SPOILER ALERT: This interview accommodates spoilers for “Too A lot.”

Emily Ratajkowski has returned to appearing after making headlines in 2023 for firing her workforce and leaving the enterprise. On the time, she lamented the sensation of creating herself “digestible to highly effective males in Hollywood,” so it’s no shock that her first new challenge will not be solely created by a girl, however by her good friend: Lena Dunham.

“Too A lot,” Dunham’s new Netflix comedy collection, follows Jessica (Megan Stalter) within the months following her breakup from her ex-boyfriend Zev (Michael Zegen). Ratajkowski performs Wendy, Zev’s new girlfriend, who’s an influencer, and the fixed stream of Instagram pictures from Zev and Wendy’s pleased life collectively drives Jessica loopy. She drunkenly breaks into their New York house to confront them one night time, whereas Wendy does inform Jessica she appears loopy, she’s surprisingly calm and beneficiant in the course of the encounter.

All through the collection, Jessica information movies addressed to Wendy that she uploads to a non-public Instagram account. It’s meant to be an outlet for her to deal with her breakup, however someday, she by chance makes the account public and the movies go viral. Quickly after, Wendy reaches out to Jessica and asks to fulfill up. Relatively that debate the movies, Wendy asks Jessica for particulars on the timeline of her breakup with Zev, and collectively, they understand Zev was mendacity to them each. They bond over the way in which Zev handled them and want one another nicely, with Wendy even providing Jessica recommendation about her present relationship with Felix (Will Sharpe).

Ratajkowski spoke to Selection about enjoying “the opposite girl.”

You and Lena Dunham have been associates for a very long time. What have been your preliminary ideas when she advised you about this position?

We’ve all the time had quite a lot of conversations round ladies that you just really feel such as you’re linked to in unusual methods, however you don’t completely know them. And the way, as we’ve gotten older, we’ve all the time been pro-sisterhood, however that once you’re youthful, you don’t essentially do this, since you’re intimidated or as a result of it’s a protection mechanism.

Do you relate to Jessica in addition to Wendy in that approach? Having these concepts about different ladies, however having others challenge onto you as nicely?

I imply, I’ve been Jessica and I’ve been Wendy. I believe, most likely, that’s true for most individuals. At first, Lena had written her as a lawyer, and I used to be like, “I would like her to be just a little bit extra hateable.” She was such a wise, excellent, superb one who was, like, posting social justice stuff on-line. And I used to be like, “I actually need this lady to be an influencer, and I don’t assume that’s leaning into stereotypes, as a result of we’re going to get to know her in a greater approach, however I believe the payoff may very well be actually nice on the finish.” It’s a bizarre time we reside in. 30 years in the past, in case your ex-boyfriend acquired a brand new girlfriend, you’d possibly meet her as soon as, or see an image as soon as, however now you’ll be able to have entry to their on a regular basis goings-on. And I believe that may actually fuck together with your mind, as a result of it’s somebody that you just share an individual with or historical past with, and there’s a connection, however they’re behind a display. So I believe it was actually cool the way in which that Lena explored that.

Inform me extra about eager to make her really feel hateable. Was the aim of that to assist validate the way in which Jessica’s feeling?

No, I simply appreciated the concept that individuals are like, “Oh, after all, an influencer.” There’s simply quite a lot of judgment for ladies who put up rather a lot on-line, or play into the eye economic system. And I personally didn’t assume that made her extra hateable, however I may see why another person would. Any individual who was well-meaning was like, “Let’s make her so sensible.” I’m like, “She is so sensible. However that doesn’t imply she must be a lawyer, proper?” And he or she is also simply in opposition to Jessica in so some ways. She’s actually cool and picked up, and she or he’s creatively fulfilled, and all this stuff that Jessica can’t relate to. However then, after all, we get to see that she’s additionally this dynamic character within the ultimate episode.

Till that ultimate episode, we solely see Wendy via the angle of Jessica, who imagines that she and Zev have a picture-perfect life collectively. However clearly, Wendy’s relationship with Zev had massive issues. How do you think about that point?

I [thought of Wendy] as a lady who was residing with roommates and who had had severe relationships earlier than, however possibly of a sure variety. She was like, “Oh, that is the dorky man. He’s secure.” Which occurs with ladies in your 20s and your 30s. You check out completely different tropes, since you’re like, “Perhaps this archetype! The candy man! Or the nerdy man! They’re going to be completely different! I’ll be secure from this stuff I’ve skilled earlier than.” My imaginative and prescient of Wendy was that she was like, “He’s such a pleasant Jewish boy who has nice style in music, and sees me for who I’m all of the issues that I like to do. And we are able to discuss all of the cool shit that I need to discuss. He’s cozy.” And, after all, he seems to not be that approach in any respect.

And the way do you assume Wendy was imagining Jessica? She was undoubtedly being advised one story by Zev, however she appears to have had her personal perspective too.

I’m positive she additionally has stalked Jessica [online]. There’s most likely, like, three ladies whose lives she checks in on repeatedly. And he or she does have a loopy expertise with Jess, which clearly validates quite a lot of what Zev was most likely telling her. When she breaks in, I believe she’s of two minds. She’s like, “Okay, you’re type of loopy, and I’ve heard all these loopy issues about you. But in addition, you’re simply crashing out and never dealing with it nicely.” She’s extra beneficiant — though even Jess, all through the entire thing, by no means falls into considering [Wendy] is silly. There’s some semblance of respect. I believe each of the characters have that. I all the time say, if a man tells you all of his ex-girlfriends are loopy, that’s a purple flag.

After having Jessica break into the house in the course of the night time after which later seeing these personal movies Jessica recorded about her, why does Wendy nonetheless need to meet up together with her? How is she snug with that?

With being gaslit, there’s all the time a sense. Wendy moved into this house, and she or he was advised one story that was not true, however there have been indicators — the Cupcake rosé, the face wash, stuff that didn’t add up. And it may be a very bizarre feeling when your largest fears are validated. I think about Wendy on this second being like, “Oh, wow. All of the issues that I used to be not eager to imagine, as a result of I didn’t need to imagine my associate can be mendacity to me, now I get to see them. And as horrible as that’s for her relationship, she has a very nice perspective on it, which is, “Now I do know the reality, and that’s higher than residing this different approach.”

How did it really feel to shoot the meet-up with Jessica? It has such a distinct tone from the remainder of your appearances within the season, which occur from Jessica’s perspective.

I completely beloved it. It was the primary scene I shot for the present, and it was my first time being directed by a girl, and by my good friend [Dunham]. Meg and I had simply met, and although we exchanged a couple of tales, it was kind of contemporary. That felt very nice. I felt prefer it helped inform the scene, the truth that it was the primary day, and we had simply a lot enjoyable capturing it. Meg is superb at improv. She simply goes for it. So there have been takes that have been very humorous, however there have been some that have been extra tender, and it was only a pleasure.

After they end speaking about Zev, why do you assume Wendy goes out of her strategy to give Jess recommendation about her new relationship?

I believe she’s in a really reflective second. Wendy’s the kind of lady to do quite a lot of remedy, and I think about that she’s like, “Alright, I’m going to maneuver on with my life. I’m open to like.” She’s in a really clever place, which might occur — I believe you’ll be able to really feel like a zen grasp whereas crashing out throughout a breakup. And he or she’s clearly seen Jess’ movies. She’s had an actual life expertise of her breaking into her home, so she’s placing boundaries round her friendship and being like, “I’m not attempting to hang around with you on a regular basis, however in case you’re asking me, right here’s among the ways in which I’m residing my life.”

If “Too A lot” is renewed, do you see a world the place you’d return to this world? Do you see a future the place Wendy and Jessica proceed to cross paths?

I undoubtedly do. And Lena and I’ve had enjoyable little convos about what that will seem like. I imply, who is aware of? However I completely beloved enjoying her. The world felt so clear to me. I do know [Wendy] nicely — I really feel like I may run into her on the road in Brooklyn. So it’d be very enjoyable to return to her.

You’ve spoken up to now about feeling pigeonholed in Hollywood and forged based mostly in your appears somewhat than your substance. Right here, you get to subvert that, with Wendy being portrayed as simply one other sizzling lady on the web till we get deeper and see who she actually is. Did you’re feeling such as you have been working via these arduous moments in your profession via this position?

Lena was the primary one who revealed my writing, on Lenny Letter, however she knew about me from Instagram. I’ve had quite a lot of experiences, with Lena particularly, the place she has seen previous floor degree issues and given me so many alternatives. Once I shot [“Too Much”], I used to be about to show 33. I’m a grown ass girl, with a baby, and it simply felt very pure and proper to be doing the type of roles and dealing with the type of people that share the concepts I do round ladies and respect. So I wasn’t actually working something, nevertheless it felt very nice.

This interview has been edited and condensed.