'Girls' Cast Member Andrew Rannells Talks Elijah Krantz, Lena Dunham & Reveals An Odd Habit [EXCLUSIVE]
On HBO’s Girls, Andrew Rannells plays Elijah Krantz, Hannah Horvath’s (Lena Dunham) now gay ex-boyfriend, who rarely bites his tongue. Off screen, the 36-year-old may not be as forward as his character, but he’s certainly just as entertaining.
While in New York City last week hosting the #BringIt tour - Canon's new holiday campaign to encourage consumers to take their best photos - the actor spoke to Enstars about the hit show, being on Broadway and an odd habit he can’t shake.
What can you say about season four?
“I was really excited this year because this was my first season as a series regular. They’ve always been very generous to me over there and I’ve always felt very much a part of the group and included. This was my first year as a full-blown series regular so that was really fun for me. And, any time I get to do scenes - particularly like big party scenes - with Lena Dunham it’s the best. We have a real doozy in the second episode where we get to go to a rager. It was so fun.”
What’s it like behind-the-scenes on the set of Girls?
“We have the best time, I have to say. No bulls**t. It’s very fun. It’s a really supportive group. I always feel very free to mess around and improvise. …The crew is great; our writers, who are on set, are always a lot of fun. It just feels like an extremely, creative experience every time I go to work there.”
Are you anything like your character Elijah?
“I mean, I suppose in some ways. I can be a little tough on my friends sometimes, I think. Maybe not to the same extent that Elijah is, but I can sometimes be a little judgy.”
What’s the one quality about Elijah you aren’t crazy about?
“His taste in men.”
Aside from Girls, you were also recently on Broadway for Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Do you ever get stage fright?
“I don’t, really. I mean Hedwig was a really specific type of show because it’s essentially a 90-minute monologue so it’s a lot of pressure on you as an actor. I would always get a little nervous before I would get to the theater, just about the thought of [spending] a lot of time in makeup and it was a very physical show. It’s also like a really crazy, emotional journey to go on every night so there would be a little anxiety in the middle of the day like ‘Oh my God, I have to do that show tonight,’ but once I was there and once I was in that hair and makeup I felt good about it.”
Do you plan on doing more Broadway?
“I would love to – it’s just a matter of [fitting in] with the Girls schedule. In the spring and the summer, it’s the time where a lot of shows open, so it’s just a matter of finding something that fits in that window - which is why Hedwig was so great because it fit right there.”
Your career is pretty much blowing up right now. How would you describe it?
“Well, thank you! I feel really, really fortunate. It was sort of a dream come true summer for me. I got to work on Girls. I worked on a movie called The Intern with Nancy Meyers and I got to do my first love which is Broadway. To be able to do all three of those things, I just felt like the luckiest guy in the world.”
What’s something people don’t know about you?
“Just something silly - I love to iron. I’m a really big ironer. It’s like my favorite chore.”
So, that’s what you do on your free time?
“Literally, my boyfriend was giving me a hard time because he called me and I was ironing napkins. I mean they were cloth napkins; I wasn’t ironing paper. That’s kind of an odd quirk about me. “
- Season four of Girls premieres on Jan. 11 on HBO.