It’s early on a Saturday morning, and a stillness has settled over central London. Gone are the late-night revellers and the buzz of tourists – in their place, a rare hush, like the city is holding its breath, waiting for something fabulous to arrive. Enter Megan Stalter.
In a single swoop of serotonin, the Ohio-born comedy sensation lights up our suite at The Soho Hotel with her hilarious, high-voltage charm – the same magic that’s made her a cult LGBTQ+ icon on TikTok, on stage, and now as the gloriously unfiltered star of Lena Dunham’s hotly anticipated new Netflix series, Too Much. One moment she’s sprawled across the balcony of our Deluxe Terrace Suite, overlooking the city and soaking up every second of her Cosmopolitan cover shoot; the next, she’s in the bathtub, channelling Old Hollywood glamour in a faux fur coat and towel-wrapped hair.
We first fell for Stalter, 34, as Kayla – the chaotic assistant in Hacks – but in Too Much, she gets her main character moment. Created by Dunham – her first major scripted series since Girls ended in 2017 – the Netflix show (landing 10th July) follows Jessica, a New Yorker heartbroken into exile in London, where she meets the enigmatic Felix (Will Sharpe) and begins to unpack her romantic past, one awkward, achingly human moment at a time.
It’s also a standout casting choice: a proudly gay performer playing a straight romantic lead – and doing so with the nuance, sensitivity and brilliance only Stalter could bring.
The result is a story about love, self-worth, and what it means to be labelled ‘too much’ in a world that’s constantly asking women to tone it down. And Stalter? She’s the kind of performer whose very presence feels like a protest against playing small.
‘I love Jessica because she is who she is,’ Stalter tells presenter (and fellow LGBTQ+ trailblazer) Harriet Rose, as the two sit down for a candid Cosmopolitan cover interview. ‘She’s not perfect and she makes mistakes… she’s a bit strange, but she just wants to be loved and accepted. Seeing a girl who has been told she’s too much blossoming, and accepting that she’s too much in a good way… it’s so freeing to see that in a woman on screen.’
As their conversation winds from dating to TikTok micro-celebrity and the quiet power of Emily Ratajkowski (who plays the new girlfriend of Jessica’s ex), one thing becomes clear: Too Much isn’t just a career-defining moment for Stalter. It’s a mirror for every queer person and every woman who’s ever been told to pipe down. Because sometimes, being ‘too much’ is exactly enough.
This interview has been edited down for clarity.
Harriet: Meg, I came to see you in 2021 at The Soho Theatre and oh my god, I was scream-crying and laughing. And then I dreamt I saw you again last night, because I was so nervous about this interview.
Meg: That's so nice.
H: Jessica in Too Much is quite a normal girl in many ways, and she's going through a lot of stuff that a lot of girls go through. How did it feel stepping into that world?
M: I got into comedy because I wanted to act, and while there are definitely moments in Hacks where I get to be more emotional, with me and Jimmy, I was really excited to do more of that in Too Much - to have real, dramatic moments as well as humour. I spent a lot of time talking to Lena [Dunham] about what parts of her are in Jessica, and what parts of me she saw in her. She's so amazing at writing real people, so it was nice to discuss, 'Oh, have you been through some of the stuff that she has? Have I?"
H: What I found beautiful in the show is that there's a reframing of what being "too much" is. In my life, there's been a narrative from teachers, or from this patriarchal energy, that I'm a bit too much, a bit too loud. Has that ever impacted you?
M: When you hear the name of the show, you think, 'Oh this girl's a bit too much. She's a little bit crazy.' I definitely have experienced being around the wrong people who make you feel that way, but now I surround myself with people who love that I'm sensitive, or when I'm very hyper and loud.
H: When I was growing up, I thought I was meant to be a certain way. And when I thought I was straight, people would say, 'Guys are going to think you're too much', or 'You haven't met someone because you're too full on.' And when I started dating women, I found it such a relief.
M: I'm a bisexual person who now realises that I'm mostly gay. The reason I'm saying I'm bi is because I have had relationships and real feelings for men. But now I'm with my amazing girlfriend who I love...
H: She's fab by the way.
M: She is so fab! She's so hot and perfect. I realised I'd never felt this way. When I dated men, it never felt like that, so part of it is being with the right person. But when I was dating men... let me just say this: I'm not a lot of straight men's cup of tea. If straight men come to my [comedy] shows, it's because a gay person or straight woman has brought him. They don't gravitate towards me.
H: But now I find that the straight men I do spend time with, love women like us. And that's lush, you know? But I want to get back to Lena... In the show, you two play sisters, and I loved seeing your on-screen relationship. Were you a fan before working together?
M: I was such a huge fan of Girls. It’s one of the funniest shows of all time. I’ve always felt very connected to Lena; her comedy and her writing - I think she’s a genius. It was amazing to watch her direct and to act in a scene together. I’m really comfortable with her now, and then you have moments where you’re like, ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe this is happening.'
H: I relate to that - in any industry where you get to tete-a-tete with your peers, it's sick. But it's also a reminder of who you are. My friend Alice introduced me to you back in 2021, and then now we're seeing the rise of Meg Stalter. It feels like Too Much is you really showing off what you can do.
M: That's very sweet, thank you. I’ve always wanted to perform; when I was little, my dream was to act. I fell in love with comedy because stand-up and improv was a way for me to perform when I didn’t have the money to move to New York to start auditioning. I can’t believe I got here - the chances of this happening when you don’t come from money are very low. I'm also a God girl - none of this would have happened without God.
H: It's really wonderful to have that, but I also think it's important to recognise that you're very talented. Speaking of, what was it like working with Will Sharpe [who plays Felix, your love interest in the show]?
M: I have a harder time connecting with straight men, but there are certain men that I do. Will is one of those men. Meeting him in real life, I was nervous because he's a serious actor and director. But he's much more silly and goofy than I thought he would be. Sometimes when you meet an actor and they're not a comedian, you worry they might think you're not serious about the job. But we were like naughty children together, and he's very gentle and sweet.
H: And that definitely adds to the chemistry on screen. Tell me about Emily Ratajkowski, too - because she's your character's obsession in the show...
M: We have insane chemistry together! She’s a girls’ girl. That’s one of the first things I realised about her - I met her for five seconds, told her all of my secrets, and she was on my side throughout every single story. We only worked together for a couple of days, but it was so much fun and she’s so fun to be around. She’s very special.
H: Jessica's Instagram obsession with her character is an exacerbated version of somewhere we've all been. But that's what Lena does with her writing - she exaggerates reality to reflect what we all actually do.
M: There are so many moments when Jessica is obsessing over this girl, and all these moments are so private, but we've all done that alone in our bedroom in the dark hours. It's interesting, though, because a lot of the time gay women stay friends with their exes. In gay culture, we're probably friends with the exes of our current partner! It's like they're family.
H: It's normalised, isn't it? And I think it's because we're all women.
M: Definitely, and it's a green flag when you stay friends with an ex. Women get so close in relationships - it's like your best friend.
H: Coincidentally, the show comes out days after PRIDE month, which we love. How do you feel about your queer journey?
M: It’s interesting when you’re bi, because when you’re little you’re told that you should like boys. And it can take a little while to realise that you’re interested in women and non-binary people as well - especially for me, because I didn’t start dating until I was 23. I’m a bisexual person who is mostly gay. Now that I’m with my amazing girlfriend, I realised I’d never felt this way.
H: I love seeing you being gay online. Just so you know, there is not one person I know that doesn't say 'Hi gay' [a quote from a now iconic TikTok Megan made in 2021, about how corporations try to capitalise on PRIDE month to sell things] to me every time they see me.
M: Anything I could be viral for, I'd choose that every time. I love that kind of thing - I feel so connected to people on TikTok as a viewer. I think the funniest people are normal people posting on TikTok. I understand we’re all on our phones too much, but there is also such a sense of community. My sister, my girlfriend and I are always sending stuff to each other, and laughing at the same things. It’s a way we’re connecting. The time that we’re alive in is so strange, but I like that there are people on the internet being funny and doing silly things.
H: You're such a good example of someone who has brought joy to people from being yourself on social media. And I have no doubt you'll do exactly the same with Too Much.
Too Much lands on Netflix on 10th July
Photography: Melanie Lehmann; Stylist: Kat Typaldos; Stylist first assistant: Keisha Adams; Second assistant: Nkechi Managwu; Third assistant: Bea Pinto; Hair and makeup: Jennifer Glynn; Manicure: Lilly Lam; Photo Assistant: Joshua Kinsella; Art Director: Alex Hambis; Editor in chief: Claire Hodgson; Acting Site Director: Dusty Baxter-Wright; Acting Group Entertainment Director: Nicola Fahey; Video Lead: Meg Beattie; Production: Beverley Croucher; Location: The Soho Hotel
