Girls in the 2010s.
“I did not want to go through another experience like I had with Girls at this stage in my life,” she told the New Yorker in an interview published on July 9. “Physically, I was not prepared to have my body scrutinized once again.”
The writer, who faced physical and mental challenges while working on Girls, revealed that she wrote her new series—an autobiographical story about an American woman in her 30s moving to England—with Hacks star Meg Stalter in mind.
“It was a difficult decision,” she admitted. “Not in casting Meg—because I knew she was the right choice—but in admitting that to myself. I used to believe that success meant continuing and ignoring others’ opinions. I forgot that true success is about protecting oneself and doing what is necessary to keep creating.”