Lena Dunham

Biography

Lena Dunham (/ˈliːnə ˈdʌnəm/; born May 13, 1986) is an American writer, director, actress, and producer. She is the creator, writer, and star of the HBO television series Girls (2012–2017), for which she received several Emmy Award nominations and two Golden Globe Awards. 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. She started her career writing, directing, and starring in her semi-autobiographical independent film Tiny Furniture (2010), for which she won an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay. She has since written and directed the 2022 films Sharp Stick and Catherine Called Birdy. In 2013, Dunham was included in the annual Time100 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 Jenni Konner, Dunham created the publication Lenny Letter, a feminist online newsletter. The publication ran for three years before its discontinuation in late 2018. Dunham briefly appeared in films such as Supporting Characters, This Is 40 (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. Aside from Girls, she has played guest roles on television in Scandal and The Simpsons (both 2015). In 2017, she portrayed Valerie Solanas in American Horror Story: Cult. Dunham's work and her outspoken presence on social media and in interviews have attracted significant controversy, praise, criticism, and media scrutiny throughout her career.

Known For

The Simpsons

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Late Night with Seth Meyers

Late Night with Seth Meyers

The Daily Show

The Kelly Clarkson Show

The Graham Norton Show

All Movies (43)

• House of Criticism2026
• I Wish You All the Best2025 · as Ms. Lyons
• Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell2025 · as Self
• Treasure2024 · as Ruth
• Judy Blume Forever2023 · as Self
• Sharp Stick2022 · as Heather
• Honeydew2021 · as Delilah
• Music2021 · as Administrator on Phone with Zu (voice)
• The Stand In2020 · as Lisa
• Miranda July: Where it Began2020 · as Herself
• Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood2019 · as 'Gypsy'
• This Changes Everything2019 · as Self
• Half the Picture2018 · as Self
• A Goodbye to Girls2017 · as Self
• 100 Years2017 · as Narrator (voice)
• My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea2016 · as Mary (voice)
• My Art2016 · as Meryl
• Don't Think Twice2016 · as Self
• Sky2016 · as Billie
• Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You2016 · as Self
• Taylor Swift: The 1989 World Tour - Live2015 · as Self - Special Guest
• Everything Is Copy2015 · as Self
• 7 Days in Hell2015 · as Lanny Denver
• It's Me, Hilary: The Man Who Drew Eloise2015 · as Self
• Happy Christmas2014 · as Carson
• This Is Comedy2014 · as Herself
• Cover Girl2014 · as Self
• Supporting Characters2013 · as Alexa
• This Is 402012 · as Cat
• Side by Side2012 · as Self
• The Innkeepers2011 · as Barista
• PressPausePlay2011 · as Self
• Tiny Furniture2010 · as Aura
• Gabi on the Roof in July2010 · as Colby
• The House of the Devil2009 · as 911 Operator (voice)
• Family Tree2009
• The Viewer2009 · as The Voice
• Creative Nonfiction2009 · as Ella
• Dealing2007 · as Georgia
• Hooker on Campus2007 · as Hooker
• The Fountain2007
• Open the Door2007
• Pressure2006

All TV Shows (30)

• Too Much2025 · as Nora South
• Visible: Out on Television2020 · as Self
• A Little Late with Lilly Singh2019 · as Self
• The Kelly Clarkson Show2019 · as Self
• Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter2015 · as Self
• Thank You and Sorry2015
• Travel Man: 48 Hours in...2015 · as Self - Guest
• The Late Late Show with James Corden2015 · as Self
• The Late Late Show with James Corden2015 · as Self - Guest
• Late Night with Seth Meyers2014 · as Self
• Late Night with Seth Meyers2014 · as Self - Guest
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon2014 · as Self
• Girls2012 · as Hannah Horvath
• Scandal2012 · as Susanne Thomas
• Finding Your Roots2012
• Billy on the Street2011 · as Self
• American Horror Story2011 · as Valerie Solanas
• Mildred Pierce2011 · as Nurse 1
• Conan2010 · as Self
• Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen2009 · as Self - Guest
• RuPaul's Drag Race2009 · as Self - Guest Judge
• The Graham Norton Show2007 · as Self
• The Colbert Report2005
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show2003 · as Self
• Jimmy Kimmel Live!2003 · as Self
• Jimmy Kimmel Live!2003 · as Self - Mean Tweets
• The View1997 · as Self
• The Daily Show1996 · as Self
• The Simpsons1989 · as Candace (voice)
• Saturday Night Live1975 · as Self - Host