Andrew Rannells admitted he had a “very brief relationship” with Anderson Cooper over 20 years ago.
The actor opened up on a recent episode of The Daily Beast’s “Obsessed: The Podcast,” explaining that his “Girls” character Elijah’s short-lived relationship with the fictional TV host was based on his time with Cooper.
“I told Lena[Dunham]and[co-creator]Jenny Konner about dating Anderson Cooper when I was 25, and we talked about that experience and what it was like,” Runnels said.
It then became Elijah’s story in season 5 of the HBO series, which ran for six seasons from 2012 to 2017.
Runnels, now 47, added that his co-creators thought it was a “fun story.”
During Season 5, Elijah and Dill Harcourt (Corey Stoll) were unfaithful before breaking up due to their age difference, but Dill Harcourt confessed that he wanted to date someone with “no purpose”.
When the season aired in 2016, Stoll told Queerty that “this character is not based on anyone.”
“I don’t comment on that,” the actor said of rumors that his character was inspired by Cooper, who is 12 years Rannells’ senior. “I was playing Dil Harcourt.”
“I thought he was more of a (Bill) O’Reilly character,” Cooper, now 59, told the Post at the time.
“I just met Lena Dunham at Sundance and she didn’t say anything to me, but I’m honored,” he mused. “I’m Andrew’s friend. You should ask him.”
After Elijah and Dill parted ways, Runnels said to Elle:
“We were in a very adult situation,” he elaborated about the character. “That’s what Dill represents.”
Meanwhile, both former flames have moved on to other relationships after cheating.
Rannells has been performing with Tuck Watkins since 2019. This comes a year after the two first met while co-starring in the Broadway show “The Boys in the Band.”
Cooper dated Benjamin Maisani from 2014 to 2019.
After their split, the couple decided to co-parent their sons Wyatt, 6, and Sebastian, 4, together.
During an appearance on The Howard Stern Show in 2020, Cooper explained his decision to recruit Maisani, 53, to be a second father.
“I’m all for having more people love my son and be involved in his life, no matter what happens to me or what doesn’t happen to me,” he said. “My ex-boyfriend was a wonderful person and it’s nice to have two parents, if possible.”
Although Cooper has already lost his parents, he added, “I don’t really have a family, so my friends become my family.”
