Zosia Mamet on the legacy of Lena Dunham’s Girls and her new role on the Hollywood reboot of Aussie series, Laid

It was a controversial series about sex and relationships in New York. Here, Zosia Mamet reflects on the enduring appeal of Lena Dunham’s Girls – as she stars in the Hollywood reboot of an Aussie comedy.

When a woman’s past lovers start dropping like flies, it forces her to revisit the many and varied stops on her sexual timeline to figure out how she’s to blame.

Sound familiar? It should: this twisted new twist on romantic comedy (starring Stephanie Hsu as the sexually cursed Ruby and Zosia Mamet as AJ, her interfering bestie) is actually a US adaptation of the 2011 Australian series Laid, featuring Celia Pacquola.

This time around we have Ruby (Hsu), who is eager to find “the one” but tends to nitpick flaws in any potential suitor.

She’s forced to re-evaluate her approach to love and sex when she learns that everyone she’s slept with is dying in unusual circumstances.

While history shows US translations of Aussie favourites don’t always ring true, even with an A-list cast – cases in point: Kath & Kim, Thank God You’re Here and The Slap – Hsu believes Laid’s narrative can cross borders because the challenges of modern dating are so universal.

Zosia Mamet starred in Girls and will next be seen in the US version of Australian dark comedy, Laid. Picture: Getty Images

Stephanie Hsu stars in the Hollywood reboot of the Australian TV series, Laid. Picture: Getty Images

Not to mention the fact that everyone loves a love story, even the less orthodox ones.

Hsu, who also serves as an executive producer on Laid, says successful adaptations never try to be a facsimile of their source material, and recognise the subtle cultural and comedic differences between countries.

“As the person reporting live from the person who told me this second-hand, our sense of humour and sensibility was a bit different to the Australian version – I think we kind of made it our own intentionally,” the Everything Everywhere All At Once star explains to The Binge Guide.

“But I do think that no matter where you are on the planet, dating is a great mystery. A lot of people have questions about it, so it takes a story as twisted as this to really think about what it means to find true love.”

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Stephanie Hsu as Ruby, and Zosia Mamet as AJ in the US version of Laid. Picture: Jeff Weddell/PEACOCK

Picture: James Dittiger/PEACOCK

That said, Hsu adds with a laugh: “I actually heard from an Australian that the first episode of our show is basically the same exact [script], which was a total surprise to me. I was like, ‘Oh, I’m really glad I didn’t watch it then…’”

In fact, neither Hsu nor Mamet have watched any of the local version of Laid, fearing the Australian portrayal of their characters could influence their approach to the show.

“I wanted virgin eyes going into the land of death,” Hsu jokes.

But now that they’ve finished shooting their series, both women say they plan to binge-watch the original for comparison.

In addition to being a black comedy about love and death, at its heart Laid is a frank, funny story about women’s friendship and sexuality.

This is a genre in which Mamet has a lot of experience, having played naive Shoshanna Shapiro in the groundbreaking series Girls from 2012 to 2017.

‘Voices of a generation!’ Zosia Mamet, Allison Williams, Lena Dunham and Jemima Kirke in at the premiere of the final season of Girls in 2017. Picture: AFP

Picture: Getty Images

‘Really honest and unabashed!’ Girls stars Jemima Kirke, Lena Dunham, Allison Williams and Zosia Mamet in 2014. Picture: Getty Images

According to Mamet, it was shows such as Girls and Sex And The City that, well, laid the foundations for Laid.

“Everything that helps to move the needle forward, helps to move the needle forward,” she says.

“There are some exceptional women who have come before us to help eke the door open, so every story being told after the fact can push it a little bit further.

“I think Broad City [the 2009 online sitcom about two best friends living in New York, which later became a TV show] did that.

“I think there are a lot of female-centric shows that told really honest and unabashed stories that have definitely paved the way.”

Laid premieres this Thursday on Binge, and is also available on Hubbl. For more from Stellar and the podcast, Something To Talk About, click here.

Originally published as Zosia Mamet on the legacy of Lena Dunham’s Girls and her new role on the Hollywood reboot of Aussie series, Laid