Lena Dunham is the queen of semi-autobiographical writing (see her breakout HBO hit Girls), and her new Netflix series is no different. Too Much is inspired by Dunham’s 2021 move to London, where she met her now-husband, musician Luis Felber. Starring the Hacks comedic standout Megan Stalter as the Dunham stand-in Jess, the series follows her to the U.K. where she begins a new job in commercial production as a way to get away from the ghosts of her recently ended long-term relationship. But while the story is loosely based on Dunham’s own experiences, she described the character of Jess as “the alchemy that happens when Meg and I connect.”
Dunham, who co-created the rom-com series with Felber, directs and acts in the series, and taps a few familiar faces who have appeared in her other work. Too Much also employs a few notable guest stars, like Andrew Scott, Jessica Alba, and Rita Ora, who appear briefly in the 10-episode comedy. Ahead, get familiar with the wide-ranging cast before jet-setting to London on July 10, 2025, when the show premieres.
Megan Stalter as Jessica
Jessica, a commercial producer, moves to London for work in the direct aftermath of her seven-year-long relationship with Zev ending. With her hairless dog Astrid in tow, she meets Felix immediately, which sets her on an entirely different romantic path. But despite moving across the pond and meeting someone new, Jess hasn’t fully gotten over the heartbreak of losing Zev, and regularly posts cathartic yet angry videos directed at his new girlfriend, Wendy, on a secret social media account.
Megan Stalter, 34, got her start as a stand-up comedian before she became the standout scene stealer on Hacks. She previously wrote on the reboot of The National Lampoon Radio Hour and lent her voice to Paramount+’s Tooning Out the News.
Will Sharpe as Felix
A musician, Felix is struggling in more ways than one: His music career is stagnant, his decision to be sober (or at least try to be sober) has strained some of his relationships, and his tough childhood has made him develop strong coping mechanisms. When he meets Jessica, though, she encourages him to let his walls come down.
Though Will Sharpe, 38, gained international fame for appearing in the second season of HBO’s White Lotus opposite Aubrey Plaza, the British actor’s career began with the U.K. medical series Casualty. He also starred in the acclaimed 2019 crime drama Giri/Haji and the 2024 Oscar-nominated film A Real Pain. Outside of acting, he’s also an accomplished writer/director, previously helming the Channel 4 comedy series Flowers.
Michael Zegen as Zev
Zev is Jessica’s ex-boyfriend. Their seven-year relationship came to a crashing halt when he met the knitwear influencer Wendy Jones at a party.
Michael Zegen, 46, was a series regular on Rescue Me and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. He also appeared on The Penguin, The Walking Dead, and Girls, likely where he first met Too Much co-creator Lena Dunham, playing one of Hannah's GQ colleagues.
Emily Ratajkowski as Wendy
Wendy is an influencer and Zev’s new girlfriend, whom he leaves Jess for. On the surface, Wendy seems to be everything Jess isn’t, but the women soon find out they have more in common than just their taste in men.
Emily Ratajkowski, 34, began her career as a model and became a household name after appearing in Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” music video in 2013. Since then, she has appeared in films such as Gone Girl and Entourage, and shows like Easy and The Spoils Before Dying. She previously announced she had quit acting in 2022 after a failed audition for Triangle of Sadness before landing Too Much. Ratajkowski is also a published author of various personal essays and the 2022 memoir My Body.
Rita Wilson as Lois
Lois is Jess’s mom, still living in New York in a multigenerational household with her mother Dottie, as well as her other daughter Nora. Lois is open to finding love again and encourages her daughters to as well—even if she doesn’t trust Felix’s intentions from the regular FaceTime updates she receives from Jess.
Rita Wilson, 68, has an illustrious film career, many of which have co-starred her husband Tom Hanks. Her film credits include Sleepless in Seattle, Now and Then, That Thing You Do, Jingle All the Way, and Runaway Bride. On TV, she’s appeared on The Good Wife and Girls, playing Marnie’s mom.
Rhea Perlman as Dottie
Dottie is Jess’s outspoken grandma, the matriarch of the family. She’s always there to lend an ear to Jess and her sister Nora’s boy problems, but she’ll also low-key judge them in the process.
Rhea Perlman, 77, is an Emmy-award-winning actress best known for her starring role on the beloved sitcom Cheers. In recent years, the comedy icon had a supporting role on The Mindy Project and appeared in the blockbuster hit film Barbie. She is famously married to another comedic star: Danny DeVito.
Lena Dunham as Nora
Nora is Jess’s older sister, also dealing with the aftermath of a breakup. Her divorce has rendered her almost bedridden, but she’s always available to provide Jess some advice over FaceTime.
Lena Dunham, 39, is the co-creator of Too Much, which is loosely based on her experience of moving to London and meeting her husband, Luis Felber (who co-created the show with Dunham and is the inspiration for Felix). Best known for creating and starring in the acclaimed series Girls, Dunham has also written and directed the films Tiny Furniture, Sharp Stick, and Catherine Called Birdy.
Andrew Rannells as Jameson
Jameson is Nora’s ex-husband, who breaks up with her so that he can explore polyamory in Brooklyn. Despite that, he maintains a close relationship with Jess and often provides her with career and life advice.
Andrew Rannells, 46, is an acclaimed theater actor in addition to his screen credits. He gained recognition for starring in the original 2011 Broadway run of The Book of Mormon; since then, he’s starred in Hairspray, Jersey Boys, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Hamilton, and more. On TV, he was a main cast member of the sitcom The New Normal, the fan-favorite character Elijah on Dunham’s opus Girls, and appeared on Black Monday. Rannells also held supporting roles in A Simple Favor and its recent sequel, Another Simple Favor.
Richard E. Grant as Jonno
Jonno is Jess’s somewhat eccentric new British boss, who founded the advertising firm she’s transferred to in the ‘80s. At work, he’s all business, but in his downtime, he likes to let loose—even if it means he’s oblivious to his wife’s growing unhappiness.
Richard E. Grant, 68, is a British film industry stalwart, appearing in films such as Can You Ever Forgive Me? (for which he was nominated for an Oscar), The Iron Lady, Saltburn, Gosford Park, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. On TV, he’s been in Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, Girls (as Jessa’s friend from rehab, Jasper), and Frasier.
Naomi Watts as Ann
Ann is Jonno’s unhappy wife. She is unexpectedly kind to Jess during a dinner party, where she explains she is frustrated by Jonno’s constant absence and tired of mothering everyone in her life.
Naomi Watts, 56, rose to fame in David Lynch’s acclaimed 2001 film Mulholland Drive. Her film career includes roles in The Ring, Birdman, Eastern Promises, and the Divergent franchise, among many other indie hits and blockbusters. On TV, Watts re-teamed with Lynch for the third season revival of Twin Peaks, and she’s led hits like the Netflix series The Watcher and FX’s Feud: Capote vs. The Swans.
Janicza Bravo as Kim
Kim is Jess’s new coworker and a fellow American expat. While it seems like Kim has everything figured out on the surface, she’s internally coming to terms with her budding queerness and a work crush.
Janicza Bravo, 44, is primarily a director, best known for the 2021 A24-produced feature Zola. She has directed episodes of Atlanta, The Bear, Poker Face, and more. Her biggest previous acting credits are the Lena Dunham projects Sharp Stick and HBO’s Camping.
Daisy Bevan as Josie
Josie is Jonno’s effortlessly cool assistant, whom Kim has a crush on. According to Tudum, “she’s never afraid to admit when she’s made a mistake.”
Daisy Bevan, 33, was born into the Redgrave acting family and made her film debut in the 1998 historical drama Elizabeth at age 5. She shared the screen with her mom, actress Joely Richardson, in the 2001 film The Affair of the Necklace, and appeared in The Two Faces of January opposite Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst, as well as in the BBC series The Outcast.
Adèle Exarchopoulos as Polly
Polly is Felix’s very French ex-girlfriend, with whom he still has an extremely close (maybe too close?) relationship post-break-up. Tudum describes her as having “the gravitas of Joan Didion and the tousled sexiness of Marianne Faithfull.”
Adèle Exarchopoulos’s career exploded after appearing in the LGBTQ+ drama Blue is the Warmest Color, which won the 2013 Cannes Festival Palme d’Or award. The French actress, 31, has primarily acted in European cinema, including films like All Your Faces, Mandibles, and Zero Fucks Given, and lent her voice to Inside Out 2 as Ennui.
Dean-Charles Chapman as Gaz
Gaz is Jess’s well-meaning neighbor who checks in often on the expat. He seems to genuinely care about how she adjusts to living in London.
Dean-Charles Chapman, 27, played Tommen Baratheon on Game of Thrones and appeared in the films 1917 and Blinded by the Light. On stage, he is known for portraying Billy Elliot in Billy Elliot the Musical in London’s West End. He starred in the production on and off between 2005 and 2011.
Stephen Fry as Simon
Simon is Felix’s father, who is too preoccupied by the family’s dwindling finances to show any interest in the budding romance between his son and Jess.
Stephen Fry, 67, rose to prominence in the late 1980s as part of the comedic duo “Fry and Laurie” alongside actor Hugh Laurie. As he expanded into film, Fry starred in V for Vendetta, Wilde, Gosford Park, The Hobbit, and Love & Friendship. On TV, he has appeared on It’s a Sin and Bones.
Kaori Momoi as Aiko
Aiko is Felix’s Japanese immigrant mother, who is both aloof and emotionally engaged in her son’s life at the same time. Aiko “does offer insight into [Felix’s] fear of needing anyone, his inability to fully open up, and how to have patience in decoding subtle gaps in language,” per Tudum.
The majority of Kaori Momoi’s career has been in Japanese cinema, where she has worked with acclaimed directors, including Akira Kurosawa, Yoji Yamada, and Takashi Miike. To Western audiences, the actress, 74, might be most familiar for her role in Memoirs of a Geisha.
Prasanna Puwanarajah as Auggie
Auggie is one of Felix’s oldest friends and his roommate, who is “a perpetually lost and exhaustingly sardonic cartoon of a guy whose commitment to environmentalism is matched only by his commitment to take-out and foreign cars,” according to Tudum. “Auggie admires Felix’s creativity and passion, so lets him live rent-free—but the price is that Felix must listen to all of his feelings all of the time.”
Prasanna Puwanarajah, 44, is a Sri-Lankan-British actor who was previously a doctor before pursuing acting. Appearing primarily on British TV, he was part of the main cast of shows like Critical, Defending the Guilty, Patrick Melrose, and You, Me and the Apocalypse.
Adwoa Aboah as Linnea
According to Netflix, “Linnea is the kind of vintage-nightgown-wearing girl with whom you’d trade confessions in a sticky bathroom of a scene-y bar. Her chic exterior masks a loneliness that is not too dissimilar to Jess’.”
Adwoa Aboah, 33, primarily works as a model but has appeared in the film Ghost in the Shell and the TV series Willow and Top Boy. She is set to appear in the forthcoming film Satisfaction, which premiered at SXSW earlier this year.
