Lena Dunham Explains Why Amy Schumer Didn’t Play ‘Girls’ Shoshanna
Like any mega-star comedian, Amy Schumer has an extensive resume of earlier appearances on TV. Girls fans in particular might remember Schumer’s brief role as the overbearing friend of Adam’s ex, as well that Schumer previously auditioned for the role of Shoshanna, which creator Lena Dunham now explains “wasn’t meant” to be.
Where previously Schumer had revealed an audition for the Girls role that eventually went to Zosia Mamet (and was originally envisioned much smaller), Dunham elaborated on the almost-casting in a LennyLetter interview with Schumer. Both Dunham and producers loved Schumer’s audition, but knew she wasn’t right for Shosh:
I first met Amy Schumer almost six years ago when she came in to audition for the role of Shoshanna on Girls (trivia deep dive! Wild!). Everyone in the room was stunned by the detail and skill of her improv, the wild talent radiating off her (and I was personally intrigued by her breasts). It was clear Amy wasn’t meant to play an innocent Juicy Couture lover obsessed with emoji — even if her Meatpacking District club lingo was the funniest shit I had ever heard. But when she left the room, the vibe was very “Someone give that lady a show, STAT!”
Still, the audition did lead to a Girls role in a more roundabout sense:
A year later we couldn’t get her off our minds and asked Amy to come back and play a pivotal role as the protective best friend of Adam’s new GF, a lady with a penchant for gold lamé and verbal threats. Our entire crew was in stitches, even if she was just dancing across a background shot. There was also something so tender about her portrayal.
There’s every possibility Schumer could return for the final season of HBO’s Girls in 2017, but the series would have felt very different indeed, with the Trainwreck comedian taking over for Zosia Mamet. As to a fifth season of Inside Amy Schumer, the pilot of which Dunham recalled Schumer discussing in between takes, well …
In any case, you can watch Schumer’s standout scene below: