Lena Dunham Credits Taylor Swift for Connecting Her With Rom-Com Icon Meg Ryan: ‘She Brings Everyone Together’

Lena Dunham’s latest film project stars one of rom-com’s biggest icons — but without Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour, the casting of Meg Ryan might not have been possible.

In a Variety cover story published this week, the Girls creator opened up about securing the Sleepless in Seattle actress for Good Sex, Dunham’s upcoming Netflix film about a couple’s therapist played by Natalie Portman who re-enters the dating scene after getting out of a decadelong relationship. Ryan will co-star in the film alongside Mark Ruffalo and Tucker Pillsbury, aka alt-pop musician Role Model.

According to Dunham, she sold the When Harry Met Sally star on the project after running into her at a 2024 Eras stop in London. “I decided, it’s now or never, and I’m going to shoot my shot,” the screenwriter told the publication. “She couldn’t be a lovelier person.”

“Shout-out Taylor — thank you for that,” Dunham added. “She brings everyone together; she makes the world go ’round.”

Dunham and the pop star have long been close friends. The former co-starred in Swift’s 2015 “Bad Blood” music video, and in 2021, Swift was a bridesmaid in Dunham’s wedding to musician Luis Felber.

In an interview with The New Yorker last year, Dunham — who also caught Eras Tour shows in Boston and Pittsburgh — opened up about feeling “protective” of her famous friend. “Probably the two things I get asked most in life are ‘What is Taylor like?’ and ‘Can I have tickets to the Eras Tour?’ And usually my answer to both things is no, but I will say that she’s everything that you would want her to be,” she said at the time.

“She’s kind, she’s devoted, she’s introspective, she’s emotional, she’s funny as f—,” she added at the time “I guess my feeling sometimes is, ‘Isn’t she giving us enough, guys?’”

See Dunham on the cover of Variety below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Variety (@variety)