Lucy Freyer Has Thoughts About All Those Adults & Girls Comparisons

Right after Lucy Freyer finished auditioning for Adults, she celebrated with three glasses of wine at a happy hour with friends. The night was interrupted by a text: executive producer (and comedy legend) Nick Kroll wanted to jump on a Zoom. Freyer rushed home and joined the meeting, anticipating good news. Instead, Kroll requested that they do improv to see how the character she was auditioning for, Billie, would act in a “job interview.” She didn’t realize at first that this was a prank, and Kroll was recording her reaction when he officially offered her the role.

“In the video that he posted on Instagram, it looks like I went into this callback having had three glasses of wine. I’m setting the record straight: I did not know that call was happening. I am a consummate professional,” Freyer tells Elite Daily. That Zoom call marked the beginning of Freyer’s journey in her TV breakout role as Billie, a 20-something who doesn’t have a carved-out plan for her life.

Though the 29-year-old was born and raised in Sydney, Australia, she grew up watching American comedies such as The Office and Saturday Night Live before her high school drama teacher told her that acting was a career option. “From the moment I made the decision that I was going to become an actor, there was never a plan B,” Freyer says.

Freyer moved to New York City in 2014 before graduating from the Juilliard School in 2020. Her first roles included starring opposite Katie Holmes in The Wanderers in February 2023, and playing Owen Wilson’s love interest in Paint, which premiered only a few months later in April 2023. But it was the role of Billie on Adults that she had been inadvertently preparing for all this time.

After landing the part, Freyer discovered a hilariously unexpected connection to the character. “Right before we were going to shoot, I told the showrunners, Ben [Kronengold] and Rebecca [Shaw], ‘I'm going to go back to my drama school to sit in on some classes.’ Then, I saw the script for Episode 4 had Billie visiting her old school. Ben and Rebecca burst out laughing. They said, ‘This is too coincidental. We've cast the perfect person.’”

But Freyer and Billie’s similarities go even deeper. “I think she’s a lot like me,” Freyer says. “Up until recently, I was someone who felt like if I was going to do something, I needed to get it right, and I needed to go all in on it. But I think that's something you can kind of grow out of.”

Compared to her more eccentric roommates, Anton (Owen Thiele), Issa (Amita Rao), Samir (Malik Elassal), and Paul Baker (Jack Innanen), Billie’s plan includes climbing the corporate ladder and paying off her student loans. But in an out-of-character moment, Billie threatens her boss, and her world crumbles. No next steps, no clue about what to do next. In her spiral, she embraces the chaos and uncertainty that comes with dating your high school teacher and almost hooking up with a wanted criminal.

We didn’t set out to make this generation’s Girls.

Luckily, Lucy’s friends are there to help her (even if their support sometimes results in a pricey hospital bill). And IRL, the cast now has a genuine friendship too. “The chemistry that the five of us have comes from knowing our characters so well,” Freyer says. While the show is scripted, the showrunners encouraged the cast to shoot multiple takes — one that was completely scripted, and one that was pure improv. “That’s when improv is best. It's not just trying to be funny for the sake of being funny, it’s driving the story forward.”

The show’s relatability led it to massive popularity online, with countless fan-made edits, thirst traps, and even comparisons to other iconic shows, like Girls.

“We didn't set out to make this generation's Girls, you know?” Freyer says. “It's interesting to have those comparisons, but we're just making a show that is our show. We didn't think too much about what the reaction would be and more just, ‘We're going to make something that we think is really funny and special.’”

While Freyer awaits a potential Season 2 renewal for Adults, she spills about the cast group chat and her favorite Adults memes.

Elite Daily: Do you have a specific moment where you realized that you’re an adult?

Lucy Freyer: Maybe when I signed a lease for my own apartment? That felt big, and it has a washer-dryer too, which feels even bigger. But that's it. I have a permanent retainer, and the wire broke about six months ago, and I haven't gone to get it fixed because I'm scared of the orthodontist.

ED: Is there a favorite Adults meme that you've seen so far?

LF: I love the paywall memes. The Paul Baker “white boy of the month” edits are also hilarious. There's also a video of Jack in front of the poster, which I think is really funny.

ED: What’s the cast group chat like?

LF: It's really chaotic. And constant. I'll put my phone down for 10 minutes, and I'll have 35 unread text messages. Jack just sent this one very emotional edit to us all, which was really sweet.

ED: What was the last thing you talked about in the group chat?

LF: Nick Kroll sent us a selfie with the Adults poster, where he was in front of Amita. He texted us, “I’m Amita now.” Amita responded and said, “OK, I’ll be you. Where are your wife and kids?”

ED: Are there any shows that you’re marathoning right now?

LF: I just started New Girl for the first time. I've never seen it. I watched the pilot last night because I keep seeing comments about Billie and Samir that say, “Close enough, welcome back Nick and Jess,” and I don't know what that means. I should probably know a little bit what that means.

I also watched Sex and the City for the first time this year, even though I’ve lived in New York for 11 years. It became my full personality for six months.

ED: Which Sex and the City character do you identify with the most?

LF: I’m a blend of Carrie and Charlotte.

ED: What are your thoughts on the internet ganging up on Carrie?

LF: Power to her. You have to have a character who embarrasses herself.

ED: Who do you predict will be on your 2025 Spotify Wrapped?

LF: I love Mk.gee. I've also recently gotten into Ethel Cain, who I'm obsessed with, and this band called Valley. I found one of their songs and went down a rabbit hole. Also, of course, the band Baby, who wrote our theme song for the show.

ED: Who was your favorite guest star on Adults to work with?

LF: Charlie Cox. He's become such a good friend of mine; we still hang out and chat all the time. We have a very similar sense of humor; he's definitely my favorite.

ED: What are the guidelines for being a good roommate?

LF: You should either have a roommate who is not your friend, and you just go to your room and hang out separately, or you have to be roommates with someone who you want to eat dinner with every night. The middle ground is where it gets a little tricky, when someone wants to be friends some of the time, but does their own things some of the time. I'm like, "We're either all in or we're all out."

ED: Do you have a plot line pitch for a potential second season?

LF: I'm now thinking of plot lines that I already know, but I can't say any of them.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.