Andrew Rannells Confirms Anderson Cooper Romance Inspired 'Girls' Storyline

Actor Andrew Rannells has publicly confirmed for the first time that he dated Anderson Cooper in his twenties, and that the brief romance served as creative inspiration for a storyline on the acclaimed HBO series Girls.

During a recent appearance on The Daily Beast's "Obsessed" podcast, the 47-year-old Broadway performer disclosed that he shared the story of his relationship with Cooper with the show's creators. "I told [creators] Lena [Dunham] and Jenni Konner a story about when I was 25 that I had dated Anderson Cooper," Rannells explained. "And I told them about the experience and what that was like."

Rannells portrayed Elijah on Girls from 2012 to 2019. The character began as Hannah's college ex-boyfriend who later came out as gay and became one of her closest friends throughout the series.

The revelation about Cooper, now 59, directly influenced a plotline during the show's fifth season. "It was a very brief relationship but when I told them that, they were like, 'Oh, that's a fun story,'" Rannells recalled.

In the resulting storyline, Elijah meets an older news anchor named Dill, played by Corey Stoll, at a bar. The two characters embark on a romance that ultimately ends when Dill terminates the relationship due to their age difference, mirroring elements of Rannells' real-life experience.

When the fifth season originally aired in 2016, viewers immediately speculated about whether a prominent newscaster had inspired the Dill character. Cooper, an avowed fan of the series, addressed the speculation at the time. "I'm obsessed with Girls, but I'm a few episodes behind. I just met Lena Dunham at Sundance and she didn't mention anything to me, but I'd be flattered," the CNN broadcaster told the New York Post in 2016. "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."

At the time, Rannells remained deliberately vague about the connection. "I think the general idea that he's this powerful, you know, adult, is what's important," the Tony nominee said in an interview with Elle.

Stoll, who portrayed Dill, maintained that his performance was not based on any public figure. "I was playing Dill Harcourt. I did not base this character on anybody," he told Queerty.

Rannells has since found lasting romance with Tuc Watkins. The couple met in 2019, one year before they shared the stage in the Broadway production of The Boys in the Band.

Cooper dated Benjamin Maisani from 2014 to 2019. The former couple share two sons and maintain a co-parenting relationship.