Why did Lena Dunham quit acting? 

Lena Dunham’s new romcom series Too Much is coming to Netflix, but she does not feature in it herself – read on to find out why she gave up acting.

Dunham is best known for being the creator, writer and star of HBO comedy Girls, which ran from 2012 to 2017, and has also written and directed the films Tiny Furniture and Catherine Called Birdy.

Now, she is back with Too Much, which she has created alongside her partner Luis Felber. All 10 episodes of the show are set to be released onto Netflix on Thursday (July 10).

It stars Megan Stalter (Hacks) as New Yorker Jessica, who starts a new life in London after a completely disastrous breakup, and finds a new connection with Felix, played by Will Sharpe (The White Lotus). Emily Ratajkowski, Richard E. Grant and Adele Exarchopoulos co-star.

In addition to Too Much, Dunham has also been working on a new romantic comedy film, Good Sex, which she has written and directed. The film, which currently has no release date, will star Natalie Portman as a successful couples’ therapist named Ally, who is freshly out of a decade-long relationship and nearing 40.

Dunham is also co-writing the new Broadway musical production of 10 Things I Hate About You. Carly Rae Jepsen is co-creating the score for the show, alongside writer and producer Ethan Gruska.

Why did Lena Dunham quit acting?

At one stage, Dunham was a regular presence on screen, both in her own projects, such as Girls and Tiny Furniture, and in other titles including This Is 40 and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

However, in recent years, she has not appeared on screen – either in Catherine Called Birdy in 2022 or now in Too Much.

She has explained in recent interviews that part of that decision was as a result of facing relentless media attention around her body and appearance. She told Variety: “I have been in Hollywood at every size. I have been a sample size, I have had my body change because of life, illness, ageing, menopause. And it is merciless wherever you are.”

“I think we had this moment: Body positivity was here, and then it was gone,” she added. “I obviously am not critical of anybody’s choice, whether it’s to use Ozempic – people should be allowed to have whatever body they feel comfortable in. But we cannot pretend that the bodies people want aren’t influenced, and we can’t claim it’s always for health reasons and not for aesthetic reasons.”

Explaining why she has chosen not to cast herself in recent projects, she told the New Yorker: “I was not willing to have another experience like what I’d experienced around Girls at this point in my life. Physically, I was just not up for having my body dissected again.”

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