Lena Dunham | |
---|---|
Born | New York City, U.S. | May 13, 1986
Education | The New School Oberlin College (BA) |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 2006–present |
Spouse | |
Parents |
|
Relatives | Cyrus Grace Dunham (sibling) |
Lena Dunham (/ˈliːnə ˈdʌnəm/; born May 13, 1986)[1] is an American writer, director, actress, and producer. She is the creator, writer, and star of the HBO television series Girls (2012–2017), for which she received several Emmy Award nominations and two Golden Globe Awards.[2][3] Dunham also directed several episodes of Girls and became the first woman to win the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Comedy Series.[4] She started her career writing, directing, and starring in her semi-autobiographical independent film Tiny Furniture (2010), for which she won an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay. She has since written and directed the 2022 films Sharp Stick and Catherine Called Birdy.
In 2013, Dunham was included in the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world.[5] In 2014, Dunham released her first book, Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned".[6] In 2015, along with Girls showrunner Jenni Konner, Dunham created the publication Lenny Letter, a feminist online newsletter.[7][8] The publication ran for three years before its discontinuation in late 2018.[9]
Dunham briefly appeared in films such as Supporting Characters and This Is 40 (both 2012) and Happy Christmas (2014). She voiced Mary in the 2016 film My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. On television, aside from Girls, she has played guest roles in Scandal and The Simpsons (both 2015). In 2017, she portrayed Valerie Solanas in American Horror Story: Cult.[10]
Dunham's work, as well as her outspoken presence on social media and in interviews, have attracted significant controversy, praise, criticism, and media scrutiny throughout her career.[11][12]
Early life and education
Dunham was born in New York City.[13][14] Her father, Carroll Dunham, is a painter, and her mother, Laurie Simmons, is an artist and photographer, and a member of The Pictures Generation, known for her use of dolls and dollhouse furniture in her photographs of setup interior scenes.[15][16] Her father is Protestant of mostly English ancestry;[17] whereas her mother is Jewish.[18][19][20][21] Dunham has described herself as feeling "very culturally Jewish, although that's the biggest cliché for a Jewish woman to say." The Modern Hebrew poetry of Yehuda Amichai helped her to connect with her Judaism.[22][23][24]
Dunham attended Friends Seminary before transferring in seventh grade to Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn, where she met Tiny Furniture actress and future Girls co-star Jemima Kirke.[25][26] As a teen, Dunham also won a Scholastic Art and Writing Award.[27] She attended The New School for a year before transferring to Oberlin College,[28][16] where she graduated in 2008 with a degree in creative writing.[16]
She has a younger sibling, Cyrus, a 2014 graduate of Brown University, who appeared in Dunham's first film, Creative Nonfiction, and starred in her second film, Tiny Furniture.[16][29] The siblings were raised in Brooklyn and spent summers in Salisbury, Connecticut.[30]
Career
2000s: Oberlin College and early works
While a student at Oberlin College, Dunham produced several independent short films and uploaded them to YouTube. Many of her early films dealt with themes of sexual enlightenment and were produced in a mumblecore filmmaking style, a dialog-heavy style in which young people talk about their personal relationships. In 2006, she produced Pressure, in which a girl and two friends talk about experiencing an orgasm for the first time, which makes Dunham's character feel pressured to do so as well.[31][32] "I didn't go to film school", Dunham explains. "Instead I went to liberal arts school and self-imposed a curriculum of creating tiny flawed video sketches, brief meditations on comic conundrums, and slapping them on the Internet."[33]
Another early film, entitled The Fountain, which depicted her in a bikini brushing her teeth in the public fountain at Oberlin College, went viral on YouTube.[34][35] "Her blithe willingness to disrobe without shame caused an outburst of censure from viewers," observed The New Yorker's Rebecca Mead.[16] Dunham was shocked by the backlash and decided to take the video down:
There were just pages of YouTube comments about how fat I was, or how not fat I was," Dunham said. "I didn't want you to Google me and the first thing you see is a debate about whether my breasts are misshapen."[16]
Pressures (2006), Open the Door (2007), Hooker on Campus (2007), and The Fountain (2007) were released as DVD extras with Tiny Furniture.[36]
In 2007, Dunham starred in a ten-episode web series for Nerve.com entitled Tight Shots,[37][38] described by The New York Times Magazine's Virginia Heffernan as "a daffy serial about kids trying to make a movie and be artsy and have tons of sex."[39]
In 2009, Dunham created the Index Magazine web series, Delusional Downtown Divas, which satirized the New York City art scene. The production was unpaid, so Dunham and her friends "pooled their money from babysitting and art-assistant gigs and borrowed some camera gear."[40]
Also in 2009, Dunham premiered Creative Nonfiction—a comedy where she plays Ella, a college student struggling to complete a screenplay[41]—at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. She was initially rejected by the festival the year before; she re-edited and successfully resubmitted the film.[42]
2010–11: Breakthrough with Tiny Furniture
Dunham had a career breakthrough with her semiautobiographic 2010 feature film Tiny Furniture; the film won Best Narrative Feature at South by Southwest Music and Media Conference, and subsequently screened at such festivals as Maryland Film Festival.[43] Dunham plays the lead role of Aura.[16] Laurie Simmons (Dunham's real-life mother) plays Aura's mother, and Dunham's real-life sibling Cyrus plays Aura's on-screen sibling. For her work on Tiny Furniture, Dunham also won an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay.[44][45][46]
The success of Tiny Furniture earned Dunham a blind script deal at HBO.[47] The network set Dunham up with veteran showrunner Jennifer Konner. Konner told Vulture's Jada Yuan that she got involved with Dunham because she was an obsessive Tiny Furniture fan:
I got a copy of Tiny Furniture from [HBO president] Sue Naegle. Actually, [New Girl creator] Liz Meriwether told me about it and said, 'Oh, there's this great movie. This girl, she's 23, she wrote, directed, and starred in it; she's in her underwear the whole time.' And I was like, 'I really don't want to see that.' And then she was like, 'Oh, trust me, it's great.' So Sue gave it to me just because she had it ... I used to, like, give out copies of the movie. But I'd just broken up with my writing partner and couldn't be less interested in the idea of supervising anybody. I really was like, 'I'm going to find my voice, and be on my own.' And then they called me and they were like, 'Oh, the Tiny Furniture girl is doing a show, do you want to supervise her?' And I was like, 'Yes! One million percent. Sign me up. Totally on board.'[48]
Dunham's star was also raised considerably when she was profiled by David Carr in The New York Times; he was later credited with introducing her to Judd Apatow.[49][50] Apatow watched Tiny Furniture, and was surprised Dunham had also written and directed the film. "I emailed her and told her I thought it was great", Apatow told The Hollywood Reporter. "It turned out she was in the middle of negotiating a deal to develop a show for HBO and that her partner was Jenni Konner, whom I had worked with on Undeclared and a bunch of other projects. They asked me if I wanted to be a part of it, and I was thrilled to jump in."[51]
2012–17: Mainstream success with Girls and first book
Dunham's television series, Girls, was greenlit by HBO in early 2011.[52] Three episodes were screened to positive response at the 2012 South by Southwest Festival.[53]
The series follows Hannah Horvath (portrayed by Dunham), a 20-something writer struggling to get by in New York City. Some of the struggles facing Dunham's character Hannah—including being cut off financially from her parents, becoming a writer and making unfortunate decisions—are inspired by Dunham's real-life experiences.[54]
Dunham said Girls reflects a part of the population not portrayed in the 1998 HBO series Sex and the City. "Gossip Girl was teens duking it out on the Upper East Side and Sex and the City was women who [had] figured out work and friends and now want to nail romance and family life. There was this 'hole-in-between' space that hadn't really been addressed," she said.[54] The pilot intentionally references Sex and the City as producers wanted to make it clear that the driving force behind Girls is that the characters were inspired by the former HBO series and moved to New York to pursue their dreams.[54] Dunham herself says she "revere[s] that show just as much as any girl of my generation".[54]
The first season premiered on HBO on April 15, 2012, and received critical acclaim. The New York Times applauded the series, writing that "Girls may be the millennial generation's rebuttal to Sex and the City, but the first season was at times as cruelly insightful and bleakly funny as Louie on FX or Curb Your Enthusiasm on HBO."[55] James Poniewozik from Time reserved high praise for the series, calling it "raw, audacious, nuanced and richly, often excruciatingly funny".[56]
Despite the acclaim, the series also generated significant criticism over its lack of racial representation and Dunham's frequent on-screen nudity.[57][58]
The first season garnered Dunham four Emmy Award nominations for her roles in acting, writing, and directing the series, as well as two Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy and Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy.[59][60] In February 2013, Dunham became the first woman to win a Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Comedy Series for her work on Girls.[61]
Girls was renewed for a second season in April 2012, before the first season had finished airing.[62] The first season finale drew over one million viewers.[63]
The second season of Girls continued to receive critical acclaim. David Wiegland of the San Francisco Chronicle said that "The entire constellation of impetuous, ambitious, determined and insecure young urbanites in Girls is realigning in the new season, but at no point in the four episodes sent to critics for review do you feel that any of it is artificial".[64] Verne Gay of Newsday said it is "Sharper, smarter, more richly layered, detailed and acted".[65] Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly felt that "As bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as it was in its first season, Girls may now be even spunkier, funnier, and riskier".[66] The second season ran on HBO from January 2013 to March 2013, with third and fourth seasons subsequently being renewed. The third season of Girls premiered in January 2014 with over one million viewers.[67] The following month, Dunham hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live with musical guest The National.[68]
In late 2012, Dunham signed a $3.5 million deal with Random House to publish her first book.[69] The book, an essay collection called Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned", was published in September 2014.[70] It reached number two on The New York Times Best Seller list in October 2014.[71]
On January 5, 2015, days before the premiere of the fourth season, Girls was renewed for a fifth season,[72] despite dwindling viewership.[73] That year, Dunham launched A Casual Romance Productions, a production company to develop television and film projects.[74] The company produced It's Me Hilary: The Man Who Drew Eloise.[75] On February 20, 2015, it was reported that Dunham had been cast in a guest role in an episode of the ABC drama series Scandal, which aired March 19, 2015.[76]
In September 2015, Dunham stated that the sixth season of Girls was likely to be the last.[77] This was later confirmed by HBO.[78]
In 2016, Dunham appeared in her mother's film, My Art,[79] which had its world premiere at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival.[80] She also voiced Mary in My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea, a 2016 American animated teen comedy drama film directed by Dash Shaw.[81] It was selected to be screened in the Vanguard section at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.[82] Dunham also filmed scenes for the film Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, but they were cut from the final film.
In 2017, Dunham portrayed Valerie Solanas, the real-life radical feminist and SCUM Manifesto author who attempted to murder Andy Warhol in the late 1960s, in American Horror Story: Cult.[10]
Girls' sixth and final season concluded on April 16, 2017, leaving a total of 62 episodes in the series.[83][84]
2018–present: Second book, Camping, and other work
Since 2016, Dunham has been working on a second book that will be published by Random House.[85]
In February 2018, A Casual Romance Productions announced that it would be producing Camping, a remake of the British comedy series of the same name for HBO, with Jennifer Garner in the lead and Dunham and Konner as showrunners and writers.[86][87] On July 25, 2018, the series held a panel at the Television Critics Association's annual summer press tour featuring executive producer Jenni Konner and cast member Jennifer Garner.[88] The following day, a teaser trailer for the series was released.[89]
Camping was met with a mixed to negative response from critics upon its premiere. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds a 28% approval rating, with an average rating of 5.1 out of 10 based on 32 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "The first season of Camping makes it difficult to determine who the least happy campers are: those on the screen or those watching it."[90] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 49 out of 100 based on 26 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[91]
In August 2018, it was announced Dunham would appear in the film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, directed by Quentin Tarantino, which released on July 26, 2019.[92] Dunham portrayed the role of Catherine "Gypsy" Share.[93] In October 2018, coinciding with the expiration of their joint HBO contract, Dunham and Konner split as producing partners and dissolved their production company.[94] In August 2019, Dunham launched a new production company named Good Thing Going which had a first look deal with HBO.[95]
In 2019, Dunham and Alissa Bennett started a podcast called The C-Word Podcast produced by Luminary.[96]
In response to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, in March 2020 Dunham announced she would write a serialized novel, Verified Strangers, as a response to social isolation. She added that the act was a response to help herself and the readers in a time of anxiety.[97][98] The serialization started later that month on the Vogue website.[99] Dunham directed and served as an executive producer on the first episode of HBO's Industry.[100] That same year, she appeared in The Stand In directed by Jamie Babbit.[101]
In 2021, Dunham had a small role in Music, directed by Sia.[102] She also served as an executive producer on Genera+ion, a dramedy for HBO Max.[103]
In 2022, Dunham's second feature film, Sharp Stick, starring Kristine Froseth, Dunham, and Jon Bernthal, was released to mixed reviews. She also directed, wrote, and produced her third film, Catherine Called Birdy, an adaption of the children's novel of the same name by Karen Cushman for Working Title Films.[104][105] The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 2022. It was released in a limited release on September 23, 2022, by Amazon Studios, prior to streaming on Prime Video on October 7, 2022.
In December 2023, Netflix announced that Too Much, a new series co-created, written, executive produced, and directed by Dunham, would enter production the following year in the United Kingdom.[106]
In the media
Dunham has appeared on several magazine covers, including Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Popular Mechanics, and Rolling Stone. After Dunham posed with bare legs for Glamour's February 2017 cover, she praised the magazine for featuring an unedited photo and leaving the cellulite on her thighs visible.[107][108]
Lenny Letter
In 2015, Dunham, with Jenni Konner, co-founded Lenny Letter, a feminist online newsletter.[7][8] Lenny Letter was initially supported by Hearst Corporation advertising,[109] and subsequently by Condé Nast.[110] In addition to the regular newsletter, Lenny Letter published a Fiction Issue and a Poetry Issue during fall 2015.[111]
Notable articles include an essay written by actress Jennifer Lawrence about the gender wage gap in Hollywood,[112] and one written by singer Alicia Keys about her decision to start wearing little to no make-up.[113]
In November 2017, following Dunham and Konner's controversial letter denouncing Aurora Perrineau's accusation of sexual assault by Murray Miller, Zinzi Clemmons announced that she would no longer contribute to the newsletter, saying Dunham's racism was "well-known" and called for all women of color to "divest" from Dunham.[114]
In October 2018, Dunham and Konner announced that Lenny Letter would be shutting down,[9][115] reportedly due to a decline in subscribers and failure to build momentum upon other platforms.[116]
Reception
Dunham claimed in her book Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned" that she had been sexually assaulted by a person she called "Barry." Other details in the book indicated that "Barry" was a former Oberlin College classmate.[117][118][119] In the book, Dunham describes "Barry" as a man who wore cowboy boots, sported a mustache, hosted a radio show, worked at a campus library, and graduated from Oberlin in 2005; this description was characterized by the attorney of Dunham's former classmate as detailed enough to point towards his client. Dunham later apologized for the confusion and Random House reprinted the book with a disclaimer, releasing a statement saying: "Random House, on our own behalf and on behalf of our author, regrets the confusion."[120] Other passages in the book recounting interactions of a sexual nature, starting when she was seven years old – with her then one-year-old sibling Grace (now Cyrus) – also attracted significant controversy,[121] and prompted numerous editorials about children's sexuality and personal boundaries.[122][123][124]
Dunham's work and her outspoken presence on social media and in interviews have attracted significant controversy, criticism, and media scrutiny throughout her career.[11][12] On several occasions, Dunham has been accused of making racially insensitive remarks.[125][126] Upon release, Girls was met with criticism regarding the all-white main cast in the otherwise culturally diverse setting of New York City.[127][128] Though some pointed out that many Americans are friends with other people of the same race, and adding a "token" African-American or Asian-American friend would be "immature" to reality.[129] Donald Glover guest starred as Sandy, a black Republican and Hannah's love interest, in the first two episodes of season two, which was criticized as tokenism in response to the initial backlash from the first season.[130]
Dunham spoke publicly about the criticism on several occasions; in an interview with IndieWire, she said:
I am a half-Jew, half-WASP, and I wrote two Jews and two WASPs. Something I wanted to avoid was tokenism in casting. If I had one of the four girls, if, for example, she was African-American, I feel like—not that the experience of an African-American girl and a white girl are drastically different, but there has to be specificity to that experience [that] I wasn't able to speak to. I really wrote the show from a gut-level place, and each character was a piece of me or based on someone close to me. And only later did I realize that it was four white girls. As much as I can say it was an accident, it was only later as the criticism came out, I thought, 'I hear this and I want to respond to it.' And this is a hard issue to speak to because all I want to do is sound sensitive and not say anything that will horrify anyone or make them feel more isolated, but I did write something that was super-specific to my experience, and I always want to avoid rendering an experience I can't speak to accurately.[131]
In September 2016, Dunham criticized NFL player Odell Beckham Jr. for his interactions with her at the Met Gala. Dunham said, "I was sitting next to Odell Beckham Jr., and it was so amazing because it was like he looked at me and he determined I was not the shape of a woman by his standards. He was like, 'That's a marshmallow. That's a child. That's a dog.' It wasn't mean — he just seemed confused. The vibe was very much like, 'Do I want to f--- it? Is it wearing a ... yep, it's wearing a tuxedo. I'm going to go back to my cell phone." She added, "It was like we were forced to be together, and he literally was scrolling Instagram rather than have to look at a woman in a bow tie. I was like, 'This should be called the Metropolitan Museum of Getting Rejected by Athletes'."[132] Dunham was criticized for her comments, which some considered to be an example of "white entitlement".[133][134] She later apologized for her characterization of his interactions and thoughts.[135]
In December 2016, Dunham declared on a podcast that she wished she had had an abortion, explaining that she wanted to better understand women who have. The comment was widely condemned as insensitive.[136][137] Dunham later issued a lengthy apology on her Instagram.[138][139]
In November 2017, Dunham defended Girls writer Murray Miller, whom actress Aurora Perrineau had accused of sexually assaulting her in 2012 when she was seventeen. Dunham responded to the accusations by saying, "While our first instinct is to listen to every woman's story, our insider knowledge of Murray's situation makes us confident that sadly this accusation is one of the 3% of assault cases that are misreported every year."[140] After an immediate backlash, Dunham apologized for that statement, saying that it was "absolutely the wrong time to come forward with such a statement" and that "every woman who comes forward deserves to be heard, fully and completely, and our relationship to the accused should not be part of the calculation anyone makes when examining her case."[140] Dunham was described as a "hipster racist" for her defense of Miller, as Perrineau is of mixed race.[141][142] In December 2018, Dunham stated that, contrary to her previous statement, she had no "insider information" that exonerated Murray.[143][144][145]
In October 2018, Dunham was hired to write the screenplay for an untitled film based upon the memoir A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea: One Refugee's Incredible Story of Love, Loss, and Survival, by Melissa Fleming, which follows the true story of Doaa Al Zamel, who fled Egypt for Europe and became one of few survivors of a shipwrecked refugee boat, surviving days in open water and supporting herself and two orphaned children with only an inflatable water ring.[146] Steven Spielberg and J. J. Abrams are set to produce the film.[147] Dunham's hiring received backlash from those who felt that, instead of Dunham, a Syrian woman should have been hired.[148][149][150] Daniel Medina, a journalist, wrote: "Lena Dunham constantly talks about representation as crucial to enrich storytelling. Yet, in practice, she has shown a disregard for actually elevating those voices. Now, she's been signed on to write a Syrian refugee's story?".[151] Author Alia Malek stated: "The idea that Lena Dunham is better situated to tell the story of a Syrian than somebody else implicit in that is a kind of hierarchy."[152]
In January 2022, ahead of the film's Sundance premiere, autistic self-advocate and sex educator Amy Gravino posted a Twitter thread alleging that she was approached to be a consultant on Dunham's film Sharp Stick, but was subsequently "ghosted" before she had a chance to meet with Dunham in person.[153][154] In a Variety article covering the subject, Gravino claimed that the film's star, Kristine Froseth, had approached her business manager while doing research for her character Sarah Jo, whom she concluded displayed characteristics that suggested she was autistic. Gravino also claimed that Dunham had personally done research on her work and was excited to meet with her. However, according to the film's producers, Dunham rejected Froseth's suggestion to approach Gravino, and clarified to Froseth that she had never intended to depict Sarah Jo as autistic.
An unnamed spokesperson also released a statement to Variety that read, "Sarah Jo was never written nor imagined as a neurodivergent woman. Nothing about Sarah Jo was coded to suggest or convey neurodivergence." Gravino responded to this defense by saying, "You can’t just say the character isn’t going to be neurodiverse; the coding is still there and it comes across that way in the writing and acting choices, even though it’s not explicitly stated." She also criticized the film for its "infantilization" of Sarah Jo, though the producers countered this assessment by stating that the character's childlike qualities were included to reflect the trauma she experienced, rather than to suggest that she was autistic.[153]
Personal life
In 2012, Dunham began dating Jack Antonoff, the lead guitarist of the band fun. and the founder of Bleachers.[155][156] Dunham and Antonoff remained together until December 2017; they subsequently separated announcing that the separation was "amicable".[157][158]
Dunham was diagnosed with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) as a child, and continued to take a low dose of an anxiolytic (Klonopin) to relieve her anxiety until 2018.[159][160] In 2018 Dunham entered rehab for an addiction to benzodiazepines.[161] In April 2020, she celebrated two years of sobriety.[162][163][164]
In February 2018, Dunham wrote an essay for Vogue about her decision to have a hysterectomy due to endometriosis.[165]
In 2019, Dunham revealed that she has Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (EDS).[166]
In July 2020, Dunham reported on Instagram her experience with COVID-19 because she observed people were not taking social distancing seriously. Though she was not hospitalized, she did have "severe symptoms for three weeks".[167]
After a mutual friend set them up on a blind date, Dunham began dating English-Peruvian musician Luis Felber in January 2021.[168][169][170] In September 2021, Dunham and Felber married in a Jewish ceremony at the Union Club in Soho.[170][169]
A 2024 episode of Finding Your Roots revealed that Dunham is a descendant of Stephanus van Cortlandt (1643–1700), the first native-born mayor of New York City.[171]
Political activities
Dunham supports gun control,[172] immigrant rights,[173] and LGBT rights.[174]
In fall of 2012, Dunham appeared in a video advertisement promoting President Barack Obama's re-election, delivering a monologue, which, according to a blog quoted in The Atlantic, tried to "get the youth vote by comparing voting for the first time to having sex for the first time".[175] Fox News reported criticism from conservatives such as Media Research Center's Lauren Thompson, public relations professional Ronn Torossian, and media trainer Louise Pennell, who labeled the advertisement as tasteless, inappropriate, and a ploy to lure the younger female vote.[176] It included a comment from Steve Hall of Ad Rants saying that "not everyone was so offended." A friend of Dunham said the actress was not paid for her performance on the spot, and Dunham defended the ad by tweeting "The video may be light but the message is serious: vote for women's rights." In The Nation, Ari Melber wrote "the ad's style is vintage Lena: edgy and informed, controversial but achingly self-aware, sexually proud and affirmatively feminist."[177]
In 2014, Dunham was named the Recipient of Horizon Award 2014 by Point Foundation for her support of the gay community.[178]
In April 2016, she wrote in support of Hillary Clinton, pledging to move to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, if Donald Trump won the election.[179][180] Dunham rebuked Trump for the Access Hollywood tape.[181] After Trump's win, Dunham wrote she will not be moving to Canada, saying, "I can survive staying in this country, MY country, to fight and love and use my embarrassment of blessings to do what's right."[182]
In June 2017, Dunham endorsed Jim Johnson, a Democratic New Jersey gubernatorial candidate.[183] Later that month, Dunham endorsed Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, in the United Kingdom general election.[184]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2006 | Dealing | Georgia | Short film Also writer and director |
2007 | Una & Jacques | Video short | |
2009 | The House of the Devil | 911 Operator | Voice |
2009 | Creative Nonfiction | Ella | Also writer, director and editor |
2009 | The Viewer | Voice | Short film |
2009 | Family Tree | Lena | Short film |
2010 | Gabi on the Roof in July | Colby | |
2010 | Tiny Furniture | Aura | Also director and writer |
2011 | The Innkeepers | Barista | |
2012 | Nobody Walks | — | Co-writer |
2012 | Supporting Characters | Alexa | |
2012 | This Is 40 | Cat | |
2014 | Happy Christmas | Carson | |
2015 | Sky | Billie | |
2016 | Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising | Joan of Arc | Scenes cut[185] |
2016 | My Art | Meryl | |
2016 | My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea | Mary | Voice |
2019 | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | "Gypsy" | |
2020 | The Stand In | Lisa | |
2020 | Honeydew | Delilah | Cameo |
2021 | Music | Administrator on Phone with Zu | |
2022 | Sharp Stick | Heather | Also writer, producer and director |
2022 | Catherine Called Birdy | — | Writer, producer and director |
2023 | Judy Blume Forever | Herself | Documentary |
2024 | Treasure | Ruth | Also producer |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | Tight Shots | Main role Also writer, director, editor | |
2009 | Delusional Downtown Divas | Oona | Main role Also writer, director, producer |
2011 | Mildred Pierce | Nurse | 2 episodes |
2012–2017 | Girls | Hannah Horvath | Main role Also creator, director, writer, executive producer |
2014–2016 | Adventure Time | Betty Grof | Voice, 3 episodes |
2014 | Saturday Night Live | Host | Episode: "Lena Dunham/The National" |
2015 | Scandal | Susanne Thomas | Episode: "It's Good to Be Kink" |
2015 | 7 Days in Hell | Lanny Denver | Television film |
2015 | The Simpsons | Candace, Hannah Horvath | Voice, episode: "Every Man's Dream" |
2017 | Travel Man | Herself | Episode: "48 Hours in Tenerife" |
2017 | American Horror Story: Cult | Valerie Solanas | Episode: "Valerie Solanas Died for Your Sins: Scumbag" |
2018 | Camping | — | Creator, executive producer and writer |
2020 | Industry | — | Director, Episode: "Induction" |
2021 | Genera+ion | — | Executive producer |
TBA | Too Much | — | Executive producer, co-creator, writer, director[106] |
Awards and nominations
Bibliography
Books
- Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned". New York, NY: Random House. 2014. ISBN 978-0-812-99499-5.
- Is it Evil Not to be Sure?. New York, NY: Random House. 2017. ISBN 978-1-524-77668-8.
- Best And Always. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 2019. ISBN 978-1-460-75682-9.
- Famesick. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 2024. ISBN 978-0-008-38422-7.
Essays and reporting
- "Funny Girl: Sarah Silverman". Paper. April 28, 2010.
- "Seeing Nora Everywhere". The New Yorker. June 28, 2012.
- "First Love". The New Yorker. August 13, 2012.
- "A Box of Puppies". The New Yorker. March 25, 2013.
- "Deliverance". Take Out. The New Yorker. 89 (35): 78. November 4, 2013.
- "Difficult girl : growing up with help". Personal History. The New Yorker. 90 (25): 24–28. September 1, 2014.[196]
- "Dog or Jewish Boyfriend? A Quiz". The New Yorker. March 30, 2015.
- "The Bride in Her Head". The New Yorker. July 10, 2015.
- "The Enduring Spell of 'The Outsiders'". The New York Times Style Magazine. September 5, 2018.
See also
References
- ^ Willis, Jackie (May 14, 2019). "Lena Dunham Celebrates Her 33rd Birthday With Brad Pitt: 'It Was the Best Day Ever'". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
- ^ "Lena Dunham – Bio". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences / Emmy Award. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
- ^ "Winners & Nominees: Lena Dunham". Hollywood Foreign Press Association / Golden Globe Award. Archived from the original on January 19, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
- ^ Gates, Anita (Fall 2013). "The It Girl". Directors Guild of America. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
- ^ Danes, Claire. "The 2013 TIME 100". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Archived from the original on July 9, 2016. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
- ^ Gross, Terry (September 29, 2014). "Lena Dunham On Sex, Oversharing And Writing About Lost 'Girls'". Fresh Air. NPR. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
- ^ a b Jagannathan, Meera (September 29, 2015). "10 fast facts about Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner's first Lenny Letter". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
- ^ a b Owen, Laura Hazard (March 4, 2016). "Lena Dunham's Lenny Letter has grown to 400,000 subscribers with a 65 percent open rate". NiemanLab. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
- ^ a b Lewis, Hilary (October 18, 2018). "Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner's Lenny Letter Website to Shut Down (Reports)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
- ^ a b "How Lena Dunham and 'American Horror Story' Delivered a Timely Look at Feminism". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
- ^ a b Davis, Allison P. "Lena Dunham Comes to Terms With Herself". The Cut. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
- ^ a b Wolcott, James. "Can Lena Dunham Recover from Her High-Profile Mistakes?". HWD. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
- ^ Paybarah, Azi (August 7, 2013). "Lena Dunham on not considering Spitzer and not losing the next Patti Smith to Tampa". Politico f/k/a Capital New York. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
- ^ "Lena Dunham. Editor, Dead Horse Review". The Argotist Online. Archived from the original on January 26, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
- ^ Walker, Tim (October 6, 2012). "Lena Dunham: Could she be the voice of a generation?". The Independent. London, UK. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g Mead, Rebecca (November 15, 2010). "Downtown's Daughter". The New Yorker. pp. 38–45. Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2012.
- ^ Dunham Mahony, Gratia. "From Deacon John to Lena Dunham – Selected Dunhams in one line of Descent" (PDF). dunham-singletary.org.
- ^ Wappler, Margaret (January 11, 2017). "Lena Dunham Is Our February Cover Star". NYLON. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
Lena Dunham: "I learned it from my Jewish mother."
- ^ Goldberg, David (March 31, 2015). "Laurie Simmons' Eye Opening Art". The Jewish Week. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
- ^ Poritsky, Jonathan (March 29, 2012). "The Most Boobs Ever: Lena Dunham and Judd Apatow in Conversation". Heeb Magazine. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
- ^ Crisell, Luke (January 28, 2015). "Meet Lena Dunham's mother: Laurie Simmons". London Evening Standard. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
both first-generation Jewish Americans.
- ^ "'Girls' writer lays bare women's insecurities". Jewish Journal. April 25, 2012. Archived from the original on October 9, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
- ^ "Lena Dunham says she connected to Judaism through Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. October 1, 2017. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
- ^ Silverstein, Melissa (November 12, 2010). "Interview with Lena Dunham – Writer/Director of Tiny Furniture". Women & Hollywood. Womenandhollywood.com. Archived from the original on April 3, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
- ^ Mead, Rebecca (November 7, 2010). "Downtown's Daughter". The New Yorker. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ Sykes, Plum (January 15, 2014). "Child's Play: Lena Dunham and Jemima Kirke's First Appearance in Vogue". Vogue. Archived from the original on March 22, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
- ^ "America's Most Creative Teens Named As National 2016 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Recipients" (Press release). Scholastic Corporation. March 14, 2016. Archived from the original on February 15, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ "Lena Dunham is Entitled... / Oberlin Alumni Magazine / Spring 2014". oberlin.edu. Archived from the original on October 28, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
- ^ Howard, Caroline (November 12, 2010). "Names You Need to Know in 2011: Lena Dunham". Forbes. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ Browne, Alix (November 4, 2011). "Living Large". T: The New York Times Style Magazine. Archived from the original on December 5, 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
- ^ criterioncollection (April 14, 2012). "Pressure – An Early Short by Lena Dunham". Archived from the original on November 30, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016 – via YouTube.
- ^ ""Pressure," an Early Short Film by Lena Dunham". The Absolute Mag. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
- ^ "Everyone". Guggenheim. The Take (blog). July 27, 2010. Archived from the original on August 2, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
- ^ "Lena Dunham's Fountain – Wikimapia". wikimapia.org. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
- ^ "'Girls' creator Lena Dunham returns to Oberlin". chroniclet.com. February 9, 2014. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
- ^ "Tiny Furniture Blu-ray – Lena Dunham". dvdbeaver.com. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
- ^ "Tight Shots Archives – Nerve". nerve.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
- ^ Anderson, LV (April 2, 2012). "The Mini-Completist: Lena Dunham". Slate. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
- ^ Heffernan, Virginia (April 2, 2012). "Tight Spots". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
- ^ Yuan, Jada (August 16, 2009). "Almost Famous". New York. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
- ^ "'Girls' creator Lena Dunham recounts her start at SXSW". USA Today. March 10, 2014. Archived from the original on November 30, 2014. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
- ^ "It's Different for 'Girls'". New York. March 25, 2012. Archived from the original on March 13, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
- ^ Maura, Sophie. "Lena Dunham Profile – Filmmaker". Marieclaire.com. Archived from the original on September 17, 2010. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
- ^ "26th Independent Spirit Awards Winners – 'Black Swan' Gets Four!". Firstshowing.net. Archived from the original on December 1, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
- ^ Gross, Terry (December 7, 2010). "Lena Dunham's Big Dreams Rest On 'Tiny Furniture'". Fresh Air. NPR. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
- ^ "26th Independent Spirit Awards Winners – 'Black Swan' Gets Four!". FirstShowing.net. Archived from the original on December 1, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
- ^ "The Rise of Lena Dunham: From the NYC Art Scene to Hollywood Lightning Rod". The Hollywood Reporter. January 9, 2013. Archived from the original on April 12, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
- ^ "Girls Producer Jenni Konner on the Critics, Judd Apatow, and Loving Lena Dunham". New York. May 14, 2012. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
- ^ Pride-Wilt, Anne. "The Oberlin Review: Lena Dunham Dispenses Life Advice in Finney Convocation". oberlinreview.org. Archived from the original on December 23, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
- ^ "How David Carr Became the Daddy of Girls". Gawker. March 18, 2013. Archived from the original on February 15, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
- ^ "Judd Apatow on 'Girls' Awkward Sex Scenes: 'People Are Way Too Prudish' (Q&A)". The Hollywood Reporter. August 10, 2012. Archived from the original on April 12, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
- ^ "Lena Dunham's Show 'Girls' Picked Up By HBO" Archived January 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. The Huffington Post. January 7, 2011.
- ^ Nussbaum, Emily. "It's Different for 'Girls'" Archived March 13, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, New York, April 1, 2012.
- ^ a b c d Goldberg, Lesley (January 13, 2012). "TCA: Lena Dunham Says HBO's 'Girls' Isn't 'Sex and the City'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 14, 2012.
- ^ "The Edges Are Still Sharp in Brooklyn". The New York Times. January 10, 2013.
- ^ Poniewozik, James (April 5, 2012). "Dead Tree Alert: Brave New Girls". Time. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
- ^ "'Girls': Did Lena Dunham Go Too Far?". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
- ^ Berman, Judy. "'I'm a White Girl': Why 'Girls' Won't Ever Overcome Its Racial Problem". The Atlantic. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
- ^ q on cbc (October 1, 2014). "Lena Dunham is "Not That Kind of Girl"". Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2016 – via YouTube.
- ^ criterioncollection (June 27, 2012). "Nora Ephron and Lena Dunham in Conversation". Archived from the original on June 29, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Lena Dunham ('Girls') makes DGA history as first female to win Best TV Comedy Director". Goldderby.com. February 3, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
- ^ "'Girls' Renewed And 'Veep' Renewed For Season 2 By HBO". The Huffington Post. April 30, 2012. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
- ^ "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'True Blood', 'Falling Skies', 'Real Housewives of NJ', 'Keeping up with the Kardashians' + NASCAR & More". TV By The Numbers. June 19, 2012. Archived from the original on March 16, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
- ^ Wiegland, David (January 10, 2013). "'Girls' and 'Enlightened' reviews: Daring, doubt". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
- ^ Verne, Gay (January 9, 2013). "'Girls' review: Returning, more maturely". Newsday. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
- ^ Tucker, Ken (January 11, 2013). "Girls". Entertainment Weekly. p. 80. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
- ^ "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Wins Night, 'True Detective', 'Ax Men', 'Shameless' & More". TV By The Numbers. 2014. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
- ^ Ng, Philiana (February 25, 2014). "'Girls' Star Lena Dunham to Host 'SNL'" Archived February 28, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
- ^ Bosman, Julie. "Lena Dunham Signs Book Deal for More Than $3.5 Million" Archived October 8, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times, October 8, 2012.
- ^ Daum, Meghan (September 10, 2014). "Lena Dunham Is Not Done Confessing". The New York Times Magazine. Archived from the original on November 17, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
- ^ "COMBINED PRINT & E-BOOK NONFICTION". The New York Times. October 19, 2014. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
- ^ Girls renewed for fifth season Archived February 9, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, Variety. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
- ^ "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.21.2016 | Showbuzz Daily". www.showbuzzdaily.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2016. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
- ^ Seetoodeh, Ramin (April 21, 2015). "How Lena Dunham is Launching an Empire for Comedic Women". Variety. Archived from the original on July 10, 2016. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
- ^ Kang, Inkoo (March 23, 2016). "Lena Dunham and Rose Byrne Launch All-Female Production Companies". Indiewire.com. Archived from the original on July 11, 2016. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
- ^ Weinstein, Shelli (February 20, 2015). "Lena Dunham To Guest Star on 'Scandal'". Variety. Archived from the original on February 21, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
- ^ "Lena Dunham on Girls season 6". Entertainment Weekly's EW.com. September 29, 2015. Archived from the original on October 6, 2015.
- ^ "HBO: Girls: News". HBO. Archived from the original on January 13, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
- ^ Cascone, Sarah (May 20, 2014). "Laurie Simmons Casts Daughter Lena Dunham in New Film". Artnet.com. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
- ^ "My Art". Venice Film Festival. Archived from the original on December 24, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
- ^ "25 Movies We Can't Wait to See at Toronto Film Festival 2016". Rolling Stone. September 8, 2016. Archived from the original on September 5, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
- ^ "My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea". TIFF. September 8, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
- ^ Puente, Marie (January 6, 2016). "Lena Dunham's 'Girls' renewed for sixth and final season". USA Today. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
- ^ Pederson, Erik (November 17, 2016). "HBO Sets Premiere Dates For 'Girls,' 'Last Week Tonight' & New Comedy 'Crashing". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
- ^ V. Nepales, Ruben (June 30, 2016). "Lena Dunham on wrapping up 'Girls,' Kevin Spacey sex dream tweets". Inquirer. Archived from the original on June 30, 2016. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (February 8, 2018). "Jennifer Garner to Star in HBO Comedy From 'Girls' Duo Lena Dunham, Jenni Konner". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Hibberd, James (February 8, 2018). "Jennifer Garner to star in a new Lena Dunham HBO comedy". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ Littleton, Cynthia (July 25, 2018). "Jennifer Garner Tackles the Great Outdoors With Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner in HBO's 'Camping'". Variety. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
- ^ Petski, Denise (July 26, 2018). "'Camping' Trailer: First Look At Jennifer Garner In HBO Comedy Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
- ^ "Camping: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
- ^ "Camping: Season 1". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (August 22, 2018). "Lena Dunham, Austin Butler, Maya Hawke, Lorenza Izzo Board Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ Sinha-Roy, Piya (August 22, 2018). "Lena Dunham to play Manson disciple in Tarantino's Once Upon A Time in Hollywood". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 23, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
- ^ "Lena Dunham, Jenni Konner Split as Producing Partners (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
- ^ Petski, Denise; Andreeva, Nellie (August 21, 2019). "Lena Dunham Launches Production Company Under HBO Deal". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ Orr, Alice Florence (August 13, 2019). "The C Word Explores the History of "Crazy" Women". Podcast Review. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
- ^ Emmrich, Stuart. "Lena Dunham Is Publishing a New Novel, One Chapter at a Time, on Vogue.com". Vogue. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
- ^ "Lena Dunham Is Publishing a Romance Novel One Chapter at a Time". www.msn.com. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
- ^ Dunham, Lena (March 23, 2020). "Lena Dunham's "Verified Strangers": Chapter One". Vogue. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
- ^ White, Peter (June 14, 2019). "Lena Dunham To Direct & Exec Produce HBO Banking Drama 'Industry' From 'His Dark Materials' Producer Bad Wolf". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
- ^ Felperin, Leslie (December 18, 2020). "'The Stand In': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
- ^ Kocan, Liz (February 13, 2021). "New Movies On Demand: 'Music,' 'Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar' + More". Decider. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
- ^ Petski, Denise (December 5, 2019). "HBO Max Orders Lena Dunham-Produced 'Generation' To Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ Khatchatourian, Maane (October 11, 2014). "Lena Dunham Adapting YA Novel 'Catherine, Called Birdy' Into Movie". Variety. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (August 21, 2019). "Lena Dunham Launches New Production Company". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ a b Berry, Elliot. "Netflix Announces New Romantic Comedy Series 'Too Much' From Award-Winning Writer, Director, Producer and Actor Lena Dunham". Netflix. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
- ^ Bueno, Antoinette (January 3, 2017). "Lena Dunham Thanks 'Glamour' for Featuring Her Cellulite on Its Cover". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on February 4, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ Markovinovic, Monika (January 4, 2017). "Lena Dunham Thanks Glamour Mag For Putting Her Cellulite On Cover". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on February 22, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ Owen, Laura Hazard (March 4, 2016). "Lena Dunham's Lenny Letter has grown to 400,000 subscribers with a 65 percent open rate". NiemanLab.
- ^ "Style Notes: Lenny Letter Moves From Hearst to Conde Nast; Stance Socks Expands to Intimates". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
- ^ Wappler, Margaret (January 11, 2017). "Lena Dunham Is Our February Cover Star: Dunham talks the end of 'Girls,' our new president, and being a workaholic". Nylon. Archived from the original on January 28, 2017.
- ^ Lawrence, Jennifer (October 14, 2015). "Jennifer Lawrence: "Why Do I Make Less Than My Male Co‑Stars?"". Lenny Letter. Archived from the original on December 18, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
- ^ Keys, Alicia (May 31, 2016). "Alicia Keys: Time to Uncover". Lenny Letter. Archived from the original on October 20, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
- ^ "Zinzi Clemmons: 'It's Time For Women of Color ... to Divest From Lena Dunham'". Jezebel. November 19, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
- ^ Spangler, Todd (October 18, 2018). "Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner's Lenny Letter Is Shutting Down (Reports)". Variety. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
- ^ Willens, Max (October 18, 2018). "Lenny Letters tells contributors it's shutting down on Friday". Digiday. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
- ^ Volokh, Eugene. "Could 'Barry' sue Lena Dunham over her memoirs?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 30, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
- ^ Heller, Karen. "Lena Dunham and the challenges of memoir". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
- ^ Bond, Paul (December 8, 2014). "Publisher to Alter Lena Dunham Book After Rape Story Questioned, Attorney Says". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 31, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
- ^ "Publisher to Alter Lena Dunham Book After Rape Story Questioned, Attorney Says". The Hollywood Reporter. December 8, 2014. Archived from the original on May 7, 2016. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
- ^ Alison Flood (November 5, 2014). "Lena Dunham apologises after critics accuse her of sexually molesting sister". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 27, 2016.
- ^ McDonald, Soraya Nadia (November 3, 2014). "Lena Dunham responds to sites accusing her of sexually abusing her sister". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
- ^ Clark-Flory, Tracy. "Child therapists: Stop freaking out about Lena Dunham". Salon. No. November 4, 2014. Archived from the original on November 7, 2014. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
- ^ Oldenburg, Ann (November 6, 2014). "Lena Dunham: Sexual abuse or sexual exploration?". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 11, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
- ^ Coy, Bronte (September 5, 2016). "Girls star Lena Dunham faces backlash after old 'racist' tweet resurfaces". News. AU. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
- ^ Boyd, Phoebe-Jane (September 6, 2016). "If Lena Dunham and Alicia Keys are feminist superheroes, we all are". The Guardian. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
- ^ McKay, Hollie (April 18, 2012). "Criticism of HBO's 'Girls' for being about 'white girls, money, whining' justified?". FoxNews.com. Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
- ^ Makarechi, Kia (April 16, 2012). "'Girls' Reviews: New HBO Show and Lena Dunham Face Backlash on Racism and More". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
- ^ McKay, Hollie (April 18, 2012). "Criticism of HBO's 'Girls' for being about 'white girls, money, whining' justified?". FoxNews.com. Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
Most wealthy white girls in America are surrounded by other wealthy white girls, so that's who they choose to be friends with. So what? Are we so immature that we need to throw in a token African-American or Asian to make us better about the fact that some white people have zero exposure to diversity?
- ^ Berman, Judy (January 22, 2013). "'I'm a White Girl': Why 'Girls' Won't Ever Overcome Its Racial Problem". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
- ^ "Lena Dunham Addresses "Girls" Diversity Criticism & Why I Just Don't Care ... | Shadow and Act". Blogs.indiewire.com. Archived from the original on October 13, 2013. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
- ^ Williams, Alex (September 7, 2016). "Odell Beckham Jr. Responds to the Lena Dunham Dust-Up: 'I Have to Learn More About the Situation'". The New York Times. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
- ^ Lena Dunham Is A Monster Of Our Own Creation
- ^ The Way Lena Dunham Talks About Black Men Is Peak White Entitlement | HuffPost
- ^ Kelly, Seth (September 3, 2016). "Lena Dunham Pens Apology to Odell Beckham Jr. After Met Gala Comments Backlash". Variety. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
- ^ "Lena Dunham Said She Wishes She Had an Abortion" Archived December 22, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Us Weekly, December 20, 2016.
- ^ Roshanian, Arya (December 20, 2016). "Lena Dunham Faces Backlash for Saying She Wishes She'd Had an Abortion". Variety. Archived from the original on December 23, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
- ^ Gibson, Caitlin (December 21, 2016). "Lena Dunham gave a very Lena Dunham apology for her controversial comment on abortion". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 23, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
- ^ Jang, Meena (December 20, 2016). "Lena Dunham Apologizes for "Distasteful Joke" About Abortion". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 22, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
- ^ a b "Lena Dunham sorry for comment on writer accused of sexual assault". BBC News. November 19, 2017.
- ^ D'Zurilla, Christie (November 20, 2017). "Lena Dunham accused of 'hipster racism' after she initially defended 'Girls' writer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
- ^ Mahdawi, Arwa (November 25, 2017). "Is Lena Dunham's 'hipster racism' just old-fashioned prejudice?". The Guardian. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
- ^ Stevens, Heidi (December 6, 2018). "Lena Dunham lied to discredit an alleged rape victim and then wrote her worst apology yet". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Respers France, Lisa (December 6, 2018). "Lena Dunham is sorry, again". CNN.
- ^ Desta, Yohana (December 5, 2018). "Lena Dunham Writes Apology to Aurora Perrineau: "I Believe You"". Vanity Fair.
- ^ Donnelly, Matt (October 29, 2018). "Lena Dunham to Adapt Refugee Survival Story for Steven Spielberg, J. J. Abrams (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ Nordine, Michael (October 29, 2018). "Lena Dunham to Adapt Refugee Drama 'A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea' for Steven Spielberg and J. J. Abrams". IndieWire. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ Pulver, Andrew (October 30, 2018). "Backlash over Lena Dunham script for Syrian refugee film". The Guardian. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ Vincent, Alice (October 30, 2018). "'Let an actual Syrian tell it': outrage after Lena Dunham signs up to write Spielberg refugee film". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ Jones, Monique (October 29, 2018). "People Are Perplexed Why Lena Dunham Has Been Tapped To Adapt A Syrian Refugee Drama From Steven Spielberg". Shadow and Act. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ Earley, Kelly (October 30, 2018). "Why on earth did Spielberg choose Lena Dunham to write a screenplay for a film about Syrian refugees?". The Daily Edge. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ Troup Buchanan, Rose (October 30, 2018). "Lena Dunham Is Adapting A Story About A Syrian Refugee And This Is Why People Are Upset". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ a b Wagmeister, Elizabeth (January 28, 2022). "Producers of Lena Dunham's 'Sharp Stick' Deny Lead Character Is Autistic After Criticism from Activist (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ Bergeson, Samantha (January 28, 2022). "Lena Dunham's 'Sharp Stick' Criticized by Autism Activist Over Allegedly Neurodivergent Portrayal". IndieWire. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ "Girls' Lena Dunham Is Dating Fun.'s Jack Antonoff" Archived February 19, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Us Weekly, September 5, 2012.
- ^ Lena Dunham and Jack Antonoff Break Up After Five Years |E! News
- ^ Aiello, McKenna (January 8, 2018). "Lena Dunham and Jack Antonoff Break Up After Five Years". E!.
- ^ Jensen, Erin (January 9, 2018). "Lena Dunham, Jack Antonoff break up after spending more than five years together". USA Today. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
- ^ Suval, Lauren. "Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in the Media". Psychcentral.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
- ^ Daum, Meghan (September 10, 2014). "Lena Dunham Is Not Done Confessing". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 11, 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
- ^ Starkey, Adam (January 20, 2022). "Lena Dunham on recovering from drug addiction: "Getting off Klonopin was the hardest"". NME. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ "Lena Dunham Celebrates Being '2 Years Clean and Sober': 'It's a Miracle I Can't Take for Granted'". www.msn.com. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
- ^ "Lena Dunham Celebrates Being '2 Years Clean and Sober': 'It's a Miracle I Can't Take for Granted'". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
- ^ Celebretainment. "Lena Dunham celebrates two years sobriety". The News-Herald. Archived from the original on April 14, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
- ^ Dunham, Lena (February 14, 2018). "In Her Own Words: Lena Dunham on Her Decision to Have a Hysterectomy at 31". Vogue. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
- ^ Ellis, Ralph (November 3, 2019). "Lena Dunham goes on Instagram to reveal she has a chronic illness". CNN. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ "Lena Dunham says her body 'revolted' under COVID-19". ABC News. July 31, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020 – via Associated Press.
- ^ "Lena Dunham marries Luis Felber with bridesmaids Taylor Swift, Tommy Dorfman by her side". ca.movies.yahoo.com. September 29, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ^ a b Picton-James, Rhiannon (September 27, 2021). "Luis Felber Has Never Seen 'Girls'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ^ a b "Inside Lena Dunham's Whimsical, Whirlwind London Wedding". Vogue. September 29, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ^ "In the Blood". PBS.
- ^ "Lena Dunham Is in Favor of Removing All Guns from Jason Bourne Movie Posters". Vanity Fair. July 13, 2016. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ "Lena Dunham Pens Powerful Pro-Immigration Essay For International Women's Day". March 8, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ Pinsker, Joe (October 16, 2012). "Lena Dunham Applauds Obama on Gay Rights, Health Care". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ Franke-Ruta, Garance (October 25, 2012). "Lena Dunham's New Obama Ad—As Controversial As Everything She Does?". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on February 9, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
- ^ "Critics blast Obama campaign for new ad that likens voting for Barack Obama to a young woman losing her virginity". Fox News Channel. October 25, 2012. Archived from the original on October 27, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
- ^ Melber, Ari. "Obama Campaign Launches Sexy Lena Dunham Ad: 'Your First Time'". The Nation. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
- ^ "Actress Lena Dunham named Winner of Horizon Award 2014". news.biharprabha.com. Indo-Asian News Service. Archived from the original on December 17, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
- ^ Dunham, Lena (April 25, 2016). "Why I Chose Hillary Clinton". Time Magazine. Archived from the original on November 9, 2016.
- ^ "The Hill". National Review. November 8, 2016. Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
- ^ "Lena Dunham Says Trump Tape Was 'Crude' and 'Violent'". People. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ Vultaggio, Maria (November 24, 2016). "Lena Dunham Instagram Update: Why She Isn't Moving To Canada After Trump Win". International Business Times. IBT Media, Inc. Archived from the original on November 25, 2016. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
- ^ Lena Dunham Endorses NJ Gubernatorial Candidate Jim Johnson in Pink Pajamas – From Bed. WNBC, June 1, 2017
- ^ Lena Dunham urges fans to vote for 'just and fair' Jeremy Corbyn. The Telegraph, June 6, 2017
- ^ Gettell, Oliver (April 4, 2016). "Lena Dunham's Joan of Arc cameo cut from Neighbors 2". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 8, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
- ^ "64th Emmy Award Nominations: The Complete List". Variety. July 19, 2012. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ^ "2013 Primetime Emmy Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. July 18, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ^ "Emmy Awards: Complete Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. August 25, 2014. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ^ "TV Baftas 2013: all the winners". The Guardian. May 12, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ^ "DGA Awards: Ben Affleck Named Best Director for 'Argo'". The Hollywood Reporter. February 2, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
- ^ "Golden Globes 2013: full list of winners". The Guardian. January 14, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ^ "Golden Globes: Complete Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. January 12, 2014. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ^ "2015 Golden Globe Awards: Winners List". CNN. January 12, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ^ "Winners Announced For 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards". CBS News. February 26, 2011. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ^ "'Everything Everywhere' Dominates Spirit Awards With 7 Prizes, Including Best Feature (Full Winners List)". Variety. March 4, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ^ Online version is titled "Growing up in therapy".
Further reading
- Heti, Sheila; Simonini, Ross (2013). "Judy Blume and Lena Dunham in Conversation". The Believer. San Francisco, Calif: Believer Books, a Division of McSweeney's. OCLC 879574140.
- San Filippo, Maria (Spring 2016). ""Art Porn Provocauteurs": Queer Feminist Performances of Embodiment in the Work of Catherine Breillat and Lena Dunham". The Velvet Light Trap. 77 (1). Madison, WI and Austin, TX: University of Wisconsin at Madison and The University of Texas at Austin: 28–49. doi:10.7560/VLT7703. ISSN 0149-1830. OCLC 5985111614. S2CID 191929973. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
External links
- Lena Dunham at IMDb
- Lena Dunham at AllMovie
- Lena Dunham at Rotten Tomatoes
- Lena Dunham Archived August 9, 2017, at the Wayback Machine at Makers: Women Who Make America
- 1986 births
- 21st-century American Jews
- 21st-century American actresses
- 21st-century American memoirists
- 21st-century American screenwriters
- 21st-century American women writers
- Actresses from Brooklyn
- American activists with disabilities
- American actors with disabilities
- American feminists
- American film actresses
- American LGBTQ rights activists
- American people of English descent
- American television actresses
- American television directors
- American television writers
- American voice actresses
- American women memoirists
- American women screenwriters
- American women film directors
- American women television directors
- American women television producers
- American women television writers
- Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (television) winners
- Directors Guild of America Award winners
- Film directors from New York City
- Film directors with disabilities
- Jewish American actresses
- Jewish film people
- Jewish American screenwriters
- Jewish feminists
- Living people
- Oberlin College alumni
- People from Brooklyn Heights
- People with Ehlers–Danlos syndrome
- People with obsessive–compulsive disorder
- Saint Ann's School (Brooklyn) alumni
- Screenwriters from New York (state)
- American showrunners
- Television producers from New York City
- The New School alumni
- The New Yorker people
- American women civil rights activists
- Writers from Manhattan
- Dunham family