Lena Dunham, best known for creating and starring in "Girls," is opening up about why she chose to take a break from acting.

The 39-year-old writer, director, and actress revealed that harsh public judgment about her body was one of the biggest reasons.

"Having my body dissected was a reason that I chose in general to step back from acting," Dunham said in a recent interview with "The Independent."

She explained that during the time "Girls" aired, she faced intense criticism about how she looked, which made it hard for her to keep doing on-screen work.

According to People, Dunham said she felt tired and lost after "Girls" ended in 2017. "I didn't know what direction to move in," she shared in another interview.

Living in New York, where she was born, also made things harder. She said she didn't feel like she was growing or moving forward.

Around that same time, Dunham struggled with her health. She had surgery for endometriosis in 2018 and later entered rehab due to an addiction to her anxiety medicine, Klonopin.

"It had a lot to do with managing my physical pain," she said. She has since celebrated her sobriety and called it life-changing.

Lena Dunham Chooses Peace Over Spotlight

Dunham says stepping away from acting gave her time to focus on writing, directing, and healing.

She called the past two years "the happiest years of my life," not because everything was perfect, but because she now has better tools to manage life's challenges, US Magazine said.

This year, Dunham is back with a new Netflix show, "Too Much." It's based on her real-life experience of moving to London, falling in love, and starting fresh after a breakup. While she wrote the series, she chose not to star in it.

"I was not willing to have another experience like what I'd experienced around Girls," she wrote in an essay for "The New Yorker."

Instead, she cast Megan Stalter in the lead role. Dunham said Stalter is smart and strong enough to handle any online criticism.

Dunham says she finally feels at peace. "I am so lucky. The last few years have been the most peaceful of my life," she said. Even though her body still has ups and downs, she's happy doing the work she loves — just a little more behind the scenes.

Tags
Lena Dunham, Career