How Younger Celebrates Female Friendships & Millennial Empowerment Like No Other Show

By Sara Radin


American comedy series Younger chooses a unlikely focus compared to other shows on television today: the power of female friendship, particularly across generations. “I love that it’s the forefront of our show,” Hilary Duff told MTV News at the show’s press day in New York City, one morning in late April. While conversations around feminism and media that put powerful females front and center have become more normal in recent times, Younger is distinct in how it portrays girls navigating relationships, both friendly and professional, in the face of an ageist culture.


Still, according to Duff, characters Liza (played by Sutton Foster) and Kelsey, “have noticed their way into a real sisterhood, and they’ve got each other’s backs.” Right now in its sixth season, crowds have witnessed the two female characters grow and evolve separately and with each other because the individuals have traditional strong sisterly love, even immediately after several setbacks in their friendship, and highs and lows in their careers and romantic relationships. And this special bond isn't something that has occurred just for the cameras; case in point it’s something Hilary and co-star Foster mention is genuinely felt in real life. “We're able to connect with them in real ways,” explains Foster. And in the latest season, the bond between the two characters is going to be even more crucial as Charles departs Empirical Press, and Kelsey takes the helm.


With the new season underway, MTV News sat down with the co-stars to talk about how Younger champions the friendship between these females, and why their characters (and themselves) have grown alongside each other during the six seasons of the show.


MTV News: I wanted to begin by talking to you two about the power of female friendship and why this show has put that at the heart of the story, especially as soon as your two characters are from different age groups. What do you love most about the connection between Liza and Kelsey as it's ebbed and flowed and gone through different stages?


Sutton Foster: I think, at first, Liza and Kelsey needed so much from each other. Liza was certainly lying about her age and needing a friend, confidant, along with someone she may learn how to be younger from. Nevertheless also, I think Liza initially categorize kind of treated Kelsey in a maternal way. I think it’s also interesting because naturally Hilary and me are so different and of course in different places in our lives, although I think being on the show has helped us connect. The show breaks down generational barriers so you start to be able to see people just as people and respect where they are in their lives and not put such blanket statements on someone like, “Oh, well, you're in your twenties, so that you should, this must mean this or that.”


Hilary Duff: We are in such a rhythm, because we've worked side by side each and every day. And I think that's the same for Kelsey and Liza right now that everything's out on the table and Kelsey has healed from all the little lies that Liza had to tell, I think she completely trusts her. Liza is usually saving the day for Kelsey and boosting her up, habitually and giving her the confidence she needs to sit in the spot that she’s in now.


MTV News: How has this theme played a part in their relationships with other female characters on the show?


Duff: You know, the females [in the show] are constantly there for one another. Diana is excluded in that a little. However in the starting, Maggie is constantly pushing Liza forward, saying things like, “You got this, you're fine.” It's so sweet. And right now Lauren is in the office and her greatest aim is for Kelsey is to be a boss and she sees that in Diana, and she's bringing out that fun in Diana. There’s this awesome jolt of energy between each one of us and we believe in one another.


Foster: It’s all fueled by love. Liza and Diana love one another.


Duff: We find our drama in our males on this show and I love that.


Foster: We have our moments, yet we habitually categorize kind of pick decide on the female friendship over the gentlemen, which I think is great.


MTV News: And even any time there's those moments where you sort of butt heads, you habitually come back to each other, which is really powerful; in our culture today it's so easy to just ignore people. If they do one bad thing, you’re like bye.


Duff: Well I think that, you know, certainly each person loves Liza and each person is rooting for her to win although she's lying. Although I think Kelsey is routinely calling her on her shit, also, and bringing that out. Like, "That's not right and I'm not going to stand for that." Yet they do constantly fight for their relationship and bloom from each little bump in the road that they have.


MTV News: What are you looking forward to the most with this season?


Foster: Things that we've been waiting for the full series. Bombs drop this season. It's series-changing, which is cool.


Duff: At the end of last season, [in] a lot of episodes, it felt good and also you were hopeful. And this season, at the end of every episode, it's like a big bomb goes off.


Foster: You get to be able to see Liza and Charles with each other in a real relationship, which is interesting. What will happen right now that it's no longer a secret romance? Is it still exhilarating? There is lots more work drama. This season is very work-focussed. We've done more pitch meetings, and more scenes in the office — attempting to save the organization — so it's really more about the girls attempting to step up and stake their claim.


Duff: Fix what all of the boys broke.


MTV News: I feel like this show is authentic in the way that once it began there was a real aspire to figure Millennials out and put them in boxes — and right now over the course of six seasons they're the ones in power. It feels realistic.


Foster: In a fantastical way. Realism while wearing Gucci.


Duff: In a Gucci sort of way.


MTV News: The show is so optimistic, especially once it comes to Millennials. It's like, as an alternative opposed to mocking us for avocado toast, here's a show that depicts what Millennial ladies can really achieve any time whenever you empower them.


Duff: Millennials understand the new way. It's hard to navigate — this social media world and influencers, and things that are not going anywhere. It's hard for the older generation to grasp should these trends are real or not. It seems vapid and ridiculous, however it's very much our future. [Millennials] still have questions. As soon as we are put in positions of power, there's still a little bit of flailing. Yet there's a confidence there and a understanding.


MTV News: The show depicts that. I watched the initial two episodes [of Season 6] last night and I thought it was really interesting how you two figured out what to do with Quinn [Laura Benanti] with each other because we're used to a culture that's not that way. It’s very much like, I'm going to figure this out on my own. And thus I feel like the show really emphasizes the power of community and sisterhood in scenes like that.


Foster: I'm delighted of that, too.


Duff: It's like there's space for each person to have a role.