TV Land original scripted series “Younger” celebrated the premiere of its sixth season at The William Vale in Williamsburg.
The beloved comedic show follows Liza (Sutton Foster) as she returns to the publishing industry after her sudden divorce. A fortysomething mother, Liza claims she’s 26 to be hired as an intern by Diana Trout (Miriam Shor) at Empirical and befriends coworker Kelsey (Hilary Duff), a young editor on the rise with the Millennial imprint, and public relations guru Lauren (Molly Bernard). Liza’s love triangle with “fellow” 26 year old Josh (Nico Tortorella) and publishing boss Charles (Peter Brooks) leads to further complications as she tries to navigate her new life in New York City with the help of best friend Maggie (Debi Mazar).
Season five of “Younger,” which aired last summer, was its highest-rated season to date, and the devoted fanbase to the show has spurred a weekly podcast, post-show special, and even the launch of a book entitled Marriage Vacation, mirroring a major plot point. Last season left viewers on edge with a cliffhanger ending involving career shifts at Millennial affecting Charles, Kelsey, and Kelsey’s on-again-off-again love interest and competitor, Zane (Charles Michael Davis), as well as a new development with Josh and his former fiancé (Phoebe Dynevor).
The ensemble cast gathered at The William Vale to walk the red carpet, reflect on the start of the series, and celebrate the new season with a sunset rooftop party. Much like their respective characters, the cast shared their own personal stories of growth over the last six years, while reminiscing about first becoming attached to television icon Darren Star’s “Younger.” “I went with my heart instead of my mind,” Debi Mazar said, explaining her return to New York after finishing “Entourage” in Los Angeles. Mazar first auditioned for the role of Diana Trout, an arguably similar character to her “Entourage” no-nonsense publicist. “When Darren [Star] said ‘I think I want her to play the friend Maggie,’ I was like ‘oh this could be great, something different.’ It’s not the power suit.”
Mazar’s Maggie brings a sarcastic charm to the ensemble cast with biting one-liners and fierce compassion for both Liza and Josh. Understandably, Mazar sees herself in her character. “I think the writers used my best abilities in terms of physical comedy and comedy-drama to bring into [Maggie],” Mazar explained. “This season is a little bit more mature for Maggie. She’s challenged in situations because of what Josh is going through and because of what Liza is going through, and it gets a little messy and then ties up really nicely [at the end]. It’s a rollercoaster.”
Nico Tortorella also felt a natural connection with their role of swoon-worthy leading man Josh. “He’s quirky, he’s a dork just like me,” Tortorella joked. “He leads with his heart, he loves tattoos. He’s like the watered down straight cis version of me.”
“Younger” debuts on Wednesday, June 12 on TV Land, 10pm ET/PT.