In the world of Girls, Adam and Jessa's relationship counts as a seismic event. Though the show has never truly lived up to the pre-release hype that it would define a generation, it has become one of the finest half hour dramas on television through devotion to its characters. And, like any earthquake, the friction that brought Adam and Jessa together was foundational.
Lena Dunham said that the actors' chemistry meant that they had to be together.
“The first time we saw [Jemima Kirke and Adam Driver] act together, we realized, 'These two weirdos need to spend time together and bang bits',” Dunham told Vulture at the show's season six premiere.
Dunham's co-showrunner, Jenni Konner, wanted to make sure that they knew where they were headed before they went down that road.
“I thought for a long time that it seemed pretty inevitable that two people with that kind of explosive energy would be drawn to each other,” Konner said. “And I worried about what it would do to Jessa and Hannah’s friendship, so I fought it for a long time.”
Even as actors, Jemima Kirke and Adam Driver seem tailor-made for each other. Kirke is notoriously blasé about fame, working with Dunham only as a concession to their longstanding friendship. Though she's an undeniable on-screen presence, there's a reason you don't see her in many other roles. Driver, by contrast, is committed to reaching the peak of his commercial and technical potential. Still, their intensities work. After all, puzzle pieces require an absence to fit.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT