Latest news with #CatherineCalledBirdy
Daily Mirror
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Last of Us star's 'exquisite' period film everyone is watching
Lena Dunham's period film Catherine Called Birdy is taking the world by storm, with viewers flocking to watch the comedy as the budding actor takes centre stage The historical film is brimming with recognisable faces, but at the centre of it all is emerging British actor Bella Ramsey before they became a household name in the hit series The Last Of Us. Catherine Called Birdy is a 2022 comedy flick, inspired by a 1994 novel and directed by Lena Dunham. After creating the renowned HBO show Girls and featuring in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the filmmaker returned to the director's chair to craft this amusing coming-of-age story that viewers can't seem to get enough of. Birdy, as Catherine is affectionately known, is a young girl of 14, living in the English countryside during the 13th century with her father, Lord Rollo, and their family. When the family coffers take a hit, Rollo decides the best solution is to arrange a marriage for his daughter Birdy. In her characteristic mischievous style, Birdy does everything in her power to fend off potential suitors in an attempt to resist growing up and maintain her independence. Through a series of bizarre antics, she continues to ward off suitors, and through her diary entries, she documents the lessons learned along the way. A review on Rotten Tomatoes reads: "Bella Ramsey delivers a standout performance in Catherine Called Birdy, effortlessly bringing to life the rebellious, witty, and fiercely independent Birdy. With a magnetic screen presence, Ramsey captures the spirit of a young girl pushing back against medieval societal norms with sharp humour and modern sensibility, all while staying grounded in the emotional weight of her circumstances. Another captivated viewer shared: "Brilliant. Excellent dialogue. Engaging. Performances were top-notch", reports the Express. Meanwhile, another described the film as both "exquisite" and "flawless". Taking on the role of Birdy's father is none other than Andrew Scott, renowned for his role in BBC's Fleabag, whilst her mother is portrayed by British TV icon Billie Piper. Adding to the star-studded cast are Joe Alwyn and Paul Kaye, alongside Harry Potter's David Bradley. The film introduced many fans to Bella Ramsey for the first time, following their appearance in Netflix's Hilda, but before their rise to stardom in The Last of Us alongside Hollywood heartthrob Pedro Pascal. However, the filming in Shropshire back in 2021 was a world away from the red carpets they would soon be gracing. Viewers have been quick to laud the performance of the rising star, writing: "Consistently funny and with great performances throughout. The dialogue and pacing are great - not a dull moment!" Lena Dunham, known for her sharp wit, has channelled her comedic prowess into another venture, a Netflix project titled Too Much. This series, while retaining the humour of Catherine Called Birdy and featuring a female lead, delves into the experiences of an American navigating life in London. For those craving Dunham's endearing character development and Ramsey's powerful performance, Catherine Called Birdy is currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lena Dunham's Husband Luis Felber Helped Inspire Her Netflix Show, ‘Too Much'
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Head's up: Lena Dunham's new rom-com series, Too Much, has finally landed on Netflix—and just like HBO's Girls, the show has been described as semi-autobiographical. Which, of course, begs the question: How much of Too Much is based on a true story? During a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Lena confirmed that at least a 'germ' of the series is based on her own real-life romance. 'A girl moves to England. She meets a musician. They fall in love. That was the exoskeleton,' she said. And who is that musician, you ask? That would be Lena's husband, Luis Felber, who she married back in 2021. Oh, and fun fact: Luis actually helped create Too Much alongside Lena. In case you missed it: Following her 2017 breakup with Jack Antonoff, Lena moved to London in January 2021. A month later, she met Luis, and by September of that year, the two were married. Looove that for them. For more on the talented musician (and his whirlwind relationship with Lena), keep on scrolling. Also known by his stage name, Attawalpa (which is his middle name), Luis toured with various bands before going solo in 2020. He's since released two EPs and a full-length album as Attawalpa and—when asked by The New York Times to describe his sound—called his musical style 'between Prince and Nirvana.' He also worked on the soundtracks for the films Sharp Stick and Catherine Called Birdy, (both of which Lena wrote and directed), as well as her new series, Too Much. Though born in England to a British father and Peruvian mother, per The New York Times, Luis spent part of his childhood living in Peru and Chile before moving back to England. In January 2024, Luis and Lena visited Peru together. A month after Lena moved to England, she and Luis were set up on a date by a mutual friend. According to the musician, he and Lena 'didn't stop talking for, like, eight hours,' and apparently, things escalated quickly from there. Lena and Luis got engaged just four months later, and in an interview with Vogue, Lena explained how he proposed with an 'Incan Peruvian ring from the early 1700s' that belonged to his grandmother. Lu and Lena tied the knot in September 2021 at a members-only space in London called Union Club, where only about 60 guests (including Taylor Swift, nbd) were present. And from the sound of it, the two made the day very much their own. 'Our vows were a big part of our wedding day,' Luis told The Times. 'I wrote that Lena and I are like two raccoons in the trashcan of life. We've always got our hands full and at the end of the day we nuzzle up to each other.' He went on to add, 'Our first dance was to 'This Will Be Our Year' by the Zombies and it was easily the best day of my life.' According to Luis, he'd never heard Lena Dunham before their first date. 'I had to Google her,' he confessed to The Times. 'I was aware of her show Girls because my mother and sister were fans.' In Lena, however, he quickly recognized a 'soulmate.' As he explained during his interview with The New York Times, 'I think when you know, you I think—I'm going to sound cheesy—but when you find your soulmate, you just know.' You Might Also Like Here's What NOT to Wear to a Wedding Meet the Laziest, Easiest Acne Routine You'll Ever Try
Cosmopolitan
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Who Is Luis Felber? All About Lena Dunham's Musician Husband
Head's up: Lena Dunham's new rom-com series, Too Much, has finally landed on Netflix—and just like HBO's Girls, the show has been described as semi-autobiographical. Which, of course, begs the question: How much of Too Much is based on a true story? During a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Lena confirmed that at least a 'germ' of the series is based on her own real-life romance. 'A girl moves to England. She meets a musician. They fall in love. That was the exoskeleton,' she said. And who is that musician, you ask? That would be Lena's husband, Luis Felber, who she married back in 2021. Oh, and fun fact: Luis actually helped create Too Much alongside Lena. In case you missed it: Following her 2017 breakup with Jack Antonoff, Lena moved to London in January 2021. A month later, she met Luis, and by September of that year, the two were married. Looove that for them. For more on the talented musician (and his whirlwind relationship with Lena), keep on scrolling. Also known by his stage name, Attawalpa (which is his middle name), Luis toured with various bands before going solo in 2020. He's since released two EPs and a full-length album as Attawalpa and—when asked by The New York Times to describe his sound—called his musical style 'between Prince and Nirvana.' He also worked on the soundtracks for the films Sharp Stick and Catherine Called Birdy, (both of which Lena wrote and directed), as well as her new series, Too Much. Though born in England to a British father and Peruvian mother, per The New York Times, Luis spent part of his childhood living in Peru and Chile before moving back to England. In January 2024, Luis and Lena visited Peru together. A month after Lena moved to England, she and Luis were set up on a date by a mutual friend. According to the musician, he and Lena 'didn't stop talking for, like, eight hours,' and apparently, things escalated quickly from there. Lena and Luis got engaged just four months later, and in an interview with Vogue, Lena explained how he proposed with an 'Incan Peruvian ring from the early 1700s' that belonged to his grandmother. Lu and Lena tied the knot in September 2021 at a members-only space in London called Union Club, where only about 60 guests (including Taylor Swift, nbd) were present. And from the sound of it, the two made the day very much their own. 'Our vows were a big part of our wedding day,' Luis told The Times. 'I wrote that Lena and I are like two raccoons in the trashcan of life. We've always got our hands full and at the end of the day we nuzzle up to each other.' He went on to add, 'Our first dance was to 'This Will Be Our Year' by the Zombies and it was easily the best day of my life.' According to Luis, he'd never heard Lena Dunham before their first date. 'I had to Google her,' he confessed to The Times. 'I was aware of her show Girls because my mother and sister were fans.' In Lena, however, he quickly recognized a 'soulmate.' As he explained during his interview with The New York Times, 'I think when you know, you I think—I'm going to sound cheesy—but when you find your soulmate, you just know.'
Time Magazine
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
How Lena Dunham's Netflix Series 'Too Much' Mirrors Her Own Life
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Too Much. In the near-decade since Lena Dunham's groundbreaking HBO dramedy Girls aired its final episode, its creator and star has taken a big step back from the spotlight. Though she has written, directed, and produced a handful of projects in the intervening years—including the 2018 HBO comedy series Camping and 2022 medieval comedy film Catherine Called Birdy—Dunham herself has said she took an "intentional break" from the public eye in response to the intense scrutiny that surrounded her during Girls' six-season run (especially in relation to a number of controversies for which she was facing backlash). 'I didn't really understand how to distinguish between what was and wasn't necessary for the public. I felt confused about how I was supposed to respond,' she told The Times in an interview published in June. 'I thought if I explain properly who I am, or give a glimpse of who I am, people are going to have a different perception of me, that we would be friends. But no one cares—and that's fine.' Now, Dunham is returning to the small screen with Too Much, a new 10-episode romantic comedy series available to stream on Netflix. This time around, while Dunham does appear in the show in a supporting role, Megan Stalter takes the lead as Dunham's semi-autobiographical stand-in Jessica Salmon, a 30-something workaholic New Yorker who moves to London in the wake of a devastating breakup with her longtime boyfriend Zev (Michael Zegen). Across the pond, she meets a troubled musician named Felix Remen (Will Sharpe) and the two strike up a whirlwind romance that forces them both to confront their individual issues. Those who have kept track of news about Dunham's personal life in the years since Girls ended will likely recognize several apparent similarities between the plot of Too Much and Dunham's own story, particularly with regard to her 2018 breakup with music producer Jack Antonoff, subsequent move to London, and later marriage to Peruvian-British musician Luis Felber, who co-created Too Much. As for just how much her life influenced Too Much, Dunham told Variety, 'It's certainly not quote-unquote based on a true story, but like everything I do, there is an element of my own life that I can't help but inject.' Here's everything to know about how Too Much mirrors Dunham's life. The breakup After meeting on a blind date in 2012, Dunham and Antonoff dated for five years (throughout the entire run of Girls) before news of their breakup emerged in January 2018. Later that month, Us Weekly reported Antonoff had moved on with model Carlotta Kohl in a story that included a quote from an anonymous source who claimed Dunham and Antonoff "had been slowly breaking up for the last six months." Antonoff and Kohl eventually ended things and, in August 2021, he began dating actor Margaret Qualley, whom he married in August 2023. In Too Much, Jessica and Zev break up after seven years together and Zev pretty much immediately starts dating Wendy Jones (Emily Ratajkowski), a knitting influencer he meets at a party while he and Jess are still together. When Wendy asks to meet up with Jess in the finale and reveals she's done with Zev, she explains he had originally told her that he and Jess had been separated for six months before they officially broke up—which Jess says is untrue. Too Much also makes a point of emphasizing Jess' obsession with checking Wendy's social media after she gets together with Zev, a storyline that—judging by a November 2018 profile of Dunham in which she admitted it pained her to look at Antonoff's new girlfriend's Instagram stories—seems to be pulled from Dunham's own experiences. "[B]eing the hysterical ex-girlfriend is kinda like the weirdest, funniest, public performance," she told The Cut. 'I thought I was kind of proving weird girls can have love too. And now he's dating somebody who looks regular and normal and like girls are supposed to look." (In addition to being an actor, Ratajkowski is also a model.) Other details from Dunham and Antonoff's relationship that Dunham has spoken about in the press also seem to be alluded to in the show, such as in a flashback scene from Episode 5 in which Zev tells Jess she needs to cut back on her pink home decor when they're moving in together. In an essay penned for Domino magazine's Fall 2019 cover story, Dunham wrote about how Antonoff disliked her decorating taste. "[H]e hated it. He didn't want to hate it. He tried not to hate it. But he didn't like living among the insides of my mind," she said. "I felt sick every time I made a design concession or covered up pink with dove gray. Love can only survive so much." Read More: Megan Stalter Is Reinventing the Rom-Com Heroine The dogs As part of the flashbacks to Jess and Zev's relationship that play out in Episode 5, we see that at one point they adopted a dog named Cutesie at Jess' behest. But after Cutesie has an aggressive encounter with another dog at the park, Jess is forced to give him away. This plot point seems to draw from what happened in real life with Dunham and her rescue dog Lamby, who she gave up to a Los Angeles canine rehabilitation facility in 2017 after originally adopting him from the BARC shelter in Brooklyn. Dunham said in an Instagram post that the decision had been made due to "four years of challenging behavior and aggression" that was caused by abuse he suffered as a puppy. However, Lamby's rehoming ended up turning into quite the internet controversy after an employee from BARC wrote an email to a Yahoo reporter claiming Lamby had been totally fine until he met Dunham. 'You can say a lot of sh-t about me, but I am a very committed pet owner. Ask anybody who works with me on a pet level,' Dunham told The Cut in response in 2018. 'Also, what animal-shelter guy is like, 'I'm an electronic DJ, and I'm also looking to talk to Yahoo! Celebrity'? But dragging him through the court of public opinion like that doesn't get me anywhere. It's better just to kick back and be like, 'Okay, sir, you can extend your career by telling people what a bad dog owner I was.'" Of course, it didn't help matters with her critics that, the year after Lamby was rehomed, Gia Marie, a Sphynx cat Dunham had adopted who had lung damage after surviving a house fire, and Bowie, her 13-year-old Yorkie, both died within months of each other. The series of unfortunate events led to an online conspiracy theory that Dunham was killing her pets, which she quickly shut down, pointing to the fact that many of the animals she'd adopted were of advanced age. In Too Much, following her breakup with Zev, Jess adopts a hairless chihuahua named Astrid who becomes her closest companion. Sadly, in the finale, Felix hears Astrid struggling to breathe and rushes her to the vet but her heart gives out before Jess arrives to say goodbye. The marriage After moving from New York to London in January 2021, Dunham met Felber on a blind date set up by mutual friends. "The first time we hung out, we didn't stop talking for, like, eight hours," Felber told the New York Times later that year. "I think it was sort of incredible, you know, I walked into that. I'd been on quite a few dates in the past year. As someone who's quite open, I find you hold a lot back on your first three dates. Or first 10 dates. I was just a bit fed up with that, so I just walked into the situation very myself, shall I say. And Lena liked that. And she's the same." By that September, Dunham and Felber had married in an impromptu wedding at Soho's Union Club with just about 60 guests present. This is obviously similar to what happens between Jess and Felix in Too Much after they meet at a bar on the night Jess moves to London. However, Stalter says the show isn't intended to directly echo Dunham and Felber's relationship. "[Lena and Luis] always made it really clear that it wasn't just based on them. There was no pressure to do an impression of them," Stalter told TIME. "Me and Will were able to take it and add things in of ourselves and what we thought the characters should be...[It wasn't] like we were playing them, but bringing to life a story that has elements of them in it, and ourselves." Despite its happy ending, Dunham has said she still wanted Too Much to reflect the challenges that two people who have their own lifetimes' worth of baggage can face both individually and as a couple while trying to make a relationship work. "Everything I've ever made is romantically pessimistic. Even the most romantic episodes of Girls—when Marnie and Charlie reunite, a heroin needle falls out of his pants," she told the New Yorker of Too Much's optimistic tilt. "This is such a mortifying answer, but I think that it had to do with meeting Lu, and being, like, 'Oh, there actually is a feeling that you can have that it might be OK, that the thing might last, that you're not always running as fast as you can and then realizing you're on a treadmill.' It was wanting to make something that was about that feeling, but also acknowledging that, when we met each other, we had both experienced an enormous amount of life, trauma, complexity, and addiction, separately. So what does it look like when you meet and you're both just trying to be the best versions of yourself, the version that you can live with, and then you welcome someone else into that?"
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Too Much: release date, cast, plot, trailer, interviews and everything you need to know about Lena Dunham's romcom
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Too Much on Netflix sees Girls star and Catherine Called Birdy writer Lena Dunham team up with her husband Luis Felber to create this new romantic comedy series. Hacks actor Megan Stalter plays New York workaholic Jessica Salmon, who while still reeling from a break-up decides to move to London, England, to live a life of solitude 'like a Bronte sister'. However, life decides to throw her a curveball and in the UK she meets man-child Felix Remen (The White Lotus star Will Sharpe), a trauma-ridden, wannabe musician who sleeps with any woman who stays in the bar past closing time. The connection between them is undeniable but their relationship throws up more problems than it solves. Will the path of true love ever run smoothly for the pair? Also look out for great stars including Andrew Scott, Jennifer Saunders, Kit Harington, Rita Ora, Rhea Perlman, Stephen Fry and Jessica Alba. 'This is a show that is very close to my heart — created with my husband Luis, cast with my favourite actors — the geniuses that are Meg and Will, along with a bevy of friends – and partnering again with Working Title, who are behind the romantic comedies that formed me,' says Lena Dunham. 'Netflix has been so deeply supportive of the vision, which is to create a romantic comedy that makes us root for love, brings joy but also has the jagged edges of life.' Here's everything you need to know about the Netflix series Too Much… Too Much is a 10-part series will launch worldwide on Netflix from Thursday July 10 2024. Yes a trailer for Too Much has been released by Netflix! Looks like she's having so much fun in London! After a bad break-up New Yorker Jessica (Megan Stalter) finds her life spiralling and, as her friends start disappearing and her bad behaviour catches up with her, she decides to move to London for a fresh start. On her first night, Jessica heads to a pub and has an unglamorous encounter with musician Felix Remen (The White Lotus's Will Sharpe) in the toilets and the pair feel strangely attracted to one another. There's an instant connection between them, but Felix has issues, and their relationship is anything but straightforward. Felix is described as 'less Hugh Grant in Notting Hill and more Hugh Grant's drunken roommate', But when Jessica realises that trusting someone is scarier than trusting no one, will their trans-Atlantic romance stand a chance? In Too Much, Megan Stalter plays workaholic Jessica, whose life is upended when she meets Felix. Megan says: "Jessica thinks London is going to be really dreamy and romantic, and it's kind of the opposite of that. She's super-sensitive and emotional; she just wants to be in love and be happy, but she definitely gets in her own way a little bit. If you've been in a bad relationship, you feel different about yourself - that's what is happening to Jessica" * Megan Stalter plays Kayla in the programme Hacks and had her own series The Megan Stalter Show. She's also been in Queer as Folk, Sometimes I Think About Dying, Problemista and Cora Bora. Will Sharpe stars in Too Much as waster Felix who is traumatised by his past. "One of the things I love about the series is how it explores the way the baggage you have, whether from previous relationships or life expectations, can get in the way of your present relationship," says Will. "Felix is trying to be better, but events bring certain things flooding back, and he realises maybe he's still got quite a lot of work to do." * Will Sharpe played Ethan in the hit series The White Lotus season 2 and has also been in Defending The Guilty, Giri/Haji, Flowers. Will played Yuki Reid in BBC1's hospital drama Casualty from 2009 to 2010. He will star in Sky series Amadeus in 2024. In Too Much, Richard E Grant (Saltburn) plays Jessica's new boss Jonno, Naomi Watts as his wife Ann, and Stephen Fry as Felix's father Simon. The remaining cast for Too Much are Adele Exarchopoulos (Passages), Adwoa Aboah (Top Boy), Andrew Rannells (GIRLS5EVA), Daisy Bevan (The Alienist), Dean-Charles Chapman (Game Of Thrones, 1917), Emily Ratajkowski (Gone Girl), Janicza Bravo (Sharp Stick), Kaori Momoi (The Brightest Roof in the Universe), Leo Reich (Leo Reich: Literally Who Cares?!), Michael Zegen (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Prasanna Puwanarajah (The Crown), Rhea Perlman (Cheers), Rita Wilson (Sleepless in Seattle) Andrew Scott, Jennifer Saunders, Kit Harington (Industry), Rita Ora and Jessica Alba Take a look at some great cast photos on the Netflix Instagram post below... At a Netflix event in London in January 2025, Len Dunham told us about creating Too Much: "So I co-created the show with my husband, Luis Felber, who's a large part of why I stayed in this country, besides, you know, also crumpets and rain. And I was really excited, of course. Some of the experience, some of my own experiences, did kick start the concept for the show. I'm always looking for actors who can truly make the character their own. And I'm sure many of you have fallen in love with Megan Stalter from her work as Kayla on Hacks, the not very competent, but utterly delightful assistant. And I also fell in love with her work on Instagram during the pandemic, when all we needed was to be entertained. And what I love about her is she is truly an old fashioned physical comedian in the vein of, you know, Carol Burnett or Elaine May, but she has something really modern and also really sweet about her, and she can move between intense comedy and heavy drama with ease. And she just felt like the perfect foil to feel how Americans contrast against the people of this nation, because it didn't take very long for me to realize that while you technically speak the same language, there are some vast differences that I am still coming to understand."
