Actor Andrew Rannells says new memoir is about first 7 years in New York and explains 'trading dreams'

From singing and dancing on Broadway to hit TV shows like "Girls" and movies like "The Intern," Andrew Rannells has now added author to his already impressive resume.

The Oklahoma native-turned-New Yorker said his book, "Too Much is Not Enough: A Memoir of Fumbling Upward," focuses on his first seven years in the Big Apple before he got his "first big break" on Broadway in "Hairspray."

"I think that's often the period of time that sort of gets skipped over before you sort of get your first big break," Rannells said Tuesday on "GMA." "But pursuing any kind of dream really starts with the first day you say you want to do it. And then there's a lot of time before it happens."

Ranell's friend and "Girls" co-star Lena Dunham praised his new book, calling it "remarkable." She said it "straddles the line between brutal honesty and wild humor" and added that it is "painful, pure and true."

"That's very generous of her and I've gotten a lot of support from all of those folks which has really been wonderful," Rannells said.

But long before his starring roles, Rannells was a teen model.

"Let me clarify, I did some print work in Nebraska. So I don't know if teen model is the right [term]," he said while looking at his first headshot. "I feel like I had a very clear focus from a young age that that's what I wanted to do."

If he could give any advice to his younger self Rannells said it would be "don't get highlights."

"It's gonna seem like a good idea, but don't do it," he said of the '90s hairstyle.

Rannells had his sights set on New York from a young age and his first gig on the big stage was at Radio City for "Pokemon Live."

"That was sort of a high-slash-low point in my career," he said laughing.

Although it was far from his dream role, he said all of his experiences "motivated" him to keep dreaming bigger.

"They all sort of keep you on the right path and kept me motivated to go," he explained. "You have to be patient right? And you've got to pay your dues in that sense and I paid a lot of dues."

Rannells worked as a temp for Ernst and Young before getting his big break on Broadway.

"I lied and said that I knew how to answer phones - I would just pick it up and hang up," he said with a smile.

But once he started to land more roles his focus shifted.

"All I said was, 'I just want to be on Broadway.' And then very quickly I was like, 'I think I want a bigger part,'" he recalled.

"You keep trading dreams," he said channeling Oprah. "When you achieve a dream then you dream a bigger dream."