Lena Dunham Net Worth

What is Lena Dunham's net worth and salary?

Lena Dunham is an American actress and filmmaker who has a net worth of $12 million. Lena Dunham is best known as the creator and star of the HBO series "Girls," which became a defining show of the 2010s for its raw and often polarizing portrayal of millennial womanhood. Dunham first gained attention with her 2010 indie film "Tiny Furniture," which she wrote, directed, and starred in. The film won Best Narrative Feature at SXSW and showcased her distinct voice—introspective, neurotic, and unafraid of discomfort—which caught the attention of producer Judd Apatow.

In 2012, Dunham debuted "Girls" on HBO. The semi-autobiographical series followed four young women navigating adulthood in New York City and was praised for its unfiltered storytelling, emotional vulnerability, and complex female characters. The show earned multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, including a Golden Globe win for Best Actress in a TV Comedy for Dunham. She became the first woman to win a Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series.

Outside of television, Dunham has authored a bestselling memoir, "Not That Kind of Girl," and written for outlets like The New Yorker. She has also produced other projects through her company, Good Thing Going, and launched the feminist newsletter Lenny Letter with Jenni Konner, which ran from 2015 to 2018.

Dunham has often been a lightning rod for controversy, facing criticism over everything from racial representation in her work to personal essays and public statements. Nevertheless, she remains a significant figure in modern entertainment and feminist discourse. Her work is noted for its willingness to expose vulnerability, challenge taboos, and depict flawed, complicated women without apology. While not universally embraced, Lena Dunham's influence on contemporary television and cultural conversations around gender and identity is widely acknowledged.

Early Life

Lena Dunham was born on May 13, 1986, in New York City into a creative and culturally influential family. Her father, Carroll Dunham, is a noted painter known for his bold, abstract work, while her mother, Laurie Simmons, is a conceptual artist and photographer recognized for her use of dolls and domestic imagery. Dunham's family is distantly related to the Tiffany family, known for founding the Tiffany & Co. jewelry empire. She has a younger sister, Grace Dunham, a writer and activist who graduated from Brown University in 2014. The sisters were raised in Brooklyn and spent summers in Salisbury, Connecticut.

Dunham attended Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn, a private arts-focused institution, where she met future "Girls" co-star Jemima Kirke. She went on to study creative writing at Oberlin College, graduating in 2008. While at Oberlin, Dunham began producing short films and video art, often drawing from personal experiences. Notable early projects include "Pressure," a short in which teenage girls discuss their first orgasms, and "The Fountain," a humorous and provocative video of Dunham brushing her teeth in a campus fountain while wearing a bikini. Though it briefly went viral on YouTube, she eventually removed the video after receiving body-shaming comments. In 2007, she starred in a web series called "Tight Shots," which further honed her unique, self-referential comedic style.

Career

Dunham's professional career began in earnest with the 2009 web series "Delusional Downtown Divas," a satire of the New York art scene. She wrote, directed, and starred in the 2010 indie film "Tiny Furniture," which featured her real-life mother and sister in supporting roles. The film won Best Narrative Feature at SXSW, Best First Screenplay at the Independent Spirit Awards, and the New Generation Award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Its success drew the attention of Judd Apatow, who helped produce her breakthrough HBO series "Girls."

Premiering in 2012, "Girls" ran for six seasons and concluded in April 2017. Dunham wrote, directed, and starred as Hannah Horvath, a struggling writer in her 20s navigating life, relationships, and ambition in New York City. The show received widespread acclaim and multiple Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Writing, Directing, and Lead Actress. Dunham herself won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy.

Following "Girls," she and longtime creative partner Jenni Konner created and showran "Camping," an HBO adaptation of a British series. Starring Jennifer Garner, "Camping" aired for one season in 2018. Dunham also appeared as Catherine "Gypsy" Share in Quentin Tarantino's 2019 film "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dunham wrote a serialized romantic comedy novel titled "Verified Strangers," which was published in installments on Vogue's website beginning in March 2020. The project was conceived as a response to the isolation and anxiety of the early pandemic period.

In recent years, Dunham has continued working as a writer, director, and producer. She wrote and directed the 2022 feature film "Catherine Called Birdy," an adaptation of the children's novel by Karen Cushman. That same year, she also released "Sharp Stick," a sexually frank indie dramedy that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Dunham remains a prominent and sometimes polarizing voice in contemporary media, known for her unfiltered storytelling and commitment to portraying complex, flawed female characters

In 2024, Dunham returned to the screen as both actress and producer in "Treasure," a dramatic road trip film about Holocaust memory and generational trauma. The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and received a limited U.S. theatrical release.

In 2025, Dunham co-created and executive produced "Too Much," a semi-autobiographical romantic comedy series on Netflix starring Megan Stalter. Inspired by her own experience relocating to London, the show received generally favorable reviews for its emotional depth and sharp writing. Dunham chose not to appear on screen, citing a desire to maintain creative distance and avoid the public scrutiny she faced during "Girls."

Also in development is "Good Sex," a Netflix romantic comedy film written and directed by Dunham and starring Natalie Portman, Mark Ruffalo, and Meg Ryan. The project generated buzz for marking Meg Ryan's return to the rom-com genre and is slated for a 2027 release.

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Personal Life

Lena Dunham and Jack Antonoff began dating in 2012. Antonoff is the lead guitarist of the band fun, the founder of the band Bleachers, and a major music producer. They amicably broke up in December 2017.

Dunham was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder as a child and continued to take a low dose of Klonopin to relieve her anxiety until 2018. In April 2020, she celebrated two years of sobriety without any medical assistance.

In February 2018, Dunham wrote an essay for Vogue about her decision to have a hysterectomy due to endometriosis.

Salary Highlights

Lena Dunham received $150,000 per episode for her role in Girls. In October 2012, Lena Dunham signed a $3.5 million book deal with Random House Publishing. The bidding for her book was extremely competitive, initially starting at $1 million. Between June 2013 and June 2014, Lena reportedly earned $4 million from book sales, her television series, and more.

Real Estate

In July 2019, Dunham sold her Brooklyn condo for $2.63 million, accepting a loss on the three-bedroom apartment at 60 Broadway for which she had paid $2.9 million in April 2018. She bought the condo shortly after her break-up with Jack Antonoff, who kept their previously shared Brooklyn Heights home.

Dunham reportedly now rents an apartment in Manhattan's West Village on the second floor of a building that a few of her friends also live in.

In 2015, Lena paid $2.725 million for a home in Hollywood. She sold this home in 2021 for a little under $3 million.

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