I Love LA and Leighton Meester’s Role
Leighton Meester stars in the HBO series I Love LA as Alyssa, a stereotypical LA publicist and the boss of Maia, played by Rachel Sennott. While the character's publicist experience isn’t drawn from Meester’s real life, other aspects of the story resonated with her.
Leighton Meester on Toxic Work Environments
Meester opened up about her past experiences with difficult workplaces, relating to the tense dynamic between Maia, who seeks a promotion, and Alyssa. She reflected:
“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.”
Co-star Reactions and Safe Creative Space
During a PEOPLE interview with co-star Josh Hutcherson, he expressed surprise at Meester’s admission:
“In this industry, that's happened to you?”
Meester agreed, calling it “shocking.”
She also shared how working on I Love LA provided a safe and comedic environment to explore toxic workplace themes:
“It was really fun to play with in a safe, comedic environment, and in some ways, freed me to really feel the thrill of the ride.”
Summary
Meester’s experience with toxic workplaces shaped her portrayal in a show that offers a safer, humorous look at challenging work dynamics.