With “Too Much,” “Girls” creator-star Lena Dunham has made her long-awaited return to television, and the ensemble she’s brought along with her is, well, too much.
The series stars viral comedian and “Hacks” breakout Megan Stalter and “White Lotus” Season 2 star Will Sharpe as the central couple: Jessica, who moves to London for a job opportunity after blowing up her love life in New York, and Felix, the musician and recovering addict she meets and starts to fall for on her first night in town. Throughout the series, the two wander in and out of chaotic situations involving Jessica’s colleagues, Felix’s exes and friends, and both of their families — making room for plenty of unexpected guest stars.
See the big names in the “Too Much” ensemble — including Dunham herself — below.
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Lena Dunham as Nora South
Image Credit: Netflix
Rather than playing the lead, as she did in “Girls,” Dunham takes a backseat in the “Too Much” cast. She plays Nora, Jessica’s older sister, who is struggling to raise her spirits after her recent divorce, especially when it comes to sharing her son, Dash (Oliver Nirenberg) with her ex-husband.
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Andrew Rannells as Jameson South
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Rannells, a longtime collaborator of Dunham’s who played Elijah in “Girls,” stars as Jameson, who ended his testy, sexless marriage with Nora to join a polyamorous relationship with a man and a woman both named Cody. Like Jessica, Jameson works in advertising and remains a mentor to her despite his divorce from her sister. He’s the one who gives her the opportunity to move to London and get her life back on track.
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Emily Ratajkowski as Wendy Jones
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Wendy is Zev’s new girlfriend, who Jessica obsessively addresses in video messages that she posts to a private Instagram account that no one follows. Deep down, Jessica knows that it’s Zev, not Wendy, who she should have a problem with, but the happy life Wendy appears to be living with Zev on social media drives her crazy.
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Michael Zegen as Zev Goldstein
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Michael Zegen, known for roles in “Frances Ha” and “The Marvelous Ms. Maisel” plus a three-episode arc in “Girls,” plays Jessica’s ex-boyfriend, Zev. The two dated for several years, but he broke her heart months before “Too Much” begins. In the first episode, Jessica sees on Instagram that he has proposed to his new girlfriend, Wendy. Drunkenly, she breaks into their apartment in the middle of night and gets in a shouting match with Zev, asking him to admit that leaving her is “the worst thing that anyone’s ever done.”
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Jessica Alba as Herself
Image Credit: Netflix
Jessica Alba appears in the first episode of “Too Much,” having hired Jessica’s agency to make a commercial for her company. When a misogynistic assistant director changes the script without Alba’s approval, she asks Jessica to take over, but Jessica panics and runs away.
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Rita Wilson as Lois Salmon
Image Credit: Ana Blumenkron/Netflix
Lois is Jessica and Nora’s mother, who has been single for many years following the death of her husband. The family is tight-knit, but Jessica and Nora have become too dependent on their mother, both moving in with her after their respective breakups. So when Lois gets back on the dating scene herself, she starts to set some boundaries.
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Rhea Pearlman as Dottie
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Dottie is Lois’ mother and Jessica and Nora’s grandmother, who says whatever’s on her mind and doesn’t care to mince words, openly lamenting that her daughter and granddaughters are so romantically challenged.
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Richard E. Grant as Jonno Ratigan
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Jonno is the boss at the advertising agency Jessica works at in London. He’s judgy and pretentious, but there’s a risqué coolness to him too that’s especially visible when he’s at home with his wife, Ann.
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Naomi Watts as Ann Ratigan
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Ann is Jonno’s wife, who hosts a lavish dinner party for all of Jonno’s colleagues. She and Jessica instantly connect, with Jessica oversharing about her sexual health problems and Ann offering her drugs as the party begins to devolve into a mess of debauchery.
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Daisy Bevan as Josie
Image Credit: Netflix
Daisy Bevan, daughter of actor Joely Richardson and film producer Tim Bevan, appears in “Too Much” as Josie, who works with Jonno at the advertising agency. Young and aloof, she serves as Jonno’s assistant.
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Janicza Bravo as Kim Keith Independiente
Image Credit: Netflix
Janicza Bravo is best known as the director and co-writer of 2021’s “Zola,” but has previously acted in Dunham’s 2018 HBO series “Camping” and her 2022 film “Sharp Stick.” In “Too Much,” she plays Kim, the other American at the advertising agency. She’s competent, cool and even-tempered — except for when it comes to her crush on Josie.
Bravo also directed Episode 8 of “Too Much,” titled “One Wedding and a Sex Pest.”
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Leo Reich as Boss Gibbons
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Leo Reich, a popular U.K. comedian who makes his acting debut in “Too Much,” plays Boss, the ad agency’s resident Gen Z staffer. Though he’s technically Kim’s assistant, he thinks of himself as a fully-fledged creative and has little regard for “appropriate” office behavior, regularly regaling everyone with tales from his sex life and the parties he goes to.
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Andrew Scott as Jim Wenlich Rice
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Andrew Scott plays Jim, a famous director who signs on to direct the ad campaign Jessica moved to London to work on. Jim is tortured and cynical; when he and Jessica go out for drinks, he spends the night ranting about his ex-wife and arguing with Letterboxd users who don’t like his movies. So it’s no surprise that the night ends up going in a strange direction.
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Kit Harington as Jessica’s Father
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Jessica’s father died when she was still quite young, so she doesn’t have many clear memories of him. But when Kit Harington plays him in flashback scenes, his warmth and love for his family make it clear why Jessica still thinks of him so fondly anyway.
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Adwoa Aboah as Linnea
Image Credit: Netflix
At the start of “Too Much,” Felix is dating Linnea, played by model and actor Adwoa Aboah. She’s glamorous and eccentric, but the two aren’t connecting, and she realizes his heart is elsewhere before he even tells her he’s met Jessica. “You’re a nice guy, okay?” she says as they break up. “But the next time you date someone and you realize they’re not for you, don’t pretend and slowly back out the door, because I could feel you going.”
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Adèle Exarchopoulos as Polly
Image Credit: Netflix
“Blue Is the Warmest Color” star Adèle Exarchopoulos plays Polly, who Felix dated for 10 years and remains friends with. She’s first mentioned when Jessica asks Felix about the tattoo of her name he has on his butt, and he only says that she’s a friend — who also has his name tattooed on her butt. When Jessica first meets Polly, she’s so intimidated that she does a huge dose of ketamine in hopes of fitting in. It ends up plunging her into a painful spiral of remembering her past with Zev.
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Kaori Momoi as Aiko Remen
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A prolific Japanese actor best known for “Memoirs of a Geisha,” Kaori Momoi guest stars as Aiko, Felix’s mother. She’s loving, but a bit delusional, telling Felix that his father is her “knight in shining armor” and confident that he’ll get them out of the financial crisis they’ve been in for a long time. Felix knows better.
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Stephen Fry as Simon Remen
Felix’s father, Simon, likes to play the role of generous patriarch, but in truth, he’s struggling to take care of Aiko and their adult daughter, who lives with them. He asks Felix for help getting out of his crushing debt — nevermind that Felix is broke too. Felix sells his car and gives Simon the cash in secret. The act of generosity is complicated and painful for Felix, who still harbors some resentment towards his parents for their constant absence during his childhood: In a flashback, it’s revealed that he was sexually assaulted by his nanny.
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Rita Ora as Herself
Image Credit: Netflix
Rita Ora stars in the ad that Jessica moved to London to produce. Like with Alba’s, Ora’s ad gets thrown off by a male director with a big ego, but this time, Jessica is more up to the task. In return for saving the day, Ora gives Jessica some much-needed advice about her obsession with her ex and his new girlfriend.