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115+ best Prime Day deals LIVE: The best sales still available on Apple, Kindles, TVs and more

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Soothe sore muscles for less

(Image credit: Bob and Brad)

I just bought this small but mighty massage gun for my parents — mind, I paid closer to full price — and they’ve been nothing short of obsessed. Offering five speeds, a long-lasting internal rechargeable battery, a comfortable design, and a variety of attachment heads, it’s a lot of massage gun for just $59. My favorite included accessory, of course, is the heated attachment, a real crowd-pleaser after an active day.

Rugged storage space never looked so sweet

SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD

(Image credit: SanDisk)

Extra computer storage is something I can never get enough of, which is why I try to scoop up one of these reliable, rugged, and pocket-friendly Sandisk Solid State Drives (SSD) any time they drop significantly in price, i.e., during Amazon Prime Day sales. Not only does the 2TB option promise fast transfer speeds, a built-in carabiner loop, and a water, dust, and shock-resistant design, it’s also a massive $43% off for a limited time.

Get your build on

Lego Classic Brick Box in large, yellow

(Image credit: Lego)

Get your build on. With this giant box of assorted Lego bricks — for a massive 57% off — the possibilities are endless. Also, I assure you that you don’t need to be a kid to enjoy everyone’s favorite interconnecting plastic bricks. I’m 37 years old and mess around with Lego bricks anytime I need a short break from the monotony of staring at a screen. Plus, this set doesn’t just include standard building bricks but wheels and axles, platform pieces, roof tiles, and so much more.

Our favorite smart ring is on sale

The Oura Ring 4 in hand outside with a Tom's Guide lowest price deals badge

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

If you’ve been thinking about giving one of the best smart rings a try, well, I’ve got good news for you. Right now, you can pick up the Oura Ring 4 at its lowest price yet on Amazon.

Although it’s quite rare, we gave this smart ring a 5-star rating in our review thanks to its comfortable, all-titanium design, improved battery life and just how comprehensive the Oura app is. For those that want the health tracking and metrics of a smartwatch without the bulk, this could be the perfect alternative.

An ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker

A JBL Go 3 Bluetooth speaker outside with a Tom's Guide Price Drop deals badge

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

The JBL Go 3 is the ideal Bluetooth speaker for traveling and outdoor adventures, especially at this Prime Day price. It’s IP67 waterproof and dustproof, and ultra-compact in size. But it still offers surprisingly strong sound and up to five hours of playback on a single battery charge.

The perfect beach bag

Bogg Bags floating in a pool with a Tom's Guide Prime Day deals badge on top

(Image credit: Bogg)

Why settle for a knock-off when you can get the original Bogg Bag for 20% off on Prime Day? This popular bag is lightweight, washable and durable which makes it ideal for the beach or at the pool.

While you’ll find some popular colors and sizes discounted on Amazon right now, you can save even more if you head to the Sale section on Bogg’s site.

Stay cool with this portable misting fan

Shark HydroGo misting fan

(Image credit: Shark)

There’s nothing like a breeze on a hot summer day but what about a cool breeze with a mist that you can take anywhere? Well, you can do exactly that with the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo. You better act fast though as it’s close to selling out at 20% off for Prime Day.

Get your clean on

Cleaning essentials to buy for Prime Day in a hamper

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Spring cleaning has come and gone but you should always stock up on essential cleaning products when you get a chance and Prime Day is the perfect time to do so. From Bounty to Tide to my favorite, Mrs. Meyer’s, Amazon has tons of great deals on loads of cleaning products you were going to buy anyways. Here are a few that caught my eye:

Dyson’s new Airwrap gets first discount…

Dyson Airwrap i.d. along with box and attachments photographed in front of a blue background

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

Attention! Dyson’s new Airwrap just got its very first discount. It’s $100 off, which is not bad for Dyson. My colleague Ashley Thieme has been reviewing and first spotted the deal. She says it smoothened her hair with ease and reduced frizz. It’s far from cheap at $499, but this is the kind of rare deal we may not see again until the holidays.

Hidden Prime Day gems

Amazon Haul online storefront viewed on mobile phone

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Did you know that Amazon has a hidden gem storefront with tons of ridiculously good deals? It’s called Amazon Haul — and right now, the store is offering massive savings on big-brand items, with up to 50% off. My colleague Millie Davis-Williams just rounded up a ton of great deals starting at the low price of $3. Check out her favorite deals here or shop some of the best affordable deals below.

Save up to 42% on Kindles

Kindle

(Image credit: Amazon)

It’s usually easy to find Amazon hardware on sale, but Kindle deals are few and far between. Fortunately, Amazon is taking up to 42% off Kindles right now, including some of the best Kindles we’ve ever tested. Hit up the links below to see my favorite deals.

Bring the party anywhere…

the jbl xtreme 4 photographed against a blue background with a tom's guide killer deal badge on the left

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

One of the best Bluetooth speakers is a must if you’re hosting a summer get together, and the JBL Xtreme 4 is a great choice right now with 34% off. Its bass level is seriously impressive, and its long battery life means you’ll be able to keep the party going long into the night.

Upgrade your Amazon hardware now…

Echo Spot smart display shows time

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Prime Day is the best time of the year to upgrade your Amazon hardware. These devices tend to see the biggest price drops. In fact, outside of Black Friday — Prime Day is when you’ll find the biggest price cuts on Amazon gear.

That said, I do have one gripe with Amazon. In previous Prime Days, they’ve included a free smart bulb with select hardware purchases. This year you have to purchase the bulb at a discounted price of $4.99.

Additionally, the Echo is selling for $99, the Echo Show 15 for $299, and the Echo Show 21 for $399. Those are all list prices! It’s a shame Amazon didn’t discount these items that would otherwise normally get Prime Day price cuts.

That said, most other Amazon gear is on sale from as low as $8. So if you’re gonna update the Echo Dot — now is the best time to do so.

Our top massage gun is on sale…

a side-on photo of the Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2

(Image credit: Future/Tom’s Guide)

I love to workout. I also love a good post-workout sports massage. Sadly, they can quickly get expensive, which is where the Hyperice comes into the picture.

If you’re not familiar with the brand, Hyperice makes some of the best massage guns we’ve tested and right now our top pick is on sale for Prime Day. You can get the Editor’s Choice Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 for $129 right now.

According to price tracking tool Camelizer, this isn’t the cheapest it’s been. It hit $99 at the start of the year, but it’s still an epic deal at $129 and much cheaper than getting a sports massage every week!

Prime Day deals that are Black Friday cheap!

Woman lying in bed looking at laptop with Tom's Guide Black Friday badge overlaid

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Happy day 3 of Prime Day! Deals editor Louis hopping onboard our live blog for the next few hours. After Prime Day wraps up this week, the next major retail holiday will be Labor Day. Then we’re smack in the end-of-year holiday shopping season.

That’s a long time to wait for Black Friday deals. That’s why my colleague Olivia Halevy has rounded up the best Prime Day deals that are Black Friday cheap. Her roundup includes Apple gear, a Samsung 4K TV, and (naturally) some Amazon hardware. Check out her story via the link above or browse some picks below.

Save $400 on this HP gaming laptop

HP Omen Transcend 14 (2025)

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

This configuration of the latest HP Omen Transcend 14 model has everything you need for mid-level gaming. This includes an Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU, an Nvidia RTX 5050 GPU, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. While there are more powerful laptops out there, you’ll can still enjoy games running at smooth frame rates if you enable Nvidia DLSS 4. For this price, this is a perfect gaming laptop for anyone on a budget.

HP Omen Transcend 14 (2025): was $1,829 now $1,429 @ HP

This new gaming monitor is on sale!

Alienware AW3425DW

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

The Alienware AW3425DW is a fantastic update that offers a streamlined design, vibrant image quality and smooth performance. Though its HDR isn’t the brightest, its slew of excellent features and sub $1,000 price make it one of the best curved gaming monitors available.

Alienware 34 QD-OLED (AW3425DW): was $799 now $679 @ Amazon

Save big on Under Armour

Under Armour

(Image credit: Amazon)

If you’re hoping to upgrade your fitness apparel, we have some great deals for you. Under Armour makes some of our favorite athletic apparel and right now, you can shop hoodies, leggings t-shirts and more from just $10.

Prime Day

(Image credit: Amazon)

With millions of beauty and grooming products on the market, it isn’t always easy to find items that are actually worth the purchase. Furthermore, they rarely go on sale — but thanks to Prime Day savings, now is the perfect opportunity to grab those best-selling beauty items at a more attractive price.

Stock up on Coleman camping gear

Coleman Camping Deals

(Image credit: Amazon)

Whether you’re looking to grab a new tent, find a cozier sleeping bag or upgrade your camp kitchen set up, Coleman has camping gear and essentials start at just $31 during Prime Day sales. With savings of up to 50%, we recommend happy campers and outdoor enthusiasts hop on these unbeatable Coleman deals ASAP.

The best deals at least 50% off

Amazon deals

(Image credit: Amazon)

Hoping to score epic savings this Prime Day? The good news is we’re seeing discounts of 50% off and more on everything from smart home devices and TVs to vacuums and kitchen appliances. Check out all my favorite Prime Day deals that are at least half off now.

Our favorite water bottles on sale now

Water Bottle Deals

(Image credit: Future)

In the market for some hydration deals this Prime Day? You’ve come to the right place. Amazon is currently knocking up to 40% off the best water bottles. If you’re looking to sip in style this summer, you really can’y go wrong with these picks from YETI, Stanley and Hydro Flask.

Unlimited powaaaah for very cheap

An INIU B41 portable power bank

(Image credit: INIU / Tom’s Guide)

The INIU B41 is, according to the brand, the world’s slimmest power bank, and it certainly packs a punch. It’s highly pocketable and won’t take up space in your backpack, but its prowess lies in its ability to charge devices over and over and over again. It can charge most smartphones at least three times before dying.

10,000mAh of power and 3A fast charging also mean that this power bank can provide lots of juice when you’re in a hurry. INIU says that the B41 can fuel most smartphones up to 78% within an hour

This vacuum cleaner deal sucks (in the best possible way)

Dreame R10 Pro vacuum

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

Forget Dyson! One of our favorite cordless vacuums, the Dreame R10 Pro, has fallen to its lowest ever price. You can grab it for just $138 at Amazon right now. In our R10 Pro review, we gave it 4 stars and praised it for its 120,000rpm motor speed and 150AW suction power, which made quick work of cleaning carpets, marble and hardwood floors.

Storing it is extremely easy as it’s quite compact, so you can lean it against a wall or use the included wall mount. The deal also includes four attachments, increasing the R10 Pro’s versatility.

Board games galore! Starting from just $5

An array of board and card games

(Image credit: Hasbro / Wizards of the Coast / CMON / Asmodee / AncientDeer / Tom’s Guide)

On the hunt for a good board game this Prime Day? Our staff writer, Nikita, is covering the best Prime Day board game deals, including card games, and there are many to choose from. Whether you want a classic like Monopoly or Catan, a new card game like Exploding Kittens or What Do You Meme, or want to dabble in Dungeons & Dragons, there’s something for everyone — and these deals start from just $5. Here are some of her favorites:

Smartwatch deals for everybody

Apple Watch 10 models shown at Apple event

(Image credit: Future)

Whether you’re team iPhone, Samsung or Pixel, you can pick up an awesome smartwatch deal this Prime Day. All the major flagship models are on sale. In particular, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 has dropped to the incredibly low price of $151.

PCs, but make it mini

Geekom A7 Mini

(Image credit: Geekom)

If you want to upgrade your setup, but lack desk space, a mini PC is the answer! Right now some of our favorite models from Geekom are seeing big price cuts. These mini but mighty deals are seriously impressive!

$16 per AirTag!

Apple AirTag

(Image credit: Amazon)

If you’re an iPhone loser who’s constantly losing your stuff, you need this deal. Right now you can get a 4-pack of AirTags on sale for $64, the lowest price I’ve seen for Apple’s key finders. Just attach them to your important belongings and you’ll be able to track them using the Find My app on your iPhone.

Sleep soundly this Prime Day

A Casper Cloud One mattress on a wooden bed frame in a bedroom, a Tom's Guide price drop deals graphic in the corner

(Image credit: Casper / Future)

Some of our favorite mattresses are seeing price drops for Prime Day. Our sleep team has shared their top picks, so check out the article linked below. Or, see the highlights I’ve picked out:

Batteries are included

Energizer MAX AAA Batteries (16 Pack), Triple A Alkaline Batteries

(Image credit: Energizer)

If you’re buying electronics this Prime Day, you’ll want to have some batteries on hand. Right now you can get a pack of 32 AA batteries on sale for $13.29 thanks to Prime Day discounts. That works out to just over 41 cents per cell.

This is the air fryer you should get for Prime Day

Ninja Air Fryer Pro 4-in-1

(Image credit: Amazon/Ninja)

Looking for the best air fryer? Our vote goes to the Ninja Air Fryer Pro 4-in-1. It’s simple to use, easy to fit in your kitchen and delivers consistently delicious results. You can even wash the basket in the dishwasher, making for easy clean-up.

The cheapest AirPods deal

AirPods 4 deal

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

AirPods for $100 is big news, and right now you can snag a pair for well under that. The AirPods 4 are now on sale for $89. Offering solid sound and excellent connectivity with Apple devices, these are a must-have for iPhone users.

ICYMI: Switch 2 Prime Day restock!

A Nintendo Switch 2 handheld console

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

This is one of the Prime Day offerings I’m most excited about. Prime members have the chance to score a Nintendo Switch 2 via invitation! This is one of the must-have products of the year and is consistently selling out as soon as it appears at most retailers. Sign up for an invite ASAP for the best chance at scoring yourself a console.

The best deals of Prime Day…

Prime Day

(Image credit: Future)

We’re already into day 3 of Prime Day 2025! It’s time to get serious about taking advantage of these deals. Stay tuned to this live blog as we’ll continue to bring you all the best discounts as they roll in. The entire Tom’s Guide staff will be here to help you avoid the noise and find the deals that really matter.



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Rubio meets China’s foreign minister as US-Chinese tensions mount

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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrapped up his second and final day at a Southeast Asian security conference in a high-stakes meeting with his Chinese counterpart as tensions grow between Washington and Beijing over issues from trade to security and China’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

After discussions with regional countries at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations forum in Malaysia, Rubio on Friday ended his first official trip to Asia with his first face-to-face talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Neither man nor the delegations spoke to journalists as they posed for photos at the top of the meeting.

The meeting was held less than 24 hours after Rubio met in Kuala Lumpur with another rival, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during which they discussed potential new avenues to jumpstart Ukraine peace talks.

The meetings come against a backdrop of global and regional unease over U.S. policies, notably on trade and large tariffs that U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose on friend and foe alike.

While Rubio heard complaints about the tariffs from his Southeast Asian counterparts, he told reporters Thursday that many of them focused their discussion on security issues, their concerns about Chinese domination and desire for cooperation with the U.S.

“Of course, it’s raised. It’s an issue,” Rubio said. “But I wouldn’t say it solely defines our relationship with many of these countries. There are a lot of other issues that we work together on, and I think there was great enthusiasm that we were here and that we’re a part of this.”

However, Trump sees China as the biggest threat to the United States in multiple fields, not least technology and trade, and like previous U.S. presidents has watched the country greatly expand its influence globally while turning increasingly assertive in the Indo-Pacific, notably toward its small neighbors over the South China Sea and Taiwan.

Trump has warned of massive tariffs that he could impose on Chinese exports to the United States and preliminary discussions between the two sides have yet to produce significant progress.

Since former President Joe Biden was in office, the U.S. has also accused China of assisting Russia in rebuilding its military industrial sector to help it execute its war against Ukraine. Rubio said the Trump administration shares that view.

“I think the Chinese clearly have been supportive of the Russian effort, and I think that generally they’ve been willing to help them as much as they can without getting caught,” Rubio said Thursday, suggesting the topic would be discussed if he and Wang met.

Rubio and Wang have been shadowboxing during the two-day ASEAN meeting, with each touting the benefits of their partnership to Southeast Asian nations.

Rubio has played up cooperation, including signing a civil-nuclear cooperation agreement with Malaysia, while Wang has railed against Trump’s threatened tariffs and projected China as a stable counterweight in talks with Southeast Asian counterparts on the sidelines.

“The U.S. is abusing tariffs, wrecking the free trade system and disrupting the stability of the global supply chain,” Wang told his Thai counterpart Maris Sangiampongsa, according the Chinese foreign ministry.

In a meeting with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn, Wang said that the tariffs are “an attempt to deprive all parties of their legitimate right to development.”

“In the face of turbulent global situation, China is willing to be Cambodia’s trustworthy and reliable friend and partner,” he added.

On Thursday, Wang and Lavrov met and delivered a subtle but unmistakable warning to the United States over Southeast Asia.

“Russia and China both support ASEAN’s central role in regional cooperation, are committed to maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, and are wary of certain major powers creating divisions and instigating confrontation in the region,” they said, according to Russia’s foreign ministry.

But Rubio found support from Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who said Friday that continued U.S. engagement was crucial for regional stability.

“We want to see a region where no one country dominates and no country is dominated,” Wong told reporters when asked about China’s rising might in the region. “We want to see a region where there is a balance of power… where there is no coercion or duress.”

At the same time, Wong said Australia is committed to maintaining a stable relationship with China, noting that engagement remains the best path forward.

___

Associated Press writers Huizhong Wu in Bangkok and Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, contributed to this report.





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Meet the Real Meg Stalter, Star of Lena Dunham’s New Show ‘Too Much’

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M
eg Stalter was fighting in a hot tub. She had come to a water park in Wisconsin to relax between stops on her comedy tour, which was styled as a series of fake rallies for a rich, famous, and clueless person running for president. (I know this is a difficult political scenario to imagine, but please stay with me.) While Stalter soaked, she became enraged by a group of hot-tub dwellers who were not embodying what she considered to be the spirit of the aquatic center, and she began screaming back and forth with them. “Wow, you seem like a lot of fun,” Stalter yelled, informing them that there were three other sections of the park they could move to if they had a problem with this particular one. Then she stood up, said, “You know what? I’m going to show you that if you don’t like to be around someone, you get up and leave,” turned, and banged her head on the wall.

This is probably tracking for those who know Stalter from her live performances, or Hacks, on which she plays the indefatigably clueless nepo-agent Kayla, or Stalter’s Instagram, which showcases her myriad well-­meaning, clueless characters, such as the personification of a business attempting to project allyship to the LQBTQIA+ community. (“Hi, gay! Happy Pride Month. We are sashaying away with deals.”) These talents are deployed to great effect on Too Much (July 10), the new Netflix series from married co-creators Lena Dunham and Luis Felber, in which Stalter plays a fictionalized version of Dunham, a voice of a clueless generation.

But Meg Stalter is not so much clueless as compassionately guileless. See, she was at the water park with her girlfriend, and there was a tiny child swimming alone in the hot tub. Some adults started sticking their arms out and pushing the boy away so he couldn’t enter “their area” because he was allegedly “scratching and splashing.” (At an all-ages water park, this seems like a barrier of entry.) When Stalter told them they could not touch another person’s kid but could feel free to steep elsewhere in the massive facility, the man in the group started cursing at her. And then she was so upset, actually shaking with anger as she went to go find the little boy’s parents, that she clonked her skull in front of those assholes. “It was so embarrassing,” Stalter says. “It was, like, out of a movie.”

Stalter’s protective instincts for the innocent extend to her own inner child, who is close enough to the surface as to be visible; her grooming tends toward pigtails and the kind of glittery makeup job one applies after receiving a fully stocked Caboodles makeup kit from Santa. Today, sitting in the empty audience of her favorite Los Angeles performance spot, Largo, before it opens, Stalter is wearing Hello Kitty Crocs and a one-shoulder dress in Lisa Frank-lite pastels. When we greet each other, she gives me tangerines she’d picked the day before on a trip to a farm with her girlfriend. The produce bag is sweetly tied with a sextuple-looped yellow ribbon.

Outfit by Reformation. Scarf by Mads Allen. Jewelry by Loren Stewart

In person, with her comedic cutie-brat persona tucked away, Stalter is earnest and vulnerable, frequently invoking the importance of her faith. “I’m very, like, a God girl,” she says. “So I believe that God has a plan for me, and if something happens, then he’ll have another plan.” Stalter is also, against all evidence, quite soft-spoken. “If I was in a store and someone shushed me in a scary way, that would affect me,” Stalter says. “If someone was mean to me, I could feel like the little girl. ‘Why would they be mean to her?’ ”

During Stalter’s childhood in Ohio, they were mean to her. After graduating from Catholic elementary school, she attended civilian middle school and struggled to understand why everyone wasn’t friends. The popular girls “tortured” her, she says. In an effort to facilitate the missing camaraderie, Stalter invited everyone to a Hawaiian-themed party at her house. She discovered invitations she’d lovingly handed out tossed in the trash at school. Two people wound up attending.

Stalter’s mom was (perhaps unsurprisingly) an early ally. She found Stalter funny for the things she still perceives to be true about herself: being “embarrassing or nervous and confident at the same time.” Stalter would do interpretive dances on the sidewalk; the joke was that her mom was the only one who knew she wasn’t crazy.

That tension of not everyone getting it is Stalter’s comedic modus operandi. She recalls a show at the Laugh Factory in Chicago, before she was famous, where the audience was full of drunk tourists — and a lone friend of Stal­ter’s. She had a bit where she would take the stage with blood pouring out of her mouth and open by saying, “Sorry if my mouth bleeds tonight. My mouth bleeds when I get nervous, but I think I’m OK tonight.” The only person who laughed at that show, and hysterically, was her buddy. It was a great night.

“It’s fun if it’s even just one person,” she says of connecting with an audience. “And sometimes that could be me.”

When she performs, Stalter says, “It’s something that comes over me like a trance. One of my best friends, [Saturday Night Live star] Sarah Sherman, told me that when she does stand-up, it feels like meditation. And I was like, ‘Oh, my God. It feels like that.’ ” Stalter says when she’s performed with a headache, she stops feeling it until she leaves the stage. “I think that’s when [I know] I’m meant to do that,” Stalter says. Any pain goes away while she enacts God’s purpose for her. 

In Too Much, Stalter’s Jessica is a celebration of the show’s title. The character is caught between a manic id fueled equally by a painful breakup and the lust of new love, and the debilitating superego induced by the same life events. Jess records a series of videos she doesn’t intend to release, directly addressing the woman her ex is now engaged to (played by the comically hot Emily Ratajkowski), and whips herself into self-­sabotage by questioning her new relationship with Felix (Will Sharpe of The White Lotus Season Two fame), who is loosely based on Felber. Any time you fear things are getting unsustainably tumultuous, you need only remind yourself that every episode is a play on the title of a famous rom-com (e.g., “Notting Kill”) and that its creators are now happily married enough to want to work together.

“When I’m performing, something comes over me like a trance. That’s when I know I’m meant to do it.”

The show gives Stalter her first major leading role. She is perhaps the only person besides Dunham who could have played it, which is why Dunham wrote it for her. 

Andrew Scott, who also appears in Too Much, introduced Dunham to Stalter’s work. Dunham says he’d shown her Meg’s videos “in the heart of Covid and said, ‘Do you know this girl? She’s your sister.’ ” (Dunham does play Stalter’s onscreen sister, hilariously despondent after her husband decides to explore bisexuality and polyamory while she languishes in a series of increasingly sedentary supine positions.) “I became totally transfixed,” Dunham says. “Someone whose characters operate on the edge of delusional, on the edge of cringe, but is always ultimately in on the joke — that, to me, is my comedy DNA.” Dunham cites the characters David Brent on the U.K. Office, Patsy and Edina on Absolutely Fabulous, and Valerie Cherish of The Comeback as Stalter’s fictional ancestors.

Around 2022, Dunham DM’d Stalter on Instagram and said she had a project in mind. Stalter was a mega Girls fan and had felt a kinship with Dunham through the screen. “I’d connect to this person,” she’d thought about a hypothetical but unlikely future meeting while watching Dunham play Hannah Horvath, the series’ divisive protagonist. 

When Stalter and Dunham got on Zoom, Stalter’s instinct was confirmed. Dunham had made a deck of the show — kind of a mood board/game plan for a television series — and there were photos of Stalter on it as the main character. Then Dunham told Stalter, “Girls was about sex, and this is about love.” It was kismet; Stalter had met her now-partner only four months earlier and refers to her this way: “No one’s perfect except for my girlfriend.”

“We’re very different, just like Lena and Luis,” Stalter says. “When me and Lena first talked, we were bonding over that. I feel like I’m the Lena, and I’m the one bringing home a thing.

Stalter is referring to the chaos of her life, but sometimes the “thing” is literal. Imagining a conversation between Felber and Dunham, Stalter riffs, “She could be like, ‘Honey, I bought a pig today.’ And then he’s like [affectionately], ‘Oh, Lena.’ ” Working with the couple proved the premise of the show. “It just feels like Luis fully lets Lena, and Lena lets Luis, be exactly who they are,” Stalter says. “I think sometimes you could be with someone who likes all the differences.”

Top and Shoes by Reformation. Bra by Norma Kamali. Scarf by Mads Allen. Jewelry by Loren Stewart.

In her own menagerie, Stalter currently has two cats — one rather more aloof, and one hairless snuggler named Suki — and a dog called Bunny, who manages an anxiety disorder with medication and as much physical contact with Stalter as possible. On Too Much, Jess, like Dunham, has a bald dog, procured after giving up a rescue (in this case named Cutesie) because of behavioral issues. 

In 2017, Dunham went through several heinous press cycles, including one around the saga of her and then-partner Jack Antonoff’s real-life dog, Lamby, whom they surrendered to a canine rehabilitation center after multiple instances of aggression. In Too Much, Jess’ boyfriend forces her to “get rid” of their dog after it nearly bites someone. It’s one of many moments that invite a close read, especially in the context of Dunham’s autobiographical pieces of writing about her wrenching breakup with Antonoff and her subsequent move to London — the city where Stalter’s character decamps after the end of a relationship with a Jewish ex-boyfriend.

“People love when they see something and they’re like, ‘Is that from that person’s real life?’ ” Stalter says. “Even if it’s not all factual or it’s not literally a biography, someone so open about sharing their real experiences or at least putting them into certain characters, it’s really beautiful, because we get to learn about her. That’s why when I saw Girls, even though [Lena is] not Hannah, there’s parts of her in her stuff. That’s the most beautiful thing to see, someone who’s putting their heart and energy into something and you get to learn about them — but then you’re not taking everything that happened as truth.”

At the precipice of her highest-profile role yet, Stalter is contemplating what the project might mean for nonconsensual probing into her own life. People watching her videos is fine, because she has complete control over them, and people are seeing them in their homes. When audiences come to her stand-up shows, well, that’s what she’s always wanted, and the work is begetting fans who want to see more work. “It feels contained or something,” Stalter says. “And then with Hacks, it’s been so huge and life-changing. But in my mind, I could be safe because I’m not the lead in it.

“Lena is someone I’ve been such a huge fan of, so it was really crazy to wrap my mind around being in the show,” Stalter says slowly. “But then when I got to know her, she felt like a sister and a friend. So now the show feels like a play that we did for each other, and that this really contains a special thing.”

“Getting to know Lena, she felt like a sister and a friend. So now the show feels like a play that we did for each other.”

Sharpe remembers filming an episode — one of the best of the series — that takes place over one night, in Stalter’s character’s apartment. The couple has had sex too many times, and Sharpe’s character has hit his refractory limit. Sharpe’s line after aborting the encounter was supposed to be something like, “I’m in my thirties, queen. I’m all out.” After an exhausting day of filming, it came out, in a posh accent, as, “That’s me done for the evening, I’m afraid.” Stalter named this imaginary interloping gentleman “the Midnight Man,” and pointed out every time Sharpe strayed into Midnight Man territory during production. Then she made him a shirt with the moniker on it. “Because of the energy of Lena — and Meg, in particular — it put you in quite a positive, hopeful, loving mindset,” Sharpe says of shooting the series. “Just seeing the best in everything and in everyone.”

The setting allowed Stalter the confidence and space to play a role that both exercises her obvious comedic virtuosity and shows previously untapped dramatic ability, from dealing with insecurity (not a state expressed by a typical Stalter character) to a breakdown during a breakup. “Some of the stuff that’s in the show I feel is like, Oh! Nobody would ever see me do this if it wasn’t on TV,” Stalter says. “When you’re crying in your room alone, people don’t see that unless it’s on TV. I’m really crying.”

Embodying what Dunham describes as Stalter’s “incredible mix of warm/fuzzy and boundaried strength,” Stalter explains how she approached fictional sex with the advice of intimacy coordinator Miriam Lucia: “During kissing scenes or during vulnerable stuff, it’s not actually you, and you don’t have to do it the way you do, because you can save that part for yourself.” As for Stalter’s corporeal being — beautifully showcased on a series in which her character is implicitly contrasted with one played by an actual supermodel — she says, “I’m very about taking care of my body and being healthy, but I have not wanted to be skinny or lose weight for cosmetic reasons since high school.” A beacon for us all.

To make public the kind of deeply personal moments fostered by Dunham’s writing is, by definition, exposing. “It just feels really vulnerable,” Stalter says. “It’s hard or strange to think of it being on such a huge platform. It’s exciting … but also, just, Netflix is so big.”

Stalter points to her career-long luck of collaborating with people like Dunham and the Hacks team. “I’ve not worked with evil people,” she says. “I don’t know how.” But she also considers the world this project is opening her up to. “I think there is power in Hollywood that is gross,” she says. “There’s a lot of darkness in the industry, and things that can corrupt you, like money and power.” 

Stalter isn’t particularly concerned. “I feel so connected to God and grounded that I feel like I would not get swept up by anything in Hollywood,” she says.

Stalter sees herself representing — in her life, in a movie she’s developing called Church Girls, and in the “evil, crazy, weird villain” version of herself she plays onstage — people like her, who grew up with God in places like the Midwest, and who maybe didn’t finish college either. “Their lives are just as big as ours,” she says, finally daring to group herself in with her famous peers.

“I’m always going to be sensitive,” Stalter says. “I am still that little girl in middle school being like, ‘Why don’t they want to come to the Hawaiian party?’ But it’s like, there’ve been so many other parties.”

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Production Credits

Produced by PATRICIA BILOTTI at PBNY PRODUCTIONS. Styled by KAT TYPALDOS. Hair by ERICKA VERRETT at A-FRAME using ROZ. Makeup by MELISSA HERNANDEZ at A-FRAME using HAUS LABS. Photo assistants: SCOTT TURNER and SANDRA RIVERA. Styling assistant: LYDIA GINGRICH. Photographed at DUST STUDIOS



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Feds offer $50,000 reward in apparent firing of gun at agents after clash with protesters

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LOS ANGELES — The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward in the search for someone who appeared to fire a pistol at federal immigration agents during protests Thursday near Los Angeles, the U.S. attorney for the region said.

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor for the Central District of California based in Los Angeles, announced the reward Thursday night, hours after what appeared to be tear gas was used against protesters near Camarillo in Ventura County.

He shared on X helicopter news footage from ABC affiliate KABC of Los Angeles that showed a man in a black T-shirt point what appeared to be a handgun during the protest and tear gassing. He and U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the incident happened around 2:26 p.m.

There were no reports of anyone being struck by gunfire during the incident.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott said Thursday night that the farm was a marijuana grow, and that 10 juveniles who are in the country without authorization were found there.

“It’s now under investigation for child labor violations,” Scott said.

Glass House Brands, a cannabis company, said that officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement visited its farm Thursday.

“The company fully complied with agent search warrants and will provide further updates if necessary,” the company said. Cannabis is legal in California under state law approved by voters.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, on social media shared video showing tear gas being used and children running. Newsom said in reply to another comment on X that he condemns any assault on law enforcement.

Recent federal immigration operations in the Los Angeles area have infuriated some local officials, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, who said they are motivated by a political agenda “of provoking fear and terror.”

U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley, a Democrat whose district includes Camarillo, said Thursday that there has been a lack of transparency from ICE and the federal government and that she will demand answers.

“These militarized raids are not routine immigration enforcement. They are part of a deliberate, disruptive, and ongoing campaign of cruelty that is an unacceptable assault on our way of life,” she said in a statement. “ICE should be focused on individuals who pose real threats to public safety, not carrying out broad sweeps that destabilize entire communities.”

The U.S. attorney, Essayli, was appointed by President Donald Trump and was sworn in on April 2.

He has said that Los Angeles’ “sanctuary city” policies are “deliberately obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration law.” The Department of Justice on June 30 filed a lawsuit against the city over those policies.

Camarillo is a city of around 70,000 in Ventura County, around 50 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. The region is known for its agriculture.



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