“Girls” actress Allison Williams was not Lena Dunham’s first choice for the role of Marnie.
Producers wanted Dunham’s best friend, comptroller candidate Scott Stringer’s spokeswoman Audrey Gelman, but she turned down the part so she could continue working for Stringer.
Williams and Gelman — who appears on “Girls” in a lesser role — revealed the fact at a Marie Claire lunch with NBC’s Natalie Morales, Sallie Krawcheck, Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amoruso and Marie Claire Editor-in-Chief Anne Fulenwider at the Hearst Tower, celebrating the mag’s “New Guard” list of influential women. Guests included Rebecca Minkoff, Star Jones, Nina Garcia, Desiree Gruber and Harvard prof Ann Cuddy.