Lena Dunham Reveals Why She Took a Break From Acting After Girls, Inside Her Return With Netflix's Too Much

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Lena Dunham is stepping back into the spotlight eight years after her hit HBO series Girls ended. The Golden Globe winner is now returning to TV with Netflix's new romantic dramedy Too Much. But before this comeback, Dunham took a deliberate step away from acting and public life, and now she is opening up about her decision.
Why did she take an intentional break?
In a recent interview with The Times, Dunham shared she needed space after Girls wrapped up in 2017. She admitted she struggled to draw a line between what needed to be public and what didn't. 'I didn't really understand how to distinguish between what was and wasn't necessary for the public,' she said. 'I felt confused about how I was supposed to respond.'
At the time, Lena Dunham thought sharing more of herself would help people see her differently. 'I thought if I explain properly who I am, or give a glimpse of who I am, people are going to have a different perception of me, that we would be friends. But no one cares, and that's fine,' she added.
The backlash around Girls, including criticism for its lack of diversity and Dunham's defense of writer Murray Miller after he was accused of sexual assault, pushed her to reflect. She described it as a rough period: 'I always joke that I need a T-shirt that says, 'I survived New York media in 2012 and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.' And all I got was this lousy PTSD.'
Here's what she did during her hiatus
During her Lena Dunham hiatus, the actress went to rehab for a prescription anxiety medication addiction. She said the experience forced her to face changes she had put off while working on Girls.
'I felt like all the maturing and changing that had been kept at bay by the experience of being in that cocoon of the show was suddenly happening at a speed that was overwhelming. It was a painful metamorphosis,' she shared. 'I definitely took an intentional break [from public life].'
Lena Dunham's post-Girls career and Too Much on Netflix
Now, Dunham is ready for her post-Girls career. Her new series, Too Much, will premiere on Netflix on July 10. The story follows Jessica, played by Meg Stalter, a New Yorker who moves to London after a breakup and falls for a musician, played by Will Sharpe. Dunham co-created Too Much with her husband, Luis Felber and will appear as Jessica's older sister, who has also stepped away from public life after a messy divorce.
Dunham almost stayed behind the camera. She told The New Yorker last year that she didn't want to act in Too Much at first because of the intense body shaming she faced during Girls. 'Physically, I was just not up for having my body dissected again,' she said.