Zosia Mamet Promises “More Girls Growing Up In the City”

The 'Girls' co-star says she never imagined the series' pop culture impact

As one of the breakout stars of HBO’s Golden Globe-winning hit comedy “Girls,” actress Zosia Mamet proved she had a different way with words than her famed playwright father David. With the show now getting deep into season two, she’s promising a evolving voice for her now less virginal character Shoshanna.

“For Shoshanna it's definitely a pretty big growing season,” Mamet says. “It sounds kind of cheesy but I feel like she's really sort of finding her voice and herself and figuring life out a bit. And it's more insanity and some heart-wrenching moments – and girls growing up in the city.”

“Judd Apatow said it kind of best: It’s basically more of the same – girls being girls,” she adds about the new adventures of Hannah (Lena Dunham) and co. “But it’s sort of harder, in every regard – it went a little deeper. And I think for everyone’s character, it’s about girls that are sort of growing up, and I think that we all grow up a little bit this season and get to watch that. I think it’s great. I made it, so I might be biased.”

Mamet says she never anticipated the overwhelming response the show sparked in its freshman season. “I really had no idea,” she admits. “I thought it was an exceptional piece of work, and I was really proud and excited to be a part of it, but I never thought that it would become sort of the cultural phenomenon that it has. Maybe the higher ups who were green lighting it thought that it was, but at the time, one of the most amazing things about it was the first time I’d ever worked on anything with my peers where we were all on the same level.”

That sense of equality and all being relative unknowns helped unite the cast early on in their efforts to bring creator and star Dunham’s tales of awkward early adulthood to life. “It just felt like we were all making a piece of work that we loved so much, and that we were putting our hearts and souls into,” Mamet says. “It felt very insulated, and it didn’t feel like, ‘Oh, we’re going to make this, and it’s going to hit the world and like blow up.’ Because there are oftentimes when I get recognized where I forget that people can watch the show: ‘Wait, how do you know who I am? Oh, right, it airs – you can watch me in your living room. That’s weird.’ So, yeah – I didn't know!”

"Girls" airs Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.
 

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