‘Girls’ Star Allison Williams Responds to Christopher Abbott’s Departure
Girls co-star Allison Williams feels confident about the series’ upcoming third season, but the actress said Christopher Abbott’s sudden departure from the HBO program last month had “a huge effect” on the show and her character, Marnie Michaels.
Abbott played Charlie Dattolo, who was Marnie’s love interest; at the end of the second season, Marnie reconciled with Charlie and told him of her desire to have his children. Williams speculated that Marnie’s third season plot would’ve tracked the couple’s eventual “dissolution,” but said that Abbott’s exit meant a big shift in direction. “It’s almost as if we skipped her third season and have gone on to single Marnie,” Williams said, according to TVLine. “Marnie is now piecing herself back together.”
‘Girls’ Heartthrob Christopher Abbott Quits Show
Still, Williams feels great about where the show is going and where her character is headed in the next season. “The minute I heard the news, there wasn’t a single doubt in my mind that [the writing staff] would come up with great stuff for Marnie to be doing,” Williams said. “And what we’ve done so far and what we’re continuing to do is so excellent.”
Abbott left Girls in early April as the show began production on the third third season. A source said Abbott was clashing with series creator and star Lena Dunham and that the actor “didn’t like the directions things [were] going in.”