One of the big questions going into the sixth and final season of “Girls,” which premieres on Feb. 12, is whether Allison Williams’s Marnie and Karpovsky’s Ray will finally wind up together. Karpovsky spoke to the Globe from Los Angeles, where he now lives.

Alex Karpovsky grew up in Newton, the son of a Boston University professor of computer engineering. But the apple fell far from the tree, and Karpovsky, 41, is now an actor as well as the writer-director of five feature films, including “Red Flag” and “Rubberneck.” He is probably best- known for his work with Lena Dunham, though, first in her 2010 movie “Tiny Furniture” and then in her HBO series “Girls.”


Q. When did you start dabbling in the arts?

A. As a BU student, and later in grad school at Oxford, I was studying anthropology and thought I’d teach one day. But when I was at Oxford, I started coming out of my shell. I was introverted, but I felt that to some degree I could reinvent myself and be who I wanted to be, and they couldn’t fact-check it. I wanted to be a more outgoing person who expresses himself creatively, so I started poking around with theater, sketch comedy, and improv troupes over there.

Q. Did you go to New York from there?

A. No. I moved back in with my parents and started doing standup. There was an amazing place in Harvard Square called the Comedy Studio, upstairs from the Hong Kong restaurant.

Q. It’s still there.

A. In the late ’90s, they had alternative comedy on Friday nights, hosted by Eugene Mirman. I started dabbling.

Q. How did you initially connect with Lena Dunham?

A. I met her at a film festival. I was so impressed with her. She was funny and smart and a good time to hang out with. We exchanged e-mails and corresponded. Eventually we became closer friends, and she offered me a part in “Tiny Furniture.”


Q. I gather you now live in LA. Do we Bostonians need to give you dirty looks?

A. I’ve always liked LA. I’ve never had that East Coast rage toward LA. I’m in Silver Lake, which is hilly and leafy. And in some ways it reminds me of Newton, but instead of intellectual Jews populating the streets, it’s all of my friends. I like how green and lush it is. I don’t mind driving. I love LA and I think I’ll be here for a bit.

Q. To me, Ray seems to have emerged as the moral center of “Girls.” Does that seem right to you?

A. Yes. It’s something Jenni Konner, the “Girls” showrunner, told me about how she looked at the character from the beginning. It’s somewhat rooted in the fact that Ray is older than all the principals. He feels an obligation to interact with the characters — especially the girls — in a way that has a hint of reality and righteousness. He likes to give advice.

Q. Is he on a mission to fix Marnie?

A. Yes. His relationship with her is textured though. He’s trying to better her, but he’s trying to better her so she can be a better girlfriend to him. Early on, I didn’t know if the relationship had legs, but the more we played around with these two characters, the more I saw there were interesting layers to peel off. They’re both outsiders. Marnie does feel increasingly ostracized, and I think that’s an unspoken bond between the two of them.


Q. I want to root for Ray, but I don’t know if that means wanting him to wind up with or without Marnie.

A. I know how it ends up. We shot it last summer, from April to August. All I can say is that Ray has a hard time — even though he finds someone he has a lot in common with, he has many unresolved issues: amorphous anger, resentment, cynicism, and judgment. Unless he gets more understanding of those issues, I don’t think he has a sturdy foundation for a relationship. And we haven’t seen him put those pieces together — not yet, anyway. We’ll see what happens.

Q. How does it feel to be done with the show after six years?

A. It’s sad. I loved working on this show. It was fun and fulfilling. Our show became woven into conversations that people were having about important issues like body image. We explored them comedically. We got a lot of criticism, too, which was fascinating. Why are people choosing us to be the fulcrum of these points? Ultimately it was just a really fun life, Lena and the world she built — nothing was put on a pedestal. That made everything relaxed on set. Lena is not precious. She’s goofy and fun and she never got bogged down in criticism or hype.


Q. What did you make of the criticism of Lena and “Girls”?

A. People were criticizing Lena and her circle on the show for not having racially diverse friends. And it’s true, they didn’t. But what is forgotten is that this is a show about very flawed people. Very myopic people. What people are saying about having diverse groups on the show — yeah, where are they? That’s what we’re saying, we’re not making a show about self-actualized people. Lena has taken an angle on people in their 20s who are lost and scared and acting accordingly.

Q. You’ve appeared in two Coen Brothers movies, “Inside Llewyn Davis” and “Hail, Caesar!” What was that like?

A. It was a dream come true. Growing up I’d quote their movies all the time. Some I’ve seen 10 times. It was amazing, after making a few of my own movies, watching them on the set, the way they communicate with the crew and actors, how they design their sets and where they put their cameras. I haven’t been directed by many pairs before. When you’re directed by one person, which is usually the case, you catch them lost in thought during the day, figuring things out. But when you have two people co-directing, those internal calculations are being verbalized. So if you’re close enough to eavesdrop without being a creep, you can sort of crawl inside their minds.


Q. Do you come back to Boston much?

A. Not really. Once or twice a year. My parents have a place in Florida, like all old Jews, so I try to visit them there because it’s warmer.

Interview has been edited and condensed. Matthew Gilbert can be reached at gilbert@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewGilbert.