Lena Dunham
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Lena Dunham (, born May 13, 1986) is an American writer, director, actress, and producer. She is known as the creator, writer, and star of the HBO television series ''
Girls A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. When a girl becomes an adult, she is accurately described as a ''woman''. However, the term ''girl'' is also used for other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.c ...
'' (2012–2017), for which she received several
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
nominations and two
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
s. 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 The Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series is one of the annual Directors Guild of America Awards given by the Directors Guild of America. It was first presented at the 24th Directors Guild of Am ...
. Prior to ''Girls'', Dunham wrote, directed, and starred in the semi-autobiographical
independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, i ...
''
Tiny Furniture ''Tiny Furniture'' is a 2010 American comedy-drama film written, directed by, and starring Lena Dunham. The film premiered at South by Southwest, where it won the award for Best Narrative Feature, screened at such festivals as Maryland Film Fes ...
'' (2010), for which she won an
Independent Spirit Award The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glas ...
for Best First Screenplay. Her second feature film, '' Sharp Stick'', written and directed by Dunham, was released in 2022. Her third film, '' Catherine Called Birdy'', had its world premiere at the
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...
on September 12, 2022. It was released in a
limited release __FORCETOC__ Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few theaters across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets. Since 1994, a limited theatrical release in the Unit ...
on September 23, 2022, by
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, prior to streaming on
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on October 7, 2022.'' In 2013, Dunham was included in the annual ''Time'' 100 list of the most influential people in the world. In 2014, Dunham released her first book, '' Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned"''. In 2015, along with ''Girls''
showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also the ...
Jenni Konner Jennifer A. Konner (born May 15, 1971) is an American television writer, producer and director. She is best known as co-showrunner and writer with Lena Dunham of the HBO series '' Girls.'' In 2016, she directed the season finale of the fifth se ...
, Dunham created the
publication To publish is to make content available to the general public.Berne Conve ...
'' Lenny Letter'', a
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
online newsletter. The publication ran for three years before folding in late 2018. Dunham briefly appeared in films such as '' Supporting Characters'' and ''
This Is 40 ''This Is 40'' is a 2012 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Judd Apatow and starring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann. A " sort-of sequel" to Apatow's 2007 film '' Knocked Up'', the movie centers on married couple Pete (Rudd) and Debb ...
'' (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 The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...
. On television, aside from ''Girls'', she has played guest roles in ''
Scandal A scandal can be broadly defined as the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way. Th ...
'' and ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...
'' (both 2015). In 2017, she portrayed Valerie Solanas in '' American Horror Story: Cult.'' Dunham's work, as well as her outspoken presence on
social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social me ...
and in interviews, have attracted significant controversy, praise, criticism, and media scrutiny throughout her career.


Early life

Dunham was born in New York City. 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. Her father is
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
of mostly
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...
ancestry; whereas her mother is
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
. Dunham has described herself as feeling "very culturally Jewish, although that's the biggest cliché for a Jewish woman to say." The works of acclaimed Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai helped her to connect with her
Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in th ...
. The Dunham family are cousins of the Tiffany family, prominent in the jewelry trade. Dunham first attended
Friends Seminary Friends Seminary is an independent K-12 school in Manhattan within the landmarked district in the East Village. The oldest continuously coeducational school in New York City, Friends Seminary serves 794 students in Kindergarten through Grade 1 ...
before transferring in seventh grade to Saint Ann's School in
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, where she met ''Tiny Furniture'' actress and future ''
Girls A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. When a girl becomes an adult, she is accurately described as a ''woman''. However, the term ''girl'' is also used for other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.c ...
'' co-star
Jemima Kirke Jemima Jo M Kirke (born 26 April 1985) is a British-American artist, actress and director. She gained international acclaim through her role as Jessa Johansson on the HBO series '' Girls''. She made her film debut in the 2005 indie short '' S ...
. As a teen, Dunham also won a Scholastic Art and Writing Award. She attended
The New School The New School is a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for progressive thinkers. ...
for a year before transferring to
Oberlin College Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio. It is the oldest coeducational liberal arts college in the United States and the second oldest continuously operating coeducational institute of highe ...
, where she graduated in 2008 with a degree in creative writing. She has a younger sibling,
Cyrus Cyrus (Persian: کوروش) is a male given name. It is the given name of a number of Persian kings. Most notably it refers to Cyrus the Great ( BC). Cyrus is also the name of Cyrus I of Anshan ( BC), King of Persia and the grandfather of Cyrus ...
, a 2014 graduate of
Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...
, who appeared in Dunham's first film, ''Creative Nonfiction'', and starred in her second film, ''
Tiny Furniture ''Tiny Furniture'' is a 2010 American comedy-drama film written, directed by, and starring Lena Dunham. The film premiered at South by Southwest, where it won the award for Best Narrative Feature, screened at such festivals as Maryland Film Fes ...
''. The siblings were raised in Brooklyn and spent summers in
Salisbury, Connecticut Salisbury () is a town situated in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The town is the northwesternmost in the state of Connecticut; the Massachusetts-New York-Connecticut tri-state marker is located at the northwest corner of the town ...
.


Career


2000s: Oberlin College and early works

While a student at
Oberlin College Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio. It is the oldest coeducational liberal arts college in the United States and the second oldest continuously operating coeducational institute of highe ...
, Dunham produced several independent
short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...
s and uploaded them to
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
. Many of her early films dealt with themes of sexual enlightenment and were produced in a
mumblecore Mumblecore is a subgenre of independent filmHoberman, J. (August 14, 2007).It's Mumblecore!. ''The Village Voice''. Retrieved on July 27, 2008.Lim, Dennis (August 19, 2007)Mumblecore – The New Talkies: Generation DIY ''The New York Times''. Ret ...
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. "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." 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. "Her blithe willingness to disrobe without shame caused an outburst of censure from viewers," observed ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'''s Rebecca Mead. 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."
''Pressures'' (2006), ''Open the Door'' (2007), ''Hooker on Campus'' (2007), and ''The Fountain'' (2007) were released as DVD extras with ''Tiny Furniture''. In 2007, Dunham starred in a ten-episode web series for
Nerve.com ''Nerve'' or Nerve.com, was an American online magazine dedicated to sexual topics, relationships and culture. Founded by Rufus Griscom and Genevieve Field, Nerve published articles and photography on its website and several books, in partnership ...
entitled ''Tight Shots'', described by ''
The New York Times Magazine ''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors. ...
'''s
Virginia Heffernan Virginia Heffernan (born August 8, 1969) is an American journalist and cultural critic. Since 2015, she has been a political columnist at the ''Los Angeles Times'' and a cultural columnist at ''Wired (magazine), Wired''. From 2003 to 2011, she w ...
as "a daffy serial about kids trying to make a movie and be artsy and have tons of sex." 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." Also in 2009, Dunham premiered ''Creative Nonfiction''—a comedy where she plays Ella, a college student struggling to complete a screenplay—at the
South by Southwest South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, ...
Festival in Austin, Texas. She was initially rejected by the festival the year before; she re-edited and successfully resubmitted the film.


2010–11: Breakthrough with ''Tiny Furniture''

Dunham had a career breakthrough with her semiautobiographic 2010 feature film ''
Tiny Furniture ''Tiny Furniture'' is a 2010 American comedy-drama film written, directed by, and starring Lena Dunham. The film premiered at South by Southwest, where it won the award for Best Narrative Feature, screened at such festivals as Maryland Film Fes ...
''; the film won Best Narrative Feature at South by Southwest Music and Media Conference, and subsequently screened at such festivals as
Maryland Film Festival The Maryland Film Festival is an annual five-day international film festival taking place each May in Baltimore, Maryland. The festival was launched in 1999, and presents international film and video work of all lengths and genres. The festival ...
. Dunham plays the lead role of Aura. Laurie Simmons (Lena Dunham's real-life mother) plays Aura's mother, and Lena's real-life sibling Cyrus plays Aura's on-screen sibling. For her work on ''Tiny Furniture'', Dunham also won an
Independent Spirit Award The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glas ...
for Best First Screenplay. The success of ''Tiny Furniture'' earned Dunham a blind script deal at HBO. The network set Dunham up with veteran showrunner Jennifer Konner. Konner told
Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
'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 BO president Sue Naegle. Actually, 'New_Girl''_creator.html"_;"title="New_Girl.html"_;"title="'New_Girl">'New_Girl''_creator">New_Girl.html"_;"title="'New_Girl">'New_Girl''_creator 'New_Girl''_creator.html"_;"title="New_Girl.html"_;"title="'New_Girl">'New_Girl''_creator">New_Girl.html"_;"title="'New_Girl">'New_Girl''_creatorLiz_Meriwether">New_Girl">'New_Girl''_creator.html"_;"title="New_Girl.html"_;"title="'New_Girl">'New_Girl''_creator">New_Girl.html"_;"title="'New_Girl">'New_Girl''_creatorLiz_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.'
Dunham's_star_was_also_raised_considerably_when_she_was_profiled_by_David_Carr_(journalist).html" ;"title="Liz_Meriwether.html" ;"title="New_Girl">'New_Girl''_creator.html" ;"title="New_Girl.html" ;"title="'New Girl">'New Girl'' creator">New_Girl.html" ;"title="'New Girl">'New Girl'' creatorLiz Meriwether">New_Girl">'New_Girl''_creator.html" ;"title="New_Girl.html" ;"title="'New Girl">'New Girl'' creator">New_Girl.html" ;"title="'New Girl">'New Girl'' creatorLiz 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.' Dunham's star was also raised considerably when she was profiled by David Carr (journalist)">David Carr in ''
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''; he was later credited with introducing her to Judd Apatow. 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 ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
''. "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 ''Undeclared'' is an American sitcom created by Judd Apatow, which aired on Fox during the 2001–02 season. The show has developed a cult following, and in 2012, ''Entertainment Weekly'' listed it at #16 in the "25 Best Cult TV Shows from the ...
'' 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."


2012–17: Mainstream success with ''Girls'' and first book

Dunham's television series, ''
Girls A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. When a girl becomes an adult, she is accurately described as a ''woman''. However, the term ''girl'' is also used for other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.c ...
'', was greenlit by HBO in early 2011. Three episodes were screened to positive response at the 2012 South by Southwest Festival. 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. Dunham said ''Girls'' reflects a part of the population not portrayed in the 1998 HBO series ''
Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same name, the series premiered in the United Stat ...
''. "''
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'' was teens duking it out on the
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and ''Sex and the City'' was women who adfigured 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. 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. Dunham herself says she "revere that show just as much as any girl of my generation". The first season premiered on HBO on April 15, 2012, and received critical acclaim. ''
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'' applauded the series, writing that "''Girls'' may be the
millennial generation Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Gen Y, are the Western demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 20 ...
's rebuttal to ''
Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same name, the series premiered in the United Stat ...
'', but the first season was at times as cruelly insightful and bleakly funny as '' Louie'' on FX or ''
Curb Your Enthusiasm ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' is an American television sitcom produced and broadcast by HBO since October 15, 2000, and created by Larry David, who stars as a semi-fictionalized version of himself. It follows David's life as a semi-retired televi ...
'' on HBO." James Poniewozik from ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
'' reserved high praise for the series, calling it "raw, audacious, nuanced and richly, often excruciatingly funny". Despite the acclaim, the series also generated significant criticism over its lack of racial representation and Dunham's frequent on-screen nudity. The first season garnered Dunham four
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
nominations for her roles in acting, writing, and directing the series, as well as two
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
s for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy and Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy. In February 2013, Dunham became the first woman to win a
Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Comedy Series The Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series is one of the annual Directors Guild of America Awards given by the Directors Guild of America. It was first presented at the 24th Directors Guild of Am ...
for her work on ''Girls''. ''Girls'' was renewed for a second season in April 2012, before the first season had finished airing. The finale episode of the first season drew over one million viewers. The second season of ''Girls'' continued to receive critical acclaim. David Wiegland of the ''
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'' 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". Verne Gay of ''
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'' said it is "Sharper, smarter, more richly layered, detailed and acted". Ken Tucker of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...
'' felt that "As bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as it was in its first season, ''Girls'' may now be even spunkier, funnier, and riskier". 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. The following month, Dunham hosted an episode of ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' with musical guest The National. In late 2012, Dunham signed a $3.5 million deal with
Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...
to publish her first book. 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. It reached number two on ''
The New York Times Best Seller list ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. John Bear, ''The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times ...
'' in October 2014. On January 5, 2015, days before the premiere of the fourth season, ''Girls'' was renewed for a fifth season, despite dwindling viewership. That year, Dunham launched A Casual Romance Productions, a production company to develop television and film projects. The company produced ''It's Me Hilary: The Man Who Drew Eloise''. 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 A scandal can be broadly defined as the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way. Th ...
'', which aired March 19, 2015. In September 2015, Dunham stated that the sixth season of ''Girls'' was likely to be the last season. This was later confirmed by HBO. In 2016, Dunham appeared in her mother's film, ''My Art'', which had its world premiere at the
73rd Venice International Film Festival The 73rd annual Venice International Film Festival was held from 31 August to 10 September 2016. English director Sam Mendes was the President of the Jury for the main competition. The opening night film was Damien Chazelle's musical ''La La Lan ...
. She also voiced Mary in '' My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea'', a 2016 American
animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...
teen
comedy drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
directed by Dash Shaw. It was selected to be screened in the Vanguard section at the
2016 Toronto International Film Festival The 41st annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from 8 to 18 September 2016. The first announcement of films to be screened at the festival took place on 26 July. Almost 400 films were shown. Awards The festival's final awards were ...
. Dunham also filmed scenes for the film '' Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising'', but they were cut from the final film. In 2017, she portrayed Valerie Solanas, the real-life radical feminist and ''SCUM Manifesto'' author who attempted to murder
Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
in the late 1960s, in '' American Horror Story: Cult.'' ''Girls'' sixth and final season concluded on April 16, 2017, leaving a total of 62 episodes in the series.


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. In February 2018, A Casual Romance Productions announced that it would be producing ''
Camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...
'', a remake of the British comedy series of the same name for HBO, with
Jennifer Garner Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Compa ...
in the lead and Dunham and Konner as showrunners and writers. On July 25, 2018, the series held a panel at the
Television Critics Association The Television Critics Association (TCA) is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canada, Canadian television television criticism, critics, journalists and columnists who cover television television programme, programming for newspapers, ...
's annual summer press tour featuring executive producer
Jenni Konner Jennifer A. Konner (born May 15, 1971) is an American television writer, producer and director. She is best known as co-showrunner and writer with Lena Dunham of the HBO series '' Girls.'' In 2016, she directed the season finale of the fifth se ...
and cast member
Jennifer Garner Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Compa ...
. The following day, a teaser trailer for the series was released. ''Camping'' has been met with a mixed to negative response from critics upon its premiere. On the review aggregation website
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
, 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."
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 49 out of 100 based on 26 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". In August 2018, it was announced Dunham would appear in the film ''
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Columbia Pictures, Bona Film Group, Heyday Films, and Visiona Romantica and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, it is ...
'', directed by
Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensembl ...
, which released on July 26, 2019. Dunham portrayed the role of Catherine "Gypsy" Share. In October 2018, coinciding with the expiration of their joint HBO contract, Dunham and Konner split as producing partners, dissolved their production company. In August 2019, Dunham launched a new production company ''Good Thing Going'' which has a first look deal with HBO. In 2019, Lena Dunham and Alissa Bennett started a podcast called ''The C-Word Podcast'' produced by Luminary. In response to the
2020 coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
, 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 the time of anxiety. The serialization started later that month on the ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' website. Dunham directed and served as an executive producer on the first episode of HBO's '' Industry''. That same year, she appeared in '' The Stand In'' directed by Jamie Babbit. In 2021, Dunham had a small role in ''
Music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...
'', directed by Sia. She also served as an executive producer on '' Genera+ion'', a dramedy for
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Ne ...
. In 2022, Dunham's second feature film, '' Sharp Stick'', starring
Kristine Froseth Kristine Froseth (; no, Frøseth; born 21 September 1996) is an American and Norwegian actress and model. She is known for playing Kelly Aldrich in the Netflix series '' The Society'' and Alaska Young in the Hulu series '' Looking for Alaska''. ...
, Dunham, and
Jon Bernthal Jonathan Edward Bernthal (; born September 20, 1976) is an American actor. Beginning his career in the early 2000s, he came to prominence for portraying Shane Walsh on the AMC horror series '' The Walking Dead'' (2010–2012; 2018), where ...
, was released to mixed reviews. She also directed, wrote, and produced '' Catherine Called Birdy'', an adaption of the children's novel of the same name by Karen Cushman for
Working Title Films Working Title Films is a British film studio that produces motion pictures and television programs and is a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, a division of NBCUniversal, which is itself a division of Comcast. The company was founded by Tim Be ...
.


In the media

Dunham has appeared on several magazine covers, including ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
'', ''
Elle ''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
'', ''
Marie Claire ''Marie Claire'' is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937, followed by the United Kingdom in 1941. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages. The feature editions focus on wo ...
'', ''
Popular Mechanics ''Popular Mechanics'' (sometimes PM or PopMech) is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do-it-yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation and transportation o ...
'', and ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
''. 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.


''Lenny Letter''

In 2015, Dunham, with
Jenni Konner Jennifer A. Konner (born May 15, 1971) is an American television writer, producer and director. She is best known as co-showrunner and writer with Lena Dunham of the HBO series '' Girls.'' In 2016, she directed the season finale of the fifth se ...
, co-founded '' Lenny Letter'', a
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
online newsletter. ''Lenny Letter'' was initially supported by
Hearst Corporation Hearst Communications, Inc., often referred to simply as Hearst, is an American multinational mass media and business information conglomerate based in Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Hearst owns newspapers, magazines, telev ...
advertising, and subsequently by
Condé Nast Condé Nast () is a global mass media company founded in 1909 by Condé Montrose Nast, and owned by Advance Publications. Its headquarters are located at One World Trade Center in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan. The company's m ...
. In addition to the regular newsletter, ''Lenny Letter'' published a Fiction Issue and a Poetry Issue during fall 2015. Notable articles include an essay written by actress
Jennifer Lawrence Jennifer Shrader Lawrence (born August 15, 1990) is an American actress. The world's highest-paid actress in 2015 and 2016, her films have grossed over $6 billion worldwide to date. She appeared in ''Time''s 100 most influential people ...
about the gender wage gap in Hollywood, and one written by singer
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
about her decision to start wearing little to no
make-up Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protect ...
. In November 2017, following Dunham and Konner's controversial letter denouncing
Aurora Perrineau Aurora Perrineau is an American actress and model. She is best known for starring as Shana Elmsford in '' Jem and the Holograms'' (2015), the live-action film adaptation of the 1980s animated television series '' Jem'' and her role as Detective ...
's accusation of sexual assault by
Murray Miller Murray Selig Miller (born December 2, 1976) is an American television writer and producer. Miller has produced and written for many television programs, including '' King of the Hill'', ''American Dad!'', '' Girls'', ''7 Days in Hell'' (2015) and ...
, 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. In October 2018, Dunham and Konner announced that ''Lenny Letter'' would be shutting down, reportedly due to a decline in subscribers and failure to build momentum upon other platforms. At its height in 2017, ''Lenny Letter'' had over 500,000 subscribers.


Controversies

Dunham's work and her outspoken presence on social media and in interviews have attracted significant controversy, criticism, and media scrutiny throughout her career. On several occasions, Dunham has been accused of making racist remarks. Upon release, ''Girls'' was met with criticism regarding the all-white main cast in the otherwise culturally diverse setting of New York City (the only black actors in the pilot were a homeless man and a taxi driver, and the only Asian actress had the sole trait of being good at
Photoshop Adobe Photoshop is a raster graphics editor developed and published by Adobe Inc. for Windows and macOS. It was originally created in 1988 by Thomas and John Knoll. Since then, the software has become the industry standard not only in raster ...
).
Donald Glover Donald McKinley Glover Jr. (; born September 25, 1983), also known by his stage name Childish Gambino (), is an American entertainer, writer, director, and producer. After working in Derrick Comedy while studying at New York University, Glov ...
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 Tokenism is the practice of making only a perfunctory or symbolic effort to be inclusive to members of minority groups, especially by recruiting people from underrepresented groups in order to give the appearance of racial or gender equality w ...
in response to the initial backlash from the first season. Dunham spoke publicly about the criticism on several occasions; in an interview with
IndieWire IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Holl ...
, she said: In her book ''Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned"'', Dunham wrote about being
sexually assaulted Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, whic ...
by an
Oberlin College Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio. It is the oldest coeducational liberal arts college in the United States and the second oldest continuously operating coeducational institute of highe ...
classmate, which resulted in controversy regarding the accuracy of her account and a case of mistaken identity when a former Oberlin College student named Barry (the pseudonym used for Dunham's alleged attacker in her book) sought legal advice to ensure people did not associate him with the content. 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, Aaron Minc, 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." 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
Cyrus Cyrus (Persian: کوروش) is a male given name. It is the given name of a number of Persian kings. Most notably it refers to Cyrus the Great ( BC). Cyrus is also the name of Cyrus I of Anshan ( BC), King of Persia and the grandfather of Cyrus ...
(then called Grace) also attracted significant controversy, and prompted numerous
editorial An editorial, or leading article (UK) or leader (UK) is an article written by the senior editorial people or publisher of a newspaper, magazine, or any other written document, often unsigned. Australian and major United States newspapers, such ...
s about children's sexuality and personal boundaries. In September 2016, Dunham criticized NFL player Odell Beckham Jr. for his interactions with her at the
Met Gala The Met Gala, or Met Ball, formally called the Costume Institute Gala or the Costume Institute Benefit, is an annual fundraising gala held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City. It is popularly ...
. 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 Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
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'." Dunham was criticized for her comments, which some considered to be an example of white entitlement. She later apologized for her characterization of his interactions and thoughts. In December 2016, Dunham declared on a podcast that she wished she had had an
abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pre ...
, explaining that she wanted to better understand women who have. The comment was widely condemned as insensitive. Dunham later issued a lengthy apology on her Instagram. In November 2017, Dunham defended ''Girls'' writer
Murray Miller Murray Selig Miller (born December 2, 1976) is an American television writer and producer. Miller has produced and written for many television programs, including '' King of the Hill'', ''American Dad!'', '' Girls'', ''7 Days in Hell'' (2015) and ...
, whom actress
Aurora Perrineau Aurora Perrineau is an American actress and model. She is best known for starring as Shana Elmsford in '' Jem and the Holograms'' (2015), the live-action film adaptation of the 1980s animated television series '' Jem'' and her role as Detective ...
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." 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." Dunham was described as a " hipster racist" for her defense of Miller, as Perrineau is of mixed race. In December 2018, Dunham stated that, contrary to her previous statement, she had no "insider information" that exonerated Murray. 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.
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...
and J. J. Abrams are set to produce the film. Dunham's hiring received backlash from those who felt that, instead of Dunham, a Syrian woman should have been hired. 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?". 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."


Personal life

In 2012, Dunham began dating Jack Antonoff, the lead guitarist of the band fun. and the founder of
Bleachers Bleachers (North American English), or stands, are raised, tiered rows of benches found at sports fields and other spectator events. Stairways provide access to the horizontal rows of seats, often with every other step gaining access to a row ...
. Dunham and Antonoff remained together until December 2017; they subsequently separated announcing that the separation was "amicable". Dunham was diagnosed with
obsessive compulsive disorder Obsession may refer to: Psychology * Celebrity worship syndrome, obsessive addictive disorder to a celebrity's personal and professional life * Fixation (psychology), a persistent attachment to an object or idea * Idée fixe (psychology), a pr ...
as a child, and continued to take a low dose of an
anxiolytic An anxiolytic (; also antipanic or antianxiety agent) is a medication or other intervention that reduces anxiety. This effect is in contrast to anxiogenic agents which increase anxiety. Anxiolytic medications are used for the treatment of anxiet ...
(
Klonopin Clonazepam, sold under the brand names Klonopin and Rivotril, is a medication used to prevent and treat seizures, panic disorder, anxiety disorders, and the movement disorder known as akathisia. It is a tranquilizer of the benzodiazepine clas ...
) to relieve her
anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...
until 2018. In April 2020, she celebrated two years of sobriety without any medical assistance. In February 2018, Dunham wrote an essay for ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' about her decision to have a
hysterectomy Hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus. It may also involve removal of the cervix, ovaries ( oophorectomy), Fallopian tubes ( salpingectomy), and other surrounding structures. Usually performed by a gynecologist, a hysterectomy may b ...
due to
endometriosis Endometriosis is a disease of the female reproductive system in which cells similar to those in the endometrium, the layer of tissue that normally covers the inside of the uterus, grow outside the uterus. Most often this is on the ovaries, fa ...
. In 2019, Dunham revealed that she suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. In July 2020, Dunham reported on
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
her experience with
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...
because she observed people were not taking
social distancing In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious dis ...
seriously. Though she was not hospitalized, she did have "severe symptoms for three weeks". After a mutual friend set them up on a blind date, Dunham began dating English-Peruvian musician Luis Felber, in January 2021. In September 2021, Dunham and Felber married in a Jewish ceremony at the Union Club in
Soho Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was deve ...
. Her nine bridesmaids included
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bo ...
, Tommy Dorfman and Myha’la Herrold, and she wore three custom dresses by
Christopher Kane Christopher John Kane (born 26 July 1982) is a Scottish fashion designer based in London. Biography Kane was born as the youngest of five children in Newarthill, North Lanarkshire, to an engineer and draughtsman father and housewife mother. K ...
throughout the day.


Political activities

In fall of 2012, Dunham appeared in a video advertisement promoting President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
's re-election, delivering a monologue, which, according to a blog quoted in ''
The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'', tried to "get the youth vote by comparing voting for the first time to having sex for the first time".
Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is o ...
reported criticism from conservatives such as
Media Research Center The Media Research Center (MRC), formerly known as Culture and Media Institute (CMI), is an American conservative content analysis and media watchdog group based in Reston, Virginia, and founded in 1987 by L. Brent Bozell III. The CMI promo ...
's Lauren Thompson, public relations professional
Ronn Torossian Ronn D. Torossian is an American public relations executive, founder of New York City-based 5W Public Relations (5WPR), and author. Torossian built his firm's brand through aggressive media tactics, which have, at times, enmeshed him in contro ...
, and media trainer Louise Pennell, who labeled the advertisement as tasteless, inappropriate, and a ploy to lure the younger female vote. 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." In 2014, Dunham was named the Recipient of Horizon Award 2014 by Point Foundation for her support of the gay community. In April 2016, she wrote in support of
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
, pledging to move to
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...
, British Columbia, Canada, if
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
won the election. 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." In June 2017, Dunham endorsed Jim Johnson, a Democratic New Jersey gubernatorial candidate.Lena Dunham Endorses NJ Gubernatorial Candidate Jim Johnson in Pink Pajamas -- From Bed
WNBC WNBC (channel 4) is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the NBC network. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Linden, New Jersey–licensed Telemundo stati ...
, June 1, 2017
Later that month, Dunham endorsed
Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (; born 26 May 1949) is a British politician who served as Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party from 2015 to 2020. On the political left of the Labour Party, Corbyn describes himself as a socialis ...
, leader of the Labour Party, in the United Kingdom general election.Lena Dunham urges fans to vote for 'just and fair' Jeremy Corbyn
''
The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...
'', June 6, 2017


Filmography


Bibliography


Books

*


Essays and reporting

* * * * * * Online version is titled "Growing up in therapy". * * *


References


Further reading

* *


External links

* * *
Lena Dunham
at '' Makers: Women Who Make America'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Dunham, Lena 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 New York City American feminists American film actresses American people of English descent American podcasters American television actresses American television directors American television writers American voice actresses American women memoirists American women podcasters American women screenwriters 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 Jewish American actresses Jewish American writers Jewish feminists LGBT rights activists from the United States Living people Oberlin College alumni People from Brooklyn Heights People with obsessive–compulsive disorder Saint Ann's School (Brooklyn) alumni Screenwriters from New York (state) Showrunners Television producers from New York City The New School alumni The New Yorker people Women civil rights activists Writers from Manhattan