Lena Dunham spilled loads of tea in her new memoir, Famesick, which got here out on April 14. She didn’t solely delve into her private life (together with these rumors surrounding her longterm ex Jack Antonoff and Lorde). She additionally shared behind-the-scenes particulars about Ladies — together with the spectacular listing of celebrities who auditioned for the hit present.
Lately, it’s laborious to think about anybody else taking up the enduring roles of Hannah Horvath (Dunham), Marnie Michaelson (Allison Williams), Jessa Johansson (Jemima Kirke), and Shoshanna Shapiro (Zosia Mamet). However apparently, there have been fairly just a few recognizable actors who virtually bought forged.
Dunham had particular imaginative and prescient in thoughts when choosing the Ladies forged. “Our purpose was to indicate a cool cross-section of ladies who felt like they’d know one another and who could be shut however have sufficient various viewpoints for it to essentially really feel like we’re getting 4 totally different views on what life at the moment could be like,” Dunham advised Backstage in a 2019 interview. “I wrote [Kirke’s] function together with her in thoughts … She was in Tiny Furnishings, [and] we have recognized one another since highschool. Allison and Zosia have been individuals who simply have wowed me in audition contacts, and it was superb to see individuals who I used to be so impressed by simply stroll right into a room and amaze me like that.”
Earlier than the ultimate 4 was set, nonetheless, there have been just a few individuals Dunham noticed “a number of occasions,” whereas trying to find the right Ladies quartet although she didn’t reveal which half they have been every up for. Right here’s the listing — plus, another deets followers have discovered over time.
Elizabeth Olsen
Elizabeth Olsen was up for an element in Ladies. Although the HBO present was not her massive break, she ultimately went on to play Wanda Maximoff (aka Scarlet Witch) within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Dakota Johnson
Fifty Shades and Materialists star Dakota Johnson was one other massive title within the operating for Ladies.
Amy Schumer
Amy Schumer auditioned for Shoshanna. Again in 2016, Dunham shared particulars of Schumer’s audition in her since-archived Lenny e-newsletter, per Forward. “Everybody within the room was shocked by the element and ability of her improv, the wild expertise radiating off her (and I used to be personally intrigued by her breasts),” she wrote on the time.
“It was clear Amy wasn’t meant to play an harmless Juicy Couture lover obsessive about emoji — even when her Meatpacking District membership lingo was the funniest sh*t I had ever heard,” Dunham wrote. “However when she left the room, the vibe was very ‘Somebody give that girl a present, STAT!’”
Although she wasn’t a lead, Schumer wound up exhibiting up in a number of Ladies episodes as Angie, an in depth good friend of Adam’s ex-girlfriend.
Cristin Milioti
Cristin Milioti — who has had roles in How I Met Your Mom, Palm Springs, and extra — additionally auditioned for the present.
Jenny Slate
Although Jenny Slate does seem in Ladies as writer Tally Schifrin, she virtually had a a lot bigger function. Dunham didn’t point out Slate in her memoir, however the acot revealed she auditioned for Marnie throughout an look on the Las Culturistas podcast in 2022. “On the time the present Ladies was being forged, and I went in a bunch of occasions for the function of Marnie and thought perhaps I’d get it,” she mentioned on the time.
