TV & Movies
Allison Williams Says Girls Resonates More With Gen Z Than Millennials
The actor thinks viewers missed “the point” of the show.
Allison Williams is here for the Gen Z Girls resurgence. The actor, who played Marnie Michaels in the HBO series, touched upon a recent spike of online Girls discourse in a new video for Vanity Fair. In the clip, which also features former co-star Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Williams explained why she believes viewers missed “the point” of the show the first time around.
“My theory is what was coded as selfishness among Millennials is now coded as self-care and just being aware of what you need,” she said. “Gen Z is like, ‘No, we get her [Marnie]. She makes sense to us.’”
Moss-Bachrach, who played Marnie’s love interest, Desi Halperin, joked that Gen Z might find Williams’ Girls character relatable due to her “level of narcissism,” which he says has become a “baseline” since the show aired.
Williams disagreed, adding, “I actually think that it’s a bunch of girls trying to create the best environment for each of them to survive and thrive and being wrong, but like still trying and caring.”
Later in the Vanity Fair video, they wondered what their characters would be up to in 2024. “I think Marnie, I think she’d still be trying to have a singing career,” Williams said. “I picture her with another marriage under her belt. ... [She’s] probably on the verge of deciding to have a baby.”
As for Desi, Moss-Bachrach thinks he’d be working with troubled youth, bussing tables, or as a therapist. “Not like a licensed therapist,” he clarified. “But somebody who’s really getting their hands dirty and just like, ‘I’ve been there, guys. I know what you’re going through.’”
Girls aired for six seasons between 2012 and 2017. Along with Williams and Moss-Bachrach, the drama starred Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamet, Adam Driver, Andrew Rannells, and series creator Lena Dunham.
Partly inspired by Dunham’s life, it follows four women living in New York City in their early 20s. Girls was well-received by critics during its original run, earning two Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and a BAFTA trophy.
