Even at the onset of her career, Lena Dunham was a polarizing figure. I remember discussing Girls with other students in my film program, and being taken aback by the rampant, seemingly underserved disdain people held towards her. Most commonly, they’d say something like, “Lena Dunham is a total narcissist.” I chalked most of this up to jealousy. After all, Lena Dunham achieved great success at a young age.
I also thought people were conflating her character on the show with the real Lena Dunham. Sure, her character was self-absorbed and selfish and arrogant. But that didn’t mean Lena Dunham was actually like that. If anything, I thought she was capturing a kernel of truth about a lot of creative millennials. Some of the traits I didn’t like about Lena Dunham’s character were things I saw in myself.
On top of that, Lena Dunham was an outspoken feminist, which I really admired. I’m a strong believer that those with platforms should use them to make the world a better place, and I love to see successful people advocate and pave the way so future generations might be saved from facing the same struggles. As such, Lena Dunham struck me as a great role model for young women looking to make their way in Hollywood and bring their truths to wide audiences.
