'I Love LA' star Jordan Firstman speaks his mind about Hollywood, 'Heated Rivalry'
- - 'I Love LA' star Jordan Firstman speaks his mind about Hollywood, 'Heated Rivalry'
Patrick Ryan, USA TODAYDecember 21, 2025 at 7:01 AM
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NEW YORK – Jordan Firstman needs a vacation.
The irreverent multihyphenate is struggling to come down after a prolific 2025: releasing comedy album “Secrets”; directing his first feature film, “Club Kid;” and appearing in Season 2 of FX’s since-canceled “The English Teacher.” Most notably, he’s broken through as part of HBO’s hustle culture comedy “I Love LA,” which wraps its inaugural season Sunday (10:30 pm ET/PT).
“I’m in my work era. I feel very stimulated,” Firstman, 34, says brightly during a sit-down early this month. “I definitely want to take a week off, and I need to figure out what the best use of my time is. Half of me wants to go to Korea and get a new face, and then the other half is like, ‘I should sleep.’ Two very ‘I Love LA’ problems!”
Jordan Firstman says 'I Love LA' is both 'modern' and 'confronting'
"I'm grateful for the place I'm in now," Jordan Firstman says. "I don't have to compromise so much of what I want to say."
Created by Rachel Sennott, “I Love LA” follows an aspiring talent manager named Maia (Sennott) as she tries to wrangle her chaotic influencer bestie, Tallulah (Odessa A’zion). Firstman plays millennial stylist Charlie, who pals around with the girls when he’s not contending with New Age pop stars or an ex-boyfriend’s sex tapes.
Throughout his career, Firstman has been sent his share of scripts with “offensive, poorly written gay characters.” But he’s grateful that Sennott, a close friend, entrusted him with someone “complicated” like Charlie, who’s forced to confront himself and what his priorities are.
“He has a major shield around him through his ability to be cutting and sarcastic and judgmental, and throughout the season, he sheds a bunch of layers,” Firstman says. “His journey feels very spiritual to me.”
Charlie (Jordan Firstman, left), Alani (True Whitaker) and Tallulah (Odessa A'zion) attend an influencer's funeral in the darkly satirical "I Love LA."
Some critics have dismissed “I Love LA” as “vapid," “exhausting” and "self-indulgent" in its depiction of terminally online social climbers. Firstman notes there have been countless film and TV characters obsessed with money and status, many of whom didn’t receive similar levels of vitriol.
“It’s interesting the way people perceive ambition when it’s filtered through women and gays (working) in what a lot of people think is this superficial industry,” Firstman says. “But then they can watch shows like ‘Succession,’ which is about objectively way worse people. You see so many tales of ambition – like Timmy (Chalamet) playing ping-pong – and that’s somehow more valid to them than getting a brand deal.
“Younger people are resonating with this show because they understand how hamster wheel the world feels right now,” Firstman continues. “This is what we have to do to stay alive, whereas 10 years ago when ‘Girls’ came out, you could flounder more. We’re fighting to pay rent, and everyone is just trying to chase something. That is why the show feels so modern to me, and there is going to be a knee-jerk reaction when something is so confronting.”
"Charlie ends up having one of the more dynamic arcs on the show," Jordan Firstman says. "He changes a lot."
He understands firsthand the pitfalls of internet stardom. During the 2020 COVID lockdown, he went viral with his hyper-specific impression videos that caught the attention of Ariana Grande and Katy Perry.
“It definitely felt a bit lonely, because it feels so big in the moment and then it’s forgotten about so fast,” Firstman recalls. “People are there like, ‘We love you! You’re our favorite person!’ And then they’re not there anymore.”
Looking for something good to watch? Amid the deluge of television in 2025, here are the very best, starting with number 20: "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" (Paramount+)
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Looking for something good to watch? Amid the deluge of television in 2025, here are the very best, starting with number 20: "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" (Paramount+)
">Looking for something good to watch? Amid the deluge of television in 2025, here are the very best, starting with number 20: "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" (Paramount+)
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"The Gold" (PBS)
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"The Gold" (PBS)
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"The Gold" (PBS)
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"The Gold" (PBS)
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"High Potential" (ABC)
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"High Potential" (ABC)
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"High Potential" (ABC)
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"High Potential" (ABC)
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"IT: Welcome to Derry" (HBO)
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"IT: Welcome to Derry" (HBO)
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"IT: Welcome to Derry" (HBO)
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"IT: Welcome to Derry" (HBO)
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"The White Lotus" (HBO)
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"The White Lotus" (HBO)
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"The White Lotus" (HBO)
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"The White Lotus" (HBO)
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"Sirens" (Netflix)
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"Sirens" (Netflix)
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"Sirens" (Netflix)
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"Sirens" (Netflix)
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"Severance" (Apple TV)
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"Severance" (Apple TV)
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"Severance" (Apple TV)
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"Severance" (Apple TV)
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"Matlock" (CBS)
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"Matlock" (CBS)
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"Matlock" (CBS)
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"Matlock" (CBS)
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"Apple Cider Vinegar" (Netflix)
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"Apple Cider Vinegar" (Netflix)
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"Apple Cider Vinegar" (Netflix)
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"Apple Cider Vinegar" (Netflix)
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"Overcompensating" (Prime Video)
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"Overcompensating" (Prime Video)
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"Overcompensating" (Prime Video)
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"Overcompensating" (Prime Video)
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"Task" (HBO)
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"Task" (HBO)
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/5rnk7LLwniNYg6m9hZ_QAw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/045b158afe7fa773051dc35ccc08c7ab class=caas-img data-headline="The 20 best TV shows of 2025" data-caption=" -
"Task" (HBO)
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"Task" (HBO)
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/5rnk7LLwniNYg6m9hZ_QAw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/045b158afe7fa773051dc35ccc08c7ab class=caas-img> -
"North of North" (Netflix)
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"North of North" (Netflix)
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/R8rNQr2ixHBqrHup.MWbiQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/daa4d552e0f79ea483f8da364f3fb86f class=caas-img data-headline="The 20 best TV shows of 2025" data-caption=" -
"North of North" (Netflix)
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"North of North" (Netflix)
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/R8rNQr2ixHBqrHup.MWbiQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/daa4d552e0f79ea483f8da364f3fb86f class=caas-img> -
"Taskmaster" (YouTube)
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"Taskmaster" (YouTube)
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/xBMdoeZVe3aIeqyecRiS3g--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD02OTk-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/481fdcaf52aad6be336cb8185b6ce54e class=caas-img data-headline="The 20 best TV shows of 2025" data-caption=" -
"Taskmaster" (YouTube)
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"Taskmaster" (YouTube)
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"Boots" (Netflix)
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"Boots" (Netflix)
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"Boots" (Netflix)
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"Boots" (Netflix)
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/nKBw1w4DFp1sS2u2EzNFRg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/5b90ba315c2ecd6cfdf27a5229948045 class=caas-img> -
"Death by Lightning" (Netflix)
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"Death by Lightning" (Netflix)
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Ts_kTuiBOfnyj6CpiYrcgw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/4d6b33b7daf9b027aab493f8a5e4d019 class=caas-img data-headline="The 20 best TV shows of 2025" data-caption=" -
"Death by Lightning" (Netflix)
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"Death by Lightning" (Netflix)
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"The American Revolution" (PBS)
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"The American Revolution" (PBS)
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Gs6spEOEtCvkigKYuXj48A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04MzM-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/01f730a785d6d5772a883899c6039cd1 class=caas-img data-headline="The 20 best TV shows of 2025" data-caption=" -
"The American Revolution" (PBS)
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"The American Revolution" (PBS)
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"Adolescence" (Netflix)
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"Adolescence" (Netflix)
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/bk3BvlEBjciADlc7vnZs7A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD02MjE-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/9a21720c000a97dab0e721049165b892 class=caas-img data-headline="The 20 best TV shows of 2025" data-caption=" -
"Adolescence" (Netflix)
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"Adolescence" (Netflix)
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/bk3BvlEBjciADlc7vnZs7A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD02MjE-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/9a21720c000a97dab0e721049165b892 class=caas-img> -
"Andor" (Disney+)
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"Andor" (Disney+)
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"Andor" (Disney+)
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"Andor" (Disney+)
" src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/ArZ6AeX.rrh5Nl_8R38.4A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD01MjA-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/c7e67a765516cdb936e9e156edac4f65 class=caas-img> -
"The Pitt" (HBO Max)
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"The Pitt" (HBO Max)
" data-src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/6uckj13BKr83Yc9oGJGbWQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/usa_today_slideshows_242/117496dbc736128a830c19b3ccc2f3bd class=caas-img data-headline="The 20 best TV shows of 2025" data-caption=" -
"The Pitt" (HBO Max)
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"The Pitt" (HBO Max)
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1 / 19The 20 best TV shows of 2025
Looking for something good to watch? Amid the deluge of television in 2025, here are the very best, starting with number 20: "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" (Paramount+)
He’s leaned on comedian friends including Benito Skinner (“Overcompensating”), who also found fame on TikTok and Instagram during quarantine.
“If I get a brand deal, I’ll be like, ‘Is this too corny? Can I do this?’” Firstman says. “Or when people are hating on me - we both, as gay guys, know the game of gays on the internet. The second you get any modicum of success, they’re going to turn on you. I’ve been through so many ups and downs with that.”
Why it's 'complicated' to watch gay hockey show 'Heated Rivalry'
Jordan Firstman, left, and Brian Jordan Alvarez in sitcom "The English Teacher."
Firstman recently ruffled feathers with comments about HBO Max’s hockey hit “Heated Rivalry,” telling Vulture that the show’s depiction of gay sex was unrealistic. He was somewhat more complimentary days before that interview published.
“I watched it and it’s complicated, as a writer,” Firstman says, grinning. “You’re like, it’s not good! But it’s also really hot. You’ve got to give it to them, like, that’s OK, too! Let people have fun.”
"I Love LA" breakout Jordan Firstman poses for a portrait in New York on Dec. 8.
A Long Island native, Firstman grew up loving the works of Stephen Sondheim, Woody Allen and Paul Mazursky: “Not a lot of Gen Z have those references, so I’m able to have a different point of reference than a lot of this stuff going on.”
Firstman has had numerous "diversions" as a standup, musician and TV writer. The actor has long felt comfortable in his body, he says, and in the 2023 indie film “Rotting in the Sun,” he performed unsimulated sex on camera.
“I've always been a very sexual person,” Firstman says. “I definitely did it in a really intense way in ‘Rotting,’ although my feature (‘Club Kid’) is not super-sexual. I wanted to take a step back from that. You get wrapped up in that persona and it does get boring.”
He feels that Hollywood “has not even begun to skim the surface of a lot of issues going on with gay people.” “Club Kid,” for instance, “is a very emotional story for me” about party drugs and the ways they can “creep into your life.”
“I Love LA” was picked up for a Season 2, and he hopes that Charlie will continue to be “iconic” and even “a little crazier.” (“There's something an audience likes about seeing me embarrassed and humiliated.”) He also doesn’t take work for granted, and wants to keep “fostering a community” in the industry and beyond.
“You can’t burn bridges,” Firstman says. “You have to be well-liked because those are the people giving you the jobs. I'm such a s---talker ... I’ve learned you can't do that.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'I Love LA' star Jordan Firstman says 'Heated Rivalry' is 'really hot'
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
