Andrew Rannells, known for his role as Elijah Krantz on HBO's Girls, has disclosed that a past romantic encounter with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper directly inspired a storyline for his character on the show. During an appearance on The Daily Beast's 'Obsessed' podcast, Rannells recounted a 'very brief' relationship with Cooper when he was in his mid-20s, which he later shared with series creator Lena Dunham and co-showrunner Jenni Konner.
From Real-Life Romance to TV Storyline
Rannells explained that he told Dunham and Konner about dating Cooper, and they transformed the experience into a plotline for Elijah. In Season 5, Elijah begins dating Dill Harcourt, an older, successful news anchor played by Corey Stoll. The relationship ends in the Season 5 finale when Dill rejects Elijah's proposal to be his boyfriend, stating he wants 'someone less aimless.'
'I told Lena and Jenni Konner a story about when I was 25 that I had dated Anderson Cooper, and I told them about the experience and what that was like, and then it became the story that Elijah had in the series,' Rannells said on the podcast.
Speculation and Denials
During the show's run, fans speculated that Dill was based on Cooper, but those involved never officially confirmed it. When asked in a 2016 interview with Queerty, Stoll denied modeling his character after Cooper, saying, 'I don't know. I was playing Dill Harcourt. I did not base this character on anybody.'
Rannells also initially pushed back against the theory while discussing the breakup episode with Elle in 2016. He emphasized that Dill's role as a powerful adult was more important than his specific profession. 'I think the general idea that he's this powerful, you know, adult, is what's important. For my money, his job could have been any number of things. It just represents that he's very much from the outside of these characters' world,' he explained.
Anderson Cooper's Reaction
Meanwhile, Cooper, a self-proclaimed Girls fan, was asked by the New York Post in 2016 if he thought Dunham based Dill on him. He responded, 'I just met Lena Dunham at Sundance, and she didn't mention anything to me, but I'd be flattered. Wait — is that the guy Andrew Rannells' [character] is dating? I thought he was more of a [Bill] O'Reilly character. I'm a friend of Andrew's. I should ask him.'
