The generations have changed, but the sentiment remains: adulting in your twenties is messy. And every generation gets its own version of the story: Jobs change. Rent gets higher. Technology evolves. But one central question remains: How do you build a life when you’re still figuring out who you are? From Girlfriends and Insecure to Not Suitable for Work, the answer is often found in the people doing it right there with you.
“I think everyone can relate to having a horrible day at work and coming home to roommates who are there for you when you feel like your world is falling apart,” said Nicholas Duvernay, who stars as Kel Washington, an aspiring actor, on the series now on Hulu. “That’s such an integral part of being in your twenties — having that built-in community.”
Like generations past, Gen Z is navigating relationship complications, career uncertainty and financial pressures in an economy where housing and everyday expenses often feel increasingly high. “The cost of living literally just makes it so impossible to balance it. You have to work countless hours a week to really be able to kind of get ahead or have a life outside of work,” he said.
“Just the kind of impossibleness of it all, and how that is added as a weight on top of your friendships, parental stresses, relationships romantically, it’s the juggling act of all, as a 20-something when you’re just getting out of college, and you’re like, ‘This is the real world now.’”
Few moments that define your twenties more than realizing the life you’ve been building toward may not be the one you actually want. Choosing a different path often means disappointing people, risking failure and trusting a version of yourself that hasn’t fully taken shape yet. Duvernay’s character ditches medical school to pursue acting, which leads to family disapproval and his roommates not taking him seriously.
“Kel did a really good job of trying to check all the boxes for so long to appear like he was doing everything right,” he explained. Kel’s transition may be fictional, but Duvernay can totally relate.
“I was just applying to make my parents think that I wanted to go to college because it’s the right thing to do, until I was like, ‘I don’t know if I wanna go to college, guys.’ And they were like, ‘Well, you should’ve told us before we went on three tours and applied to 15 other colleges,’” he chuckled.
“Unlike Kel, my parents were completely supportive and really wanted me to go for it. But just the struggle of being an actor and working the odd jobs and getting told no all the time and that endless, perpetual feeling of being a failure — I immediately understood where he was.”
As a 20-something himself, Duvernay is right in the middle of finding that balance of work, life and the uncertainty of his future. “Working as an actor, you’re away for three to six months of the year, depending on what you’re shooting. And so, pouring into my family and friends is really difficult to do over FaceTime, over the phone and by sending memes. There’s nothing that can replace sitting down and being across from someone and having that true community,” he shared.
“I’m home now, and it’s almost stressful because I can’t be in 100 places at once. I’m really hard on myself, and sometimes I can feel like I’m not doing enough, but I just give myself grace. I’m only human.”
It’s a mantra that every adult — no matter what generation — should take to heart.
Yes, the generations have changed, but the struggle remains: adulthood isn’t something you master overnight. You stumble through it, and if you’re lucky, with good friends and a little grace.
Not Suitable for Work airs its final two episodes of the season on Tuesday, June 23, on Hulu.