Girls Gets A Re-Evaluation From OG Star Nearly 10 Years After Hit HBO Show Ended

One of the stars of the HBO dramedy Girls is reflecting on the show’s success and critiques almost a decade after it ended.

In an interview with ScreenRant‘s Ash Crossan for Miss You, Love You, Andrew Rannells, who played Elijah Krantz in all six seasons of Girls, told a story about a recent fan encounter he had that proves how much the public’s reaction to the series has changed over time.

The actor was helping out star Lena Dunham with some launch events for her NYT bestselling memoir Famesick, and the two of them heard from a younger fan at the Brooklyn Academy of Music who had recently watched Girls for the very first time.

The characters on Girls have been criticized for how selfish and unlikable they are. However, this fan told Rannells and Dunham, “I don’t think you guys are selfish. I think you’re just taking care of yourselves.”

Girls' Andrew Rannells as Elijah Krantz and Lena Dunham as Hannah Horvath — Girls’ Andrew Rannells as Elijah Krantz and Lena Dunham as Hannah Horvath

While Rannells does believe that the characters were “pretty selfish” and “not always the best people,” he acknowledged that this fan encounter reflects a growing sentiment in the pop culture zeitgeist about how the characters are now being perceived.

“There were some people who were that age when the show came out that didn’t like it, and I think it was because it probably hit a little too close to home,” Rannells explained. “And now, 15 years later, they can watch it and be like, ‘That’s pretty accurate.’“

The actor admitted that he behaved poorly and was selfish in his early 20s, so the behavior on Girls reflected a reality that not everyone wanted to recognize at the time the show was on the air.

“Lena and I had an interesting experience recently, because I was doing some of her book launch stuff. We did this event at BAM, and I got to interview her. We’ve worked together a couple times since then, and have remained very close friends.

“But we had a young woman come up to us, and she said, ‘I just watched Girls for the first time,’ because she was probably like 12 when it came out. She’s seeing it for the first time, and she said, ‘I don’t think you guys are selfish, I think you’re just taking care of yourselves.’ I think we were pretty selfish, so we were like, ‘Not to judge your character, but they were not always the best people.’

“It was very human. I certainly behaved poorly in my early 20s. I was pretty selfish and reacted badly to things, but it is interesting, with time, how people receive it. There were some people who were that age when the show came out that didn’t like it, and I think it was because it probably hit a little too close to home. And now, 15 years later, they can watch it and be like, ‘That’s pretty accurate.'”

For example, Marnie Michaels, played by Allison Williams, is someone who has been called out for being one of the most unlikable characters on Girls, as she’s uptight and narcissistic, lacks self-awareness, and is very judgmental and manipulative.

As the years have passed, and fans and critics can look back on the series with hindsight, a character like Marnie is seen through a different lense now, with Rannells mentioning that Williams “took a lot of heat for that portrayal, but [Marnie’s] not so bad.”

He’s happy to see that his co-star isn’t on the receiving end of that criticism like she used to be now that Marnie has gotten justice.

“[Marnie] really is [getting justice]. I’m happy for Allison. She took a lot of heat for that portrayal, but she’s not so bad.”

Dunham not only starred on Girls, but she also created the series, served as showrunner and executive producer, and wrote and directed several episodes. The show revolves around Dunham’s character, Hannah Helene Horvath, and her friends as they handle the challenges of being a young adult in New York City.

After Girls ended, Rannells went on to star in movies and shows like A Simple Favor, The Boys in the Band, Girls5eva and Miss You, Love You (now streaming on HBO Max). He also has a long history on stage throughout his career, having performed in Jersey Boys, The Book of Mormon, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Hamilton.