Lead star says ‘Girls’ is a grimier ‘Sex and the City’

“I’m like the polar opposite,” says American actress Zosia (zah-shah) Mamet, who currently plays Shoshanna Shapiro, a health-conscious and “Sex and the City”-obsessed character on the HBO series “Girls.”

The 24-year-old daughter of filmmaker David Mamet and actress Lindsay Crouse nonetheless sees Shoshanna as one of the more lovable and relatable characters she’s portrayed. Landing the role also meant that she had to adjust to life in two contrasting cities.

“I’m bicoastal,” Mamet told the Inquirer in a recent phone interview. “I live in LA but I work in New York half of the year.”

She addressed comparisons to “Sex and the City,” acknowledging its influence and female-empowering themes. “I think ‘Girls’ is told in a gritty and honest way,” she said. “They’re very different in tone and in the issues they address. I definitely think our show is a little grimier than what was going on in ‘Sex and the City’— that was a brilliant show. I grew up watching it.”

Mamet is surprised to run into other fans of “Girls,” aside from 20-somethings who can relate to Shoshanna. “I had some very different people come up to me that I wouldn’t expect, like an older guy in the subway today,” she revealed. “‘I love your show!’ Oh, funny. [I replied], ‘I wouldn’t have pegged you [for a fan]!’ And 15-year-old girls come up to me!”

Playing Shoshanna truthfully, Mamet said, requires her to be a team player. She credits her “wonderful writing team, directors, and incredible producers” for guiding her. And she finds it crucial to treat her character with respect.

“I just try not to make her too bright,” she said. “Shoshanna, I think, is initially kind of shallow. So it’s really important not to judge her.”

Mamet admitted that she finds fame pretty odd, but she’s generally unchanged by it. “I’m a very down-to-earth person. It’s weird having people recognize me.”

As for artistic influences, she declared that she has none: “I don’t really have any of that. It’s just people that I work with … I’m really so blessed with an amazing crew. It’s a really wonderful place to work. They’re my inspiration!”

“Girls” airs Mondays, 11 p.m. on HBO.

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“The Newsroom,” created by Aaron Sorkin (“The West Wing,” “The Social Network”) and starring Jeff Daniels as troubled news anchor Will McAvoy, premieres tomorrow, 9 p.m. on HBO.

‘Grimm’

“Grimm,” an action-fantasy series, follows the crime-solving adventures of cop Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli), descendant of the Brothers Grimm and supernatural detector of disguised monsters. The show airs Fridays, 8 p.m. on Jack TV.