Andrew Rannells on “Miss You, Love You,” Past Trauma, and Shifting Power Dynamics

In the comedy-drama *Miss You, Love You*, Andrew Rannells plays Jamie, a personal assistant who arrives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to help widowed Diane (Allison Janney) navigate the weeks after her husband’s death from Parkinson’s. Rannells describes the on-set relationship as “a gale-force disdain” from Janney, noting that she “goes and goes and goes,” a stamina he attributes to her years on *The West Wing*.

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“I was just trying to keep up with what Allison was doing,” — Andrew Rannells

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Rannells’ interview also revisits his coming-out journey.

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At age 22, Rannells received a phone call that his father was in a coma; the elder Rannells died a few days later. He recalled the night’s mix of intimacy and mortality, later writing about a stranger’s awkward attempt to console him..

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Rannells first gained wider recognition as Elijah on Lena Dunham’s HBO series *Girls*, a role that followed his Tony-nominated performance as Elder Price in the original 2011 Broadway production of *The Book of Mormon*. He later starred in Ryan Murphy’s *The Prom* and appeared in the gay-dad sitcom *The New Normal* (2012) before returning to *Girls* after that series was cancelled.

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Rannells’ reluctance to hire a personal assistant—he has never employed one despite playing one on screen—highlights a broader industry conversation about power and exploitation. He explained that years in theatre taught him to “do things for myself,” making delegation “hard”. He added that many actors “take advantage of people” and he does not want to be that person, emphasizing a need for healthier workplace boundaries.

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Rannells articulated several personal lessons:

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• He is “getting better at” asking for help, acknowledging a Midwestern upbringing that encouraged self-reliance.

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• “I was just trying to keep up with what Allison was doing,” — Andrew Rannells

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• “That book is a great example of seeing things differently,” — Andrew Rannells

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