Lena Dunham talks about 'Girls' and its lack of diversity

Lena Dunham acknowledges diversity criticism for 'Girls'

Lena Dunham, an American actress and star of the HBO television series Girls, recently addressed the criticism the show received for its lack of diversity.

In a recent interview with The Independent, Dunham said, “I think one of the profound issues around Girls was that there was so little real estate for women in television [then] that if you had a show called Girls, which is such a monolithic name, it sounds like it’s describing all the girls in all the places.”

“And so if it’s not reflecting a multitude of experiences, I understand how that would be really disappointing to people,” she added.

For those unversed, Girls follows four young women, navigating their careers, personal lives and relationships in New York City.

The series featured Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, and Zosia Mamet alongside Dunham. It received criticism for its largely white cast, with some of the actors later associated with the ‘nepo baby’ discussion. 

At the time, Dunham defended her decisions by saying she wanted to avoid “tokenism in casting,” describing herself as “a half-Jew, half-WASP.”

However, Dunham highlighted that she has learned a lot from those critisism, saying, “The thing I have really come to believe is that one of the most important things is not just diversity in front of the camera, but it’s diversity behind the camera.”

“As a producer, one of my goals is to bring a lot of different voices into a position where they can tell their story.”

She further added, “I liked the conversation around Girls. It was an important one to have.”

Dunham is putting those values into action with her upcoming Netflix series Too Much, which is set to premiere on July 10.