Our October cover star, Lena Dunham, has to be the coolest girl on the planet right now. Here are 10 reasons why we adore her…
1. She’s talented
Anyone who has seen Girls can testify to Lena’s amazing comedic timing. There are two Golden Globe awards sitting on her mantelpiece for a reason, after all. And when you realise that she writes, directs and stars in the show, all at once, you can’t help but be floored by what she has achieved – all by the age of 27.
2. She’s not afraid to bare all
Lena is not afraid to show off her body in graphic, warts-and-all sex scenes in Girls. We love that a mainstream TV show is finally showing women as they really are. Lena knows that baring her imperfect body makes her fans feel better about themselves and is pleased to be making a difference. ‘I don’t think I’d be able to do that if I didn’t think that it was essentially important in my contribution to the world,’ she told us.
3. She challenges the Hollywood stereotype
Lena doesn’t look anything like the typical young actresses we’re used to. ‘I have known – and still know – that my body wasn’t fitting into a traditional Hollywood idea of the female body,’ she told us. As far as Lena’s concerned, life’s too short to worry about being perfect. And we love her for it.
4. She stands up for women’s rights
We love a woman who’s a feminist and not afraid to admit it. ‘Do you believe that women should be paid the same for doing the same jobs? Do you believe that women should be allowed to leave the house? Do you think that women and men both deserve equal rights? Great, then you’re a feminist,’ she told the Metro.
5. She’s humble about her success
Lena has a book deal with Random House, with a reported advance of a whopping $3.5 million. But rather than letting it go to her head, Lena revealed just how humble she is when she told Interview magazine: ‘What was so stressful to me at first about the number being put out into the world was the sense that someone was going to think that I was going around town and being like, ‘Listen, you fools. I’m worth this much.’”
6. She loves dogs
She wrote about adopting her rescue dog, Lamby, in The New Yorker earlier this year, after admitting to a lifelong puppy craving. ‘I have a feeling we’re going to have a great life together,’ she said at the time. Lamby definitely seems to be getting a sweet deal – Lena ordered him his own plate of salmon during our interview for this month’s issue.
7. She started young
Lena wrote, directed and starred in her first feature film, Tiny Furniture, right out of college. The film won Lena her first award, for Best Narrative Feature at the South by Southwest Music and Media Conference in 2010. She was just 24. Talk about a protégé.
8. She’s not afraid to talk about love
Most young actresses shy away from sharing any details about their personal lives. We can understand why, but still can’t help admiring Lena for opening up. ‘Life is long and you never know what is going to happen with a person, but whether we stay together or we don’t, I have met this person who is so good and nothing is ever going to be the same,’ she told us about her boyfriend of one year, Jack Antonoff.
9. She’s open about her personal issues
Lena has suffered from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and anxiety since childhood. Her willingness to admit to these issues in the public eye is hugely admirable, when you think of all the young girls out there suffering with mental health problems, who can take comfort from seeing a huge star dealing with the same thing.
10. She still hangs out with her best mate from school
She and bestie Jemima Kirke (who plays Jessa in Girls) have been close since they attended high school together in Brooklyn. We love a girl who sticks to her roots and brings her friends along with her on her rise to the top.
Read our interview with Lena in the October issue of Marie Claire, on sale now. Got a tablet? You can now download Marie Claire magazine straight to your iPad, Kindle (just search the store for 'marie claire magazine'), Nook or Google Nexus.