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Parts of the craziness of I Love LA definitely rang true for Leighton Meester.
On the Rachel Sennott comedy series, Meester plays a stereotypical L.A. publicist, who is also boss to Maia (Sennott), and while her own experiences with her real-life publicist weren’t reflected in the show, there were other pieces of the story that hit home.
“I’ve been in toxic work environments,” Meester, 39, tells PEOPLE, referring to the tricky dynamic that plays out between Maia, who’s hoping for a promotion, and her character, Alyssa. “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.”
Josh Hutcherson, who also costars on the series and was paired with Meester for PEOPLE’s interview, feigns shock at her confession that she’s had experiences with less-than-pleasant bosses.
“In this industry, that’s happened to you?” he says, before she quips, “I know. It’s shocking.”
Kenny Laubbacher/HBO
Meester notes that the toxic work environment dynamic was “really fun to play with in a safe, comedic environment,” like that of I Love LA. The fact that she didn’t exactly “in some ways, freed me to really feel the thrill of the ride,” she adds.
Hutcherson, 33, on the other hand, saw a lot of himself in Maia’s boyfriend, Dylan.
“In general, I feel like Dylan is very much wanting to plan things and do things in a way that are logical and make sense,” he tells PEOPLE. “And I feel that I have a knack for surrounding myself with people that are the opposite, and that can be frustrating at times.”
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As someone who appreciates a plan in real life, the actor says, “I think that that hit home, just the idea of — there’s a way that things can be done that make life just easier, and just a little tiny bit of planning goes a long way.”
Hutcherson admits, though, that he’s “attracted towards chaos,” so he’s not really doing himself any favors.
Along with Meester, Hutcherson and Sennott, 30, I Love LA stars Odessa A’Zion, True Whitaker and Jordan Firstman. The series follows Maia and her “ambitious friend group” as they navigate “life and love in LA,” per HBO’s official logline.
New episodes of I Love LA premiere Sundays at 11 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.
