During its 6-season run, Girls attracted significant criticism for its lack of racial representation, frequent (some say, gratuitous) nudity and controversial portrayal of sexual assault. On the other hand, it also attracted huge acclaim for its searingly honest depiction of the ups and downs of female friendship, and the sometimes heartbreaking difficulties of youth. The jury may still be out on whether Girls was a force for good or evil, but what can’t be argued against is the stars the show made of its young cast. Prior to the show’s airing, few had heard of the likes of Lena Dunham, Jemima Kirke or Adam Driver. By the time of the show’s finale in 2017, Dunham had become the voice of her generation (albeit a controversial one), Kirke had become a tattooed muse to multiple musical stars, and Driver had graduated to Supreme Leader of the First Order and master of the Knights of Ren (a character in Star Wars, in case of any confusion). While some cast members have enjoyed more success than others, they all continue to work in the industry. With upcoming projects in the works for all 7 of the show’s main cast, its likely the legacy of Girls will live on for quite some time yet.
Alison Williams
Since Girls ended, Alison Williams (who played the neurotic Marnie Williams in the show), has enjoyed numerous TV and film roles. Her first appearance after Girls came with the 2017 hit horror film, Get Out. Director Jordan Peele was turned on to Williams talents after seeing her perform in Peter Pan Live!, the Broadway play that featured Williams alongside acting legend, Christopher Walken. After Get Out, Williams’ continued her adventures in the horror genre with The Perfection, a horror thriller that premiered at the Fantastic Fest in 2018. When she’s not scaring cinema- goers, Williams can be seen as Kit Snicket in Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Jemima Kirke
Jemima Kirke may consider acting a sideline to her primary occupation as an artist, but since Girls ended, she’s shown no signs of returning full-time to the paintbrush. After waving goodbye to her character of Jessa Jameson, Kirke took a supporting role in the supernatural horror comedy Ava’s Possessions, and in 2018, appeared alongside sister Lola Kirke and Fifty Shades of Grey’s Jamie Dornan in Emma Forrest’s directorial debut, Untogether. In addition to her film appearances, Kirke has become something of a musician’s muse, starring in several music videos for Mick Jagger, ex- One Directioner Zayn Malik, and current boyfriend Alex Cameron.
Lena Dunham
Girls creator Lena Dunham attracted controversy throughout her tenure as the show’s lead, Hannah Howarth, and the controversy shows no sign of abating any time soon. Leaving the criticism and the prolific social media outpourings aside, Dunham remains as productive in the entertainment industry as ever. In 2018, HBO announced its next Dunham project, a re-working of the classic British comedy series, Camping. Unfortunately, the show met with a decidedly mixed reception on airing, with Time declaring it “one bad trip”. Dunham is hoping for more success with her next venture, which will see her star as Catherine “Gypsy” Share in the upcoming Quentin Tarantino flick, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.
Adam Driver
Of all the Girls cast, Adam Driver (who played the on-off boyfriend of Hannah and later, the love interest of Jessa), has arguably seen the greatest success since the show’s demise. He’d already enjoyed success with the Star War’s franchise while Girls was still airing, but his subsequent career has capitulated him to a whole new level of fame. In 2018, he starred in Spike Lee’s comedy drama, BlacKkKlansman, earning widespread critical acclaim for his performance, along with nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor. Next up are roles in Jim Jarmusch’s zombie comedy, The Dead Won’t Die, and an as yet untitled Noah Baumbach project alongside Scarlet Johansson. 2019 will also see him reprise the character of Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Zosia Mamet
As Shoshanna Shapiro in Girls, Zosia Mamet played the role of ditzy millennial to perfection. Since leaving the role, Mamet has enjoyed continued success as an actress, and has even ventured into the world of voice acting with her work on Star vs the Forces of Evil. Her first major film project after Girls was the noir-mystery film, Under the Silver Lake. Mamet played the character of Troy alongside the movie’s main stars, Andrew Garfield and Riley Keough. The film was released in 2018 to mixed reception; while critics were quick to applaud the film’s creativity and originality, many found the script too confusing and cryptic. Since Under the Silver Lake, Mamet has starred in an episode of Netflix’s Tales of the City, and can next be seen as Allie in the upcoming fantasy anthology series, Fabled.
Alex Karpovsky
In Girls, Alex Karpovsky played the role of Ray Ploshansky, the clever but underachieving coffee-shop worker and one- time boyfriend of Alison Williams’s Marnie. Since departing the show, actor/ writer Karpovsky has continued to work in the industry, featuring as Marty in the 2018 romantic-comedy Rosy, Mike Stratton in political drama The Front Runner, and Landon in the upcoming drama, The Sound Of Silence. In addition to his film career, Karpovsky has starred in an episode of TV’s Drunk History, and in 10 episodes of the psychological thriller web series, Homecoming. He’s also seen continued success as a writer, with his most recent credits including episode 105 of The New Yorker Presents and episode 304 of Love.
Andrew Rannells
Since leaving the character of Elijah Krantz behind, Andrew Rannells has returned to his roots as a Broadway star, featuring as Larry in the Broadway revival of The Boys in the Band, Mart Crowley’s groundbreaking play about a group of gay friends who meet up at a birthday party in New York. Rannells hasn’t entirely abandoned his lucrative film and TV career, however, and can currently be seen in the TV comedy, Black Monday (which was renewed for a second series in April 2019). He’s also set to reprise his role as Larry in Netflix’s re-working of The Boys in the Band, which is set to air in 2020.
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