Andrew Rannells, an actor known for playing Elijah Krantz on HBO’s “Girls,” confirms that he dated Anderson Cooper in his mid-20s more than two decades ago. Multiple outlets report that Rannells disclosed the relationship during an interview about his past, saying he told “Girls” creator Lena Dunham and co-showrunner Jenni Konner about the experience and that it later became the basis for a storyline in the series.
In “Girls,” Rannells’ character Elijah begins dating an older, successful news anchor named Dill Harcourt, played by Corey Stoll. Sources agree that the real-life account is linked to the creation of Dill’s character. They also note that Elijah and Dill’s relationship is short-lived in the show: it ends after Dill declines Elijah’s proposal in the season five finale.
One outlet also reports that, in an earlier 2016 interview, Stoll denied modeling Dill on any specific person when asked about parallels to Cooper. Rannells’ confirmation now aligns with his account that the early romance was used as a starting point for the plot. Another report includes Cooper’s earlier response to questions about the connection, where he did not directly confirm any inspiration.
