THE OUTSIDERS

These two LA dodgers are ‘Alone Together’ in the glitzy glamour of Hollywood

E sther Povitsky is both a real person — and a fictional character.

On Freeform’s new sitcom, “Alone Together” — which premiered Jan. 10 and is co-produced by “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” star Andy Samberg — Esther is an aimless millennial. That’s a far cry from her real-life persona as an actress, comedian and “Alone Together’s” creator.

“It’s based on me and my best male friend,” Povitsky, 29, says about the series, which originated as a 2015 short film of the same name. “We have a platonic friendship and a lot of people would look at us and be like, ‘Are they together? Do they hook up? What’s the deal?’ We always thought this was so weird.

“It’s almost inherently sexist when people assume a man would only hang out with a woman if they want to have sex with her.”

“Alone Together” follows the duo of Esther and Benji (played by Povitsky’s creative partner, Benji Aflalo), un-trendy twentysomethings who feel like fish out of water in the glamour of LA.

Povitsky, who grew up in a Chicago suburb, has acted in shows like The CW’s “Crazy Ex

Girlfriend,” but she’s a relative newcomer to the world of Hollywood: “Alone Together” is the first show she’s created and headlined.

“It’s representative of my early years in LA — just really desperate to make it,” she says. “The real me was very dedicated and devoted to standup and I would do it as much as I possibly could and worked three jobs. This [on-screen] version of me has a little less direction and focus.

“I’m used to doing standup comedy where it’s just me and a microphone and what I say goes,” says Povitsky, who was included in the 2018 Forbes “30 Under 30” list in the Hollywood & Entertainment category.

“A TV series is not something you can test out in front of a room full of Australian tourists at 2 a.m. at The Comedy Store. You just make the series and hope for the best.”

So far, her hopes have paid off — Freeform announced, prior to the show’s premiere, that “Alone Together” was renewed for a second season. And, Povitsky says, she’s not concerned if audiences like her on-screen alter-ego.

“I feel like in TV development, you get criticized because ‘She’s not likable,’” she says. “Or, ‘She doesn’t have a man she’s in love with or a fancy job so you can understand who she is.’ This is a real woman, and she’s not written by bulls--t network men to make her likable.

“To me, that’s the old guard. The new guard is, ‘This is a real person — watch that woman and maybe you’ll be into it [or] maybe you won’t.’ ”

“We’re having some trouble getting the second season underway.” — Starz CEO Chris Albrecht on the status of the drama series “American Gods,” which lost showrunners Michael Green and Bryan Fuller and stars Gillian Anderson and Kristin Chenoweth (both say they won’t return).