Allison Williams, the actress best known for her role in the HBO series “Girls,” has recently opened up about her struggles with eczema during a pivotal moment in her career. At the 2013 Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles, where “Girls” won the award for Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy, Williams was grappling with a severe flare-up of the skin condition.
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In an interview with PEOPLE, Williams, now 38, recounted the challenging experience on the day of the awards. Despite the excitement surrounding the event, the actress was dealing with significant discomfort. “That morning I was in Los Angeles in my hotel room, I think I was watching TV or something — I was distracted — and I was itching my calves. I was having a bad flare-up,” she disclosed.
Williams described the severity of her condition, which left her skin “bright pink” and marked with red scratches. Finding makeshift solutions to alleviate her discomfort, she resorted to using the end of a pen to scratch her legs. “Not everything itches equally,” she remarked, highlighting the unique challenges of managing the condition. “That night, in my black dress, if you could see through it, you would see that my calves were an absolute mess.”
Despite her personal health struggle, Williams achieved professional recognition that evening. “Girls,” which portrayed the lives of four young women navigating post-college life in New York City, won critical acclaim during its run from 2012 to 2017. That same night, creator and star Lena Dunham took home the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy.
Reflecting on the night, Williams detailed how her eczema affected her experience at the ceremony. “It stings. It’s so painful; it’s so uncomfortable,” she said. The emotional weight of coping with such a visible health issue while in the spotlight added an extra layer of vulnerability. “It was vulnerable to be like, ‘I am hiding something under this dress.’ That sensation is distracting.”
Today, Williams is managing her eczema more effectively, thanks to the treatment option Dupixent. She revealed that her longstanding battle with the condition had led her to previously believe she had exhausted all treatment avenues. “I’ve just always been someone who had eczema,” she explained. “I had tried every prescription topical under the sun, and I thought that was kind of it. I thought I’d reached the end of the road.”
Her perspective changed after her eczema unexpectedly flared on her scalp, prompting Williams to seek further medical advice. “I reached out to my dermatologist, and I was like, ‘Is there something we have not tried yet?’” After discussing her symptoms, she was recommended Dupixent, a medication that she was initially apprehensive about due to her fear of injections.
“I have always been really nervous around injections,” Williams shared. Despite her reservations, she received guidance from her dermatologist on how to administer the injection. “She showed me how to do it and walked me through the risks and benefits of the medication in general, and sure enough, cut to today, I have found such relief in my symptoms.”
Williams expressed regret over the years spent tolerating her eczema without adequate treatment, revealing her desire to advocate for others in similar situations. “I feel sad for my past self that I was just tolerating the experience I was having before treating it,” she admitted, underscoring the importance of seeking help.
As she reflects on her journey, Williams has partnered with Sanofi and Regeneron to raise awareness about Dupixent, aiming to encourage others struggling with eczema to explore their treatment options. By sharing her story, she hopes to demystify the challenges of managing such conditions while navigating the pressures of public life.
With her renewed approach to treating eczema, Allison Williams looks forward to focusing on her health and well-being, both on and off the camera.