I Love LA: Leighton Meester on Finding Safety in Rachel's Show
Leighton Meester plays a stereotypical LA publicist, Alyssa, who is the boss of Maia (Rachel Sennott) in the HBO series I Love LA. While her real-life experience with publicists differs from the show's portrayal, some aspects of the storyline resonated deeply with her.
Experiences with Toxic Work Environments
Meester opened up about having faced toxic work environments in the past. She spoke about the challenging relationship between Maia, who seeks a promotion, and Alyssa, reflecting on her own encounters with difficult bosses:
“I've been in toxic work environments. I think that a lot of people have experienced that, being around people who sort of... I don't know, just, like, you have a boss that maybe doesn't uplift you, or whatever.”
Industry Reaction to Her Confession
Josh Hutcherson, who also stars in the series, expressed surprise during their interview for PEOPLE:
“In this industry, that's happened to you?”
Meester admitted:
“It's shocking.”
Working in a Safe, Comedic Environment
The actress appreciated how I Love LA allowed her to explore difficult workplace dynamics within a safe and comedic framework. She shared how this freedom enhanced her performance:
“It was really fun to play with in a safe, comedic environment.”
Leighton explained that not having to face toxic realities on set "in some ways, freed me to really feel the thrill of the ride."
Summary: Leighton Meester shares how portraying toxic workplace dynamics in I Love LA offered a safe space to process her own challenging experiences and embrace the role’s complexity.
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