Lena Dunham
Episode of Good Hang with Amy Poehler · May 26, 2026 · 1 h 6 min
Amy Poehler talks with Lena Dunham about turning 40, her memoir Famesick, Nora Ephron, Girls, chronic illness, hot takes and pet pigs, with a visit from Natalie Portman.
Summary
Amy Poehler opened the episode with a conversation with Natalie Portman, who stars in Lena Dunham's Netflix romantic comedy Good Sex. Portman praised Dunham as one of the best directors she had worked with, citing her specific, attentive notes and her kindness on set, and posed a question for Dunham about the best kind of pig to adopt, explaining that wild boars near her rented home in France made pig ownership illegal there.
With Dunham, Poehler discussed turning 40, which Dunham described as a relief from pressure and attention, and her introversion despite an extroverted public persona. Dunham reflected on promoting a memoir about the cost of fame, the eight years it took to write Famesick with editor Andy Ward, the practical, maternal mentorship she received from Nora Ephron, and her own approach to mentoring younger people. They talked about the productivity myth, with Dunham recounting how Hollywood treated chronic illness as a defect, and her lifelong anxiety about sleep.
The conversation turned to the renewed popularity of Girls, which Dunham called a "stress bomb" despite viewers finding it cozy; she argued that critics wrongly saw the show as either oblivious or satirical, and described it as a show about the thorny nature of female friendship. She also discussed Jessa's betrayal of Hannah and directing longtime friend Jemima Kirke. In a round of hot takes, Dunham covered TikTok, Diet Coke, fashion, reality television and why she declined a celebrity Great British Bake Off. The episode closed with stories about producer Jenna Weiss-Berman at Oberlin and Dunham's advice on adopting pigs, including recommending Meishan pigs as beginner rescue pigs and warning that pigs should not be kept alone.
Chapters
- 0:05
Introduction
Poehler introduces Lena Dunham and previews topics including Nora Ephron, the productivity myth and the Great British Bake Off.
- 2:17
Natalie Portman on Dunham as director
Portman praises Dunham's directing on their rom-com and asks about the best pig to adopt, explaining France's wild boar problem.
- 11:21
Turning 40 and introversion
Dunham describes the relief of turning 40 and her ideal low-key hang as a secret introvert.
- 14:39
Press tours and spoiled pig syndrome
Dunham discusses promoting a book about the cost of press and draws a lesson from spoiled pig syndrome about over-giving.
- 18:41
Writing Famesick and Nora Ephron
Dunham credits editor Andy Ward for pushing the book's depth and recalls Nora Ephron's practical mentorship.
- 22:21
Mentoring and the productivity myth
The two discuss offering support instead of advice and how Hollywood treats illness and productivity.
- 27:35
Sleep anxiety and SNL childhood
Dunham describes a family fear of sleep, chaotic bedtime habits, and her teenage obsession with SNL.
- 31:55
The Girls resurgence
Dunham reflects on why Girls comforts viewers, never rewatching it, critics' misreadings, and female friendship.
- 42:06
Oberlin and Jessa's betrayal
Dunham recalls contact improv at Oberlin and discusses writing and directing Jessa's betrayal of Hannah.
- 45:55
Hot takes
Dunham weighs in on TikTok, Diet Coke, Meg Stalter, fashion, reality TV, the Great British Bake Off, theme parks and robots.
- 54:00
Jenna Weiss-Berman at 23
Dunham tells stories about the show's producer from their Oberlin and Brooklyn days.
- 56:13
Good Sex and pig advice
Dunham praises Natalie Portman and answers her pig question, recommending Meishan pigs and pig companionship.
Key points
What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.
- Natalie Portman
Portman says Dunham is one of the best directors she has worked with, giving astute and specific notes.
“she's the best director. I've one of, one of the best, if not the best I've worked with”
- Natalie Portman
Portman explains she cannot keep a pig where she rents in France because wild boars can breed with pigs to create dangerous hybrids.
“Apparently the wild boars mate with pigs and make a very dangerous hybrid”
- Lena Dunham
Dunham says turning 40 has brought relief from the attention she once felt she had to seek.
“And some kind of attention that you no longer either feel you are supposed to be seeking or are getting. And it's a huge relief”
- Lena Dunham
Dunham describes spoiled pig syndrome as a condition in which pigs given treats without doing tricks become aggressive.
“It is a well-known condition wherein a pig starts to, if you ask your pig, say you give your pig treats, but you don't ever ask them to do a trick for those treats”
- Lena Dunham
Dunham says she began her memoir shortly after rehab, initially hoping to simply purge the experiences.
“I started the book when I was, three months out of rehab. And I just thought like, I'll jot off some of these experiences”
- Lena Dunham
Dunham recalls that Nora Ephron generously mentored many younger women.
“But she showed up for other women, younger women in this way that was so mind blowing”
- Lena Dunham
Dunham argues Hollywood still treats sick performers as defective even if producers no longer say so openly.
“Maybe a producer would not feel comfortable saying out loud that one's defective. We want a new one. But the but the behavior remains the same”
Listen from 24:54 · Productivity culture and chronic illness
- Amy Poehler
Poehler says prioritizing sleep hygiene was one of the best things she did for herself.
“One of the best things I did for myself is make sleep hygiene as important as other things”
Linked moment · 33:45Skip to 33:45 using a listen link in the info box.
Lena DunhamDunham finds watching Girls stressful, despite viewers treating it as comfort television.
“I feel like when I'm watching Girls, I'm like watching one of those movies where somebody has like 10 minutes to disseminate a bomb”
- Amy Poehler
Poehler recommends Dunham rewatch Girls as a way to be gentler with herself, as rewatching Parks and Recreation was for her.
“Rewatch Girls, because it is just a really like concrete way to be more gentle”
- Lena Dunham
Dunham argues Girls sat between critics' extremes, taking its characters seriously while understanding what was funny about them.
“actually, something can live totally between those places, which is we take them totally seriously and we totally get what's funny about it”
- Lena Dunham
Dunham describes Girls as a show about how difficult female friendship is before people learn boundaries.
“it's a show about like the fact that female friendship is actually, until you figure out what is and isn't your business, it's a thorny torture scape”
- Lena Dunham
Dunham says Hannah fails to recognize her own power to hurt others, which helped explain Jessa's betrayal.
“because Hannah doesn't, see herself as a person with any power she doesn't realize that she's capable of hurting anybody else's feelings”
- Lena Dunham
Dunham says she likes that TikTok has helped people find like-minded communities.
“what I like about it is it seems like it's allowed a lot of people to find like-minded folks”
- Lena Dunham
Dunham recounts declining a celebrity Bake Off after learning producers would not even help turn on the ovens.
“They was like, oh no, we're not allowed to touch any of the knobs. And I just went”
- Lena Dunham
Dunham praises Natalie Portman as an exceptional actress even in minor moments.
“Natalie is such a good actress and she's such a good actress even in moments where she doesn't have to be”
- Lena Dunham
Dunham warns prospective owners that teacup and mini pigs are not actually small.
“If someone tells you that you are getting a teacup pig, you are not. If someone tells you you're getting a mini pig, you're not”
- Lena Dunham
Dunham recommends the Meishan pig as a good beginner rescue pig.
“But actually a May Sean is a great cozy. I think. really good beginner rescue pig”
- Lena Dunham
Dunham says pigs should not be kept alone because their territoriality prevents casual socializing with other pigs.
“Because they're very territorial, they can't just like casually have playdates with another pig”
People
In the conversation
- Amy PoehlerAmerican actress, comedian and podcast host, formerly of Saturday Night Live
- Lena DunhamAmerican writer and actress
- Natalie PortmanAmerican-Israeli actress starring in Dunham's film Good Sex
Discussed
- Nora EphronAmerican writer and filmmaker who mentored Dunham
- Andy WardBook editor of Dunham's memoir Famesick
- Susan MagidsonPig trainer and rescuer who runs Ross Mill Farms
- Jemima KirkeActress who played Jessa on Girls and Dunham's childhood friend
- Rashida JonesActress appearing in Good Sex and longtime friend of Portman
- Jenna Weiss-BermanExecutive producer of Good Hang and Dunham's Oberlin acquaintance
- Lady GagaSinger whose documentary Five Foot Two depicted her chronic pain
- Andrew RannellsActor who appeared on Girls
- Meg StalterComedian and actress praised by both speakers
- Aubrey PlazaActress who co-starred with Poehler on Parks and Recreation
Topics
More from Good Hang with Amy Poehler
Paul McCartneyOct 13, 2026 · 1 h 17 min
Amy Poehler talks with Paul McCartney about the Beatles, Wings, songwriting, his new album Boys of Dungeon Lane, family, and SNL, with questions from Stella McCartney.
- Marcello Hernández
Oct 6, 2026 · 1 h 16 min
Amy Poehler talks with SNL cast member Marcello Hernández about his Miami upbringing, college soccer, stand-up, SNL, Spanish-language comedy, and accepting compliments, after a preview from Sarah Sherman.
- Andrew Garfield
Sep 29, 2026 · 1 h 11 min
Amy Poehler talks with Andrew Garfield about work ethic, grief, method acting, directors he admires, his film The Uprising and playing Roy Horn, with a pre-interview from Lin-Manuel Miranda.
- Ashley Padilla
Sep 22, 2026 · 1 h 16 min
Amy Poehler talks with SNL cast member Ashley Padilla about her mother, a teenage arrest, working for Diane Keaton, Groundlings, sketch craft and impressions.
- John Cena
Jul 21, 2026 · 1 h 7 min
Amy Poehler talks with John Cena about growing up in West Newbury, building his mother a house, wrestling improvisation, retirement, charity work, and his film Little Brother.
From the publisher
Lena Dunham knows you have to do a trick to get a treat. Amy hangs with the author and creator of 'Girls' and talks about the contact improv dance community at Oberlin College, whether or not she'd have a robot in her house, and what you need to know before adopting a pig. Host: Amy PoehlerGuests: Natalie Portman and Lena DunhamExecutive producers: Bill Simmons, Amy Poehler, and Jenna Weiss-BermanFor Paper Kite Productions: Executive producer Jenna Weiss-Berman, coordinator Sam Green, and supervising producer Joel LovellFor The Ringer: Supervising producers Juliet Litman, Sean Fennessey, and Mallory Rubin; video producers Jack Wilson and Aleya Zenieris; audio producer Kaya McMullen; social producer Bridget Geerlings; video editor Drew van Steenbergen; and booker Kat SpillaneOriginal music: Amy Miles Use coupon code ‘EATCESAR10’ at Cesar.com for 10% offCheck Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://Allstate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 28, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.