Amita Rao, the breakout star of FX’s Gen Z comedy Adults, says the second season deepens the show’s central relationship tensions, particularly after Issa’s boyfriend Paul Baker marries their friend Anton to remain in the country. While the apparent love triangle drives much of the new season, Rao is especially interested in the unspoken strain between Issa and Anton as close friends, arguing that their lack of a proper discussion is emotionally significant.

Rao, 27, plays the outspoken Issa but says audiences often assume she is the same person, something she views as a common projection onto actors rather than an offence. A stand-up comedian and producer as well as an actor, she was drawn to Adults by its sharp writing and its distinctive Gen Z perspective, but says working in television has required adapting from the more collaborative, less hierarchical world of improvisation.