Note: This article contains spoilers for I Love LA Season 1, Episode 5.
When Leighton Meester was first approached to play Alyssa the wildly unpredictable boss of Maia, portrayed by Rachel Sennott she was immediately intrigued by the creator-stars vision and the chance to step into an offbeat, eccentric role. Meester said the character description alone, featuring a woman in her 40s who talks with her mouth full and coughs constantly, was enough to hook her.
While Sennott and co-showrunner Emma Barrie already had a clear direction for Alyssas arc in the HBO comedy, Meester sought to anchor the characters outrageous behavior in small touches of realism. As the hard-charging founder of the management firm Alyssa 180, Alyssa often pushes past the limits of workplace decorum, and Meester wanted those extremes to still make sense within the world of the show.
Meester explained that the challenge wasnt about making Alyssa good, but about grounding her enough that audiences could believe she functions as an adult even if shes barely holding it together. She also emphasized Alyssas complicated influence on Maia: equal parts mentor and obstacle, often without realizing the power she holds or the impact of her abrasive style.
Episode 5 shifts the spotlight to Alyssas personal life, revealing a home environment even more chaotic than her office persona. Maia and Dylan (Josh Hutcherson) visit Alyssas house for dinner, where they encounter a series of neurotic behaviors from both Alyssa and her longtime partner Jeremy (Ben Feldman). Jeremys supposed migraines are set off by everything from Maias tone of voice to her perfume, exposing cracks beneath Alyssas seemingly curated life.
According to Meester, the contrast between Alyssas confident work persona and her domestic struggles paints a fuller picture of a woman who has built her own empire but still battles instability at home. Things escalate when Maia inadvertently walks in on Jeremy pleasuring himself shortly after excusing himself for a nap, giving Maia an unexpected glimpse into Alyssas reality and what her own future might look like if she follows Alyssas path too closely.
Meester noted that Alyssa represents the life Maia could end up with if she prioritizes ambition above all else: the impressive home, the thriving business, the long-term partner without guaranteed happiness behind the scenes. Having it all, Meester suggested, is still something no one has quite figured out.
She praised Feldman for his brief but memorable performance, calling his willingness to dive into bizarre comedic territory essential to revealing the dynamic Alyssa navigates at home. Their on-screen chemistry, filled with quick shorthand and affectionate bickering, helped define the dysfunctional relationship at the heart of the episode.
I Love LA airs Sundays at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and HBO Max.
