History of Lena Dunham in Timeline
Lena Dunham is an American writer, director, actress, and producer, best known for creating and starring in the HBO series *Girls*. Her work, often semi-autobiographical, explores the lives of young women and has garnered critical acclaim, including Emmy and Golden Globe nominations and wins. Before *Girls*, Dunham gained recognition for her independent film *Tiny Furniture*, winning an Independent Spirit Award. More recently, she has directed films like *Sharp Stick* and *Catherine Called Birdy* and created the Netflix series *Too Much*.
May 13, 1986: Lena Dunham's Birth
On May 13, 1986, Lena Dunham was born. She is an American writer, director, actress, and producer.
1998: Sex and the City HBO Series
In 1998, the HBO series "Sex and the City" aired which Lena Dunham stated did not portray a part of the population that she wanted to.
2006: Pressure Release
In 2006, Lena Dunham's short film, Pressure, was released as DVD extras with Tiny Furniture.
2006: Production of Pressure
In 2006, while a student at Oberlin College, Lena Dunham produced "Pressure", a short film about a girl and her friends discussing experiencing an orgasm for the first time.
2007: Web Series Tight Shots and other short films
In 2007, Lena Dunham starred in the web series "Tight Shots" for Nerve.com and short films Open the Door, Hooker on Campus, and The Fountain were released as DVD extras with Tiny Furniture.
2008: Oberlin College Graduation
In 2008, Lena Dunham graduated from Oberlin College with a degree in creative writing.
2009: Delusional Downtown Divas Creation and Creative Nonfiction Premiere
In 2009, Lena Dunham created the Index Magazine web series "Delusional Downtown Divas", satirizing the New York City art scene and in the same year, her film "Creative Nonfiction" premiered at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas.
2010: Jerusalem Film Festival Trip
In 2010, Dunham took a trip to Israel for the Jerusalem Film Festival in Jerusalem, where she talked with Israelis about serving in the Israel Defense Force (IDF).
2010: Tiny Furniture breakthrough
In 2010, Lena Dunham had a career breakthrough with her semi-autobiographical film, "Tiny Furniture", which won Best Narrative Feature at South by Southwest Music and Media Conference, and also screened at Maryland Film Festival and won an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay.
2011: Girls Greenlight by HBO
In early 2011, Lena Dunham's television series, "Girls", was greenlit by HBO.
April 15, 2012: Girls HBO Premiere
On April 15, 2012, Lena Dunham's television series, "Girls", premiered on HBO and received critical acclaim, but also criticism over its lack of racial representation and Dunham's frequent on-screen nudity.
April 2012: Girls Renewal for Second Season
In April 2012, Lena Dunham's television series "Girls" was renewed for a second season before the first season had finished airing.
2012: Alleged Sexual Assault by Murray Miller
In 2012, Aurora Perrineau was allegedly sexually assaulted by Murray Miller, which led to Dunham and Konner's controversial defense of Miller in 2017.
2012: Obama Re-Election Ad
In 2012, Dunham appeared in a video advertisement promoting President Barack Obama's re-election. The ad was criticized by conservatives for comparing voting for the first time to having sex for the first time.
2012: Began Dating Jack Antonoff
In 2012, Dunham began dating Jack Antonoff, the lead guitarist of the band fun. and the founder of Bleachers. This was Dunham's first relationship.
2012: Visit to Israel and Palestinian Territories
In 2012, Dunham traveled to Israel and Palestinian territories, which she called "amazing” and "spiritually and personally" transformative. She visited East Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives, and the Dead Sea. She also called Israelis "moralistic and aggressive” and remarked on her Israeli cab driver's anti-Arab racism.
2012: Film Appearances
In 2012, Lena Dunham appeared briefly in the films "Supporting Characters" and "This Is 40".
2012: Girls Series Debut
In 2012, Lena Dunham created, wrote, and starred in the HBO television series "Girls".
2012: Girls Screenings and Positive Responses
In 2012, three episodes of Lena Dunham's TV series "Girls" were screened to positive responses at the South by Southwest Festival.
2012: Book deal with Random House
In late 2012, Lena Dunham signed a $3.5 million deal with Random House to publish her first book.
January 2013: Girls Season Two Premiere
In January 2013, the second season of Lena Dunham's television series "Girls" premiered on HBO and continued to receive critical acclaim.
February 2013: Directors Guild of America Award
In February 2013, Lena Dunham became the first woman to win a Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Comedy Series for her work on "Girls".
March 2013: Girls Season Two End
In March 2013, the second season of Lena Dunham's television series "Girls" ended on HBO.
2013: Inclusion in Time 100 List
In 2013, Lena Dunham was included in the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world.
January 2014: Girls Season Three Premiere
In January 2014, the third season of Girls premiered with over one million viewers, and in February, Lena Dunham hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live.
September 2014: Book Publication: Not That Kind of Girl
In September 2014, Lena Dunham's book "Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned"" was published.
October 2014: "Not That Kind of Girl" on The New York Times Best Seller list
In October 2014, Lena Dunham's book "Not That Kind of Girl" reached number two on The New York Times Best Seller list.
2014: Recipient of Horizon Award
In 2014, Dunham was named the Recipient of the Horizon Award by Point Foundation for her support of the gay community.
2014: Publication of Not That Kind of Girl
In 2014, Dunham's book "Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned"" was published, in which she claimed she had been sexually assaulted by her former Oberlin College classmate. The attorney of Dunham's former classmate characterized the description of "Barry" as so detailed that it clearly identified his client. Dunham later apologized and Random House reprinted the book with a disclaimer and a statement saying: "Random House, on our own behalf and on behalf of our author, regrets the confusion."
2014: Book Release - Not That Kind of Girl
In 2014, Lena Dunham released her first book, "Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned"".
January 5, 2015: Girls Renewal for Fifth Season
On January 5, 2015, days before the premiere of the fourth season, Lena Dunham's show "Girls" was renewed for a fifth season, despite dwindling viewership.
February 20, 2015: Guest Role on Scandal
On February 20, 2015, it was reported that Lena Dunham had been cast in a guest role in an episode of the ABC drama series "Scandal".
March 19, 2015: Scandal guest role aired
On March 19, 2015, Lena Dunham's guest role aired in an episode of the ABC drama series "Scandal".
September 2015: Possible End of Girls
In September 2015, Lena Dunham stated that the sixth season of "Girls" was likely to be the last.
2015: Co-founded Lenny Letter
In 2015, Dunham, with Jenni Konner, co-founded Lenny Letter, a feminist online newsletter initially supported by Hearst Corporation advertising and subsequently by Condé Nast.
2015: Television Guest Roles
In 2015, Lena Dunham played guest roles in "Scandal" and "The Simpsons".
2015: Lenny Letter Creation
In 2015, Lena Dunham, along with Jenni Konner, created Lenny Letter, a feminist online newsletter.
April 2016: Support for Hillary Clinton
In April 2016, Dunham wrote in support of Hillary Clinton, pledging to move to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, if Donald Trump won the election.
December 2016: Podcast Abortion Comment Controversy
In December 2016, Dunham remarked on her podcast, "Women of the Hour", that she wished she had an abortion to better understand women who have experienced it. The comment was widely criticized as insensitive, and Dunham later apologized.
2016: Film and Voice Acting
In 2016, Lena Dunham appeared in her mother's film, "My Art", and voiced Mary in "My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea".
2016: My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea Premiere and Voice Role
In 2016, Lena Dunham voiced Mary in the film "My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea", which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
February 2017: Glamour Cover
In February 2017, Dunham appeared on the cover of Glamour magazine, and praised the magazine for featuring an unedited photo.
April 16, 2017: Girls Series Finale
On April 16, 2017, the sixth and final season of "Girls" concluded, leaving a total of 62 episodes in the series.
June 2017: Endorsement of Political Candidates
In June 2017, Dunham endorsed Jim Johnson, a Democratic New Jersey gubernatorial candidate, and Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, in the United Kingdom general election.
November 2017: Defense of Murray Miller
In November 2017, Dunham and Jenni Konner defended "Girls" writer Murray Miller against accusations of sexual assault by Aurora Perrineau. Dunham's defense of Miller was met with criticism, and she was described as a "hipster racist" for her defense of Miller, as Perrineau is of mixed race.
November 2017: Zinzi Clemmons leaves Lenny Letter
In November 2017, Zinzi Clemmons announced she would no longer contribute to Lenny Letter because she felt Dunham was insufficiently sympathetic to women of color after Dunham and Konner's controversial letter denouncing Aurora Perrineau's accusation of sexual assault by Murray Miller.
December 2017: Separation from Jack Antonoff
In December 2017, Dunham and Jack Antonoff separated, announcing that the separation was "amicable". They had been dating since 2012.
2017: American Horror Story: Cult Role
In 2017, Lena Dunham portrayed Valerie Solanas in "American Horror Story: Cult".
2017: Girls Series End
In 2017, the HBO television series "Girls", created, written, and starred by Lena Dunham, ended.
February 2018: A Casual Romance Productions to produce Camping
In February 2018, A Casual Romance Productions announced that it would be producing "Camping", a remake of the British comedy series, for HBO, with Jennifer Garner in the lead and Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner as showrunners and writers.
February 2018: Hysterectomy Essay in Vogue
In February 2018, Dunham wrote an essay for Vogue about her decision to have a hysterectomy due to endometriosis.
April 2018: Entered Rehab
In April 2018, Dunham entered rehab for an addiction to benzodiazepines and later said she loved her experience there.
July 25, 2018: Camping Panel at Television Critics Association
On July 25, 2018, Lena Dunham's show, Camping held a panel at the Television Critics Association's annual summer press tour featuring executive producer Jenni Konner and cast member Jennifer Garner.
August 2018: Appearance in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
In August 2018, it was announced that Lena Dunham would appear in Quentin Tarantino's film, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood", portraying the role of Catherine "Gypsy" Share.
October 2018: Lenny Letter Shutdown
In October 2018, Dunham and Konner announced that Lenny Letter would be shutting down, reportedly due to a decline in subscribers and failure to build momentum upon other platforms.
October 2018: Split with Jenni Konner
In October 2018, Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner split as producing partners and dissolved their production company, coinciding with the expiration of their joint HBO contract.
October 2018: Hired to write screenplay for refugee film
In October 2018, Lena Dunham was hired to write the screenplay for an untitled film based upon the memoir "A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea: One Refugee's Incredible Story of Love, Loss, and Survival", by Melissa Fleming, about the true story of Doaa Al Zamel.
December 2018: Apology to Aurora Perrineau
In December 2018, Dunham stated that she had no "insider information" that exonerated Murray Miller, and wrote a letter of apology to Aurora Perrineau.
2018: Lenny Letter Discontinuation
In late 2018, Lenny Letter, the feminist online newsletter created by Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner, was discontinued after three years of publication.
July 26, 2019: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood release
On July 26, 2019, the film "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood", directed by Quentin Tarantino, in which Lena Dunham appeared, was released.
2019: Revelation of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
In 2019, Dunham revealed that she has Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (EDS).
2019: Podcast Launch and New Production Company
In 2019, Lena Dunham and Alissa Bennett started a podcast called "The C-Word Podcast" produced by Luminary, and Dunham launched a new production company named Good Thing Going.
March 2020: Serialized Novel and Social Isolation
In response to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, in March 2020 Lena Dunham announced she would write a serialized novel, Verified Strangers, as a response to social isolation. The serialization started later that month on the Vogue website.
April 2020: Two Years of Sobriety
In April 2020, Dunham celebrated two years of sobriety.
July 2020: COVID-19 Experience
In July 2020, Dunham reported on Instagram about her experience with COVID-19 because she observed people were not taking social distancing seriously. Though she was not hospitalized, she did have "severe symptoms for three weeks".
January 2021: Began Dating Luis Felber
In January 2021, Dunham began dating English-Peruvian musician Luis Felber after being set up on a blind date.
September 2021: Marriage to Luis Felber
In September 2021, Dunham and Felber married in a Jewish ceremony at the Union Club in Soho.
2021: Small role in Music and executive producer on Generation
In 2021, Lena Dunham had a small role in the movie "Music" and she served as an executive producer on "Generation", a dramedy for HBO Max.
September 12, 2022: Catherine Called Birdy Premiere
On September 12, 2022, "Catherine Called Birdy," a film directed, written, and produced by Dunham, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
September 23, 2022: Catherine Called Birdy Limited Release
On September 23, 2022, Lena Dunham's film "Catherine Called Birdy" was released in a limited theatrical release by Amazon Studios.
October 7, 2022: Catherine Called Birdy Streaming Release
On October 7, 2022, "Catherine Called Birdy" became available for streaming on Prime Video, following a limited theatrical release.
2022: Sharp Stick and Catherine Called Birdy Release
In 2022, Lena Dunham wrote and directed the films "Sharp Stick" and "Catherine Called Birdy".
December 2023: Netflix Announces Too Much Series
In December 2023, Netflix announced that "Too Much", a new series co-created, written, executive produced, and directed by Dunham, would begin production the following year in the United Kingdom.
2023: Comments on rising antisemitism
In 2023, Dunham commented on rising antisemitism following the October 7 attacks in Israel. She stated that antisemitism, islamophobia, racism, and transphobia are part of a worldwide conservative movement to dehumanize minorities.
July 2025: Release of Too Much on Netflix
In July 2025, the Netflix series "Too Much", created and released by Dunham and her husband Luis Felber, starring Megan Stalter and Will Sharp, was released. Dunham directed, produced and wrote the series and received positive reviews from critics.
December 2025: Film Screening for The Voice of Hind Rajab
In December 2025, Dunham hosted a film screening for "The Voice of Hind Rajab", a Tunisian film detailing the IDF's killing of six-year-old Palestinian Hind Rajab.
2025: Too Much Series Creation
In 2025, Lena Dunham created the Netflix series "Too Much" starring Megan Stalter.
January 20, 2026: Moderated Launch Event for Half His Age
On January 20, 2026, Dunham moderated the launch event for Jennette McCurdy's debut novel, "Half His Age", at The Town Hall in NYC.
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