Early in the pilot of Generation, Chester, the supremely confident and cool queer kid who’s also a star athlete with a 4.1 GPA, gets called in to his high school guidance counselor’s office for violating the dress code. It’s his third violation, but he’s not worried; as he flirts with the new 30-something counselor, Sam, he declares, “My tolerance for giving a fuck is, like, minimal.”
It’s lines like these that define the show, HBO Max’s latest take on teenage drama (stylized as Genera+ion). It’s the latest in a genre trend of shows that take adolescence seriously, and aim for complexity and authenticity in their depiction of youth, sexuality, and the struggles of growing up in today’s world. At the risk of adding to the endless list of comparisons, I will say that Generation is not quite as gritty, raw, or dark as other teen ensemble shows like Skins or Euphoria.
If this is anything like HBO’s other teen tale, it’s the lite version. Generation is funny and at times seemingly absurd by intention. It presents a group of young people who are almost all queer, but (in a refreshing move) aren’t struggling with their sexualities so much as navigating the highs and lows, and absurdities, of each of their journeys. Generation‘s young cast of mostly newcomers bring a unique sparkle to the show, which was created by actual teenager, Zelda Barnz, along with her fathers, Daniel and Ben, and produced by Lena Dunham. It’s a true Gen Z story from a creator of the generation. The first three episodes of the series premiere today, March 11, with more to follow in the coming month. Here’s what you need to know about the cast of Generation.
Justice Smith as Chester
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Fans will surely recognize 25-year-old star Justice Smith from his many previous roles in films like Pokémon Detective Pikachu, All the Bright Places, and Netflix show The Get Down.
Chase Sui Wonders as Riley
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The 24-year-old niece of fashion designer Anna Sui, Wonders studied at Harvard and has appeared in projects like the HBO series Betty and Sofia Coppola’s On The Rocks.
Haley Sanchez as Greta
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This is 24-year-old Sanchez’s television debut and first Hollywood role, having previously appeared in projects such as a short film called Redress.
Uly Schlesinger as Nathan
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Schlesinger, who is 24, has previously appeared with Sarah Jessica Parker in The Divorce, and recently played a role in Search Party.
Chloe East as Naomi
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The 20-year-old actor has a long list of IMDB credits, and you might recognize her from HBO’s True Blood, in which she played one of Sheriff Andy’s daughters.
Nathanya Alexander as Arianna
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The 23-year-old actor was born and raised in Brooklyn, attended Fame performing arts high school LaGuardia, and had a role as a cool teen hacker alongside Rihanna in Ocean’s 8.
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