The Men Of ‘Girls’ Look Back
While the women of HBO’s “Girls” were always at the forefront, the male characters on the comedy were also unforgettable. Friday at ATX Television Festival in Austin, Texas, actors Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Jon Glaser as well as director Richard Shepard told International Business Times about their best memories from the set and their favorite episodes.
For Moss-Bachrach, who played Marni’s (Alison Williams) drug addicted musician husband Desi, it was an honor to meet the actress playing one of his other love interests, Lisa Bonet. The “Cosby Show” alum portrayed Tandice for two episodes in Season 5. “My most memorable moment on set was meeting Lisa Bonet. Just because she means a lot to me,” he said.
Glaser revealed that his wacky character Laird’s first episode was his most notable and the one he is most proud of, but another treasured moment was when his father’s hat became such a significant part of his character.
READ: “Girls” Star Lena Dunham Reveals Hannah’s Son’s Middle Name
“When I got the script, [it] mentioned a beanie, and I just told them, I said, ‘I’ve got this great hat that I think would be perfect,’ and they liked it,” he told IBT. “And so when they made those hats for the kids [who played Laird’s daughter], it was really funny to see them, and I got to keep one when the series was over.”
Ebon Moss-Bachrach revealed that he loved meeting Lisa Bonet while filming HBO’s “Girls.” Photo: HBO
For Shepard, however, his most memorable moment is a bit more embarrassing. The director brought his stepchildren to the set on a day where “Girls” was shooting very PG scenes, but the kids, who were about 9 and 6, saw something that wasn’t exactly family friendly. “When they put a new chip in the camera, they just hit [play] so they can see to make sure they’re not recording over something important, so they just play one frame or whatever was the last thing that we shot,” Shepard explained.
When they checked the chip in front of Shepard’s family, it was a sex scene with Patrick Wilson and Lena Dunham from Season 2, episode 5. Though it only played for a second, Shepard won’t be able to forget that moment. “The kids were like deeply traumatized and still may be,” he joked.
Still, that’s also the episode of which Shepard is most proud. “My favorite was ‘One Man’s Trash’ for me of the things that I did in terms of I felt like I wouldn’t change one thing of it,” Shepard revealed.
Jon Glaser (pictured with Gaby Hoffmann) explained that Laird’s hat on “Girls” was actually his real life father’s beanie. Photo: HBO
“Girls” wrapped up after six seasons earlier this year, and the show certainly didn’t tie up everything neatly. However, the actors enjoyed their characters’ open endings. “I love how my storyline ended,” Moss-Bachrach said. “Desi kind of meanders into the show. He meets Adam [Driver’s] character at an audition and kind of hangs out with Adam for the rest of the day and winds up at this hotel and meets Marni and then just hangs out for a season and then another season and another season. I was always so happily surprised when they asked me to come back. He sort of stumbles out of the show and it just felt very true to that guy and to how Marni and Hannah, from their point of view, how this man would be.”
READ: Will Elijah Get His Own “Girls” Spinoff?
Glaser seems to have slightly more mixed feelings about his Laird’s final episode. “I think ultimately I wouldn’t have minded seeing like a little something more, but I also kind of like that you don’t necessarily see it because that’s just how it goes in life,” he told IBT. “And it was also a very fun way to finish with that big ranting speech, which was really fun to shoot, so that was also pretty satisfying, so it was a little of both.”
For Shepard, the development of characters like Desi and Laird is one of the things that makes “Girls” a great show. “All of these people who sort of weren’t immediately in the beginning of that show became these full-fledged characters because Lena and Jenni [Konner, executive producer] were like ‘I want to spend more time with these characters because they’re great.’ I always think a sign of a great show is when not only the initial leads, but all the other characters — whoever you’re with, you’re happy to be spending time with. That’s like a pretty amazing thing, and I think in all really excellent shows, that is the truth.”
“Girls” Season 6, the final season, is available on Digital Download now and will be released on Blu-ray and DVD July 2.
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