As FX’s “Adults” returns for its second season today, star Lucy Freyer has weighed in on comparisons between the comedy and one of television’s most enduring sitcoms: “Friends.”
The Australian actor, who plays Billie in the New York-set series, said being described as the “Friends” of the 2020s was “such high praise,” but stressed that “Adults” isn’t trying to recreate what came before it.
“That’s such a lovely comparison to make. I love ‘Friends’. It’s also a lot of pressure,” Freyer told Variety Australia. “We’re a different show, obviously, and we’re not trying to be this generation’s sort of anything other than a show that people can put on when they’re feeling lonely or feeling sad, and just watch and feel like they have company and make them laugh.”
Freyer said it was that sense of comfort and companionship, rather than any direct similarities between the two comedies, that she hopes is driving the comparison. “I think that for a lot of people, ‘Friends’ does that, and so I think that’s sort of hopefully where those comparisons are coming from,” she said.
“But yeah, we’re doing our own thing. I think it’s such high praise and such a lovely compliment.”
Created by Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw, “Adults” follows a group of twenty-somethings – Billie, Samir, Issa, Anton, and Paul Baker – navigating relationships, work and adulthood while living together in the Queens home of Samir’s parents.
The series has also been noted for depicting a version of New York that looks markedly different to the one occupied by the six central characters of “Friends.” Freyer said its creators were conscious of reflecting the city around them when putting together the cast.
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“I think that Ben and Rebecca, when they were casting the show, they were trying to both find actors who were right for the roles, but also sort of try and depict New York City and Queens as it exists,” she said. “We have tried to do that in the ways that we can. There’s still obviously places where that falls short.”
For Freyer, “Adults” also marks another chapter in a career that has taken her from Australia to the US. And while she is now working in Hollywood, she said the Australian community abroad has proved surprisingly easy to find.
“Australians really find each other over here,” she said. “I have a lot of Australian friends.”
Among them are two fellow actors Freyer attended drama school with, with the trio finding small ways to maintain their connection to home – including starting a book club around an Australian author. “It’s always really lovely, and we talk about Australian things,” she said.
That connection extends to the workplace, too, with Freyer saying hearing a familiar accent on set can create an immediate bond. “I think that we try our best to find each other where we can,” she said. “When you hear an Australian accent on a set or somewhere, people immediately sort of pack up and lock in with each other.”
Season 2 of FX’s “Adults” is streaming now on Disney+.