When it comes to comedic acting, Lauren Graham and Nico Santos are undoubtedly two of the biggest experts around. Between Graham’s iconic roles in Gilmore Girls and Parenthood and Santos’ stacked resumé that includes Superstore and Crazy Rich Asians, the duo carry a wealth of invaluable knowledge and experience.

However, there’s one subject that the actors are more than happy to admit they could use a little tutoring in: Gen-Z culture.

That’s what made The Z-Suite such an exciting challenge. The new Tubi comedy series sees Graham tackle the role of advertising guru Monica Marks, with Santos portraying her loyal right-hand exec, Doug Garcia. When they’re pushed out of the agency in favor of young, whip-smart social media manager Madison Shamoun (Kriska Thompson) and her fellow Gen-Z coworkers, Monica and Doug refuse to back down. Instead, they decide to launch a massive campaign of their own, pitting the generations against each other in a fierce competition.

In addition to Graham, Santos, and Thompson, The Z-Suite stars Spencer Stevenson, Anna Bezahler, and Evan Marsh. Katie O’Brien (Teachers) serves as creator, showrunner, writer, and co-executive producer alongside EPs Lance Samuels, Samantha Levine, Daniel Iron, Eric Wattenberg, Gary Vaynerchuk, Matt Higgins, and Jacque Edmonds. Graham and Tristram Shapeero also executive produce.

“It was new — I needed some sort of education,” Graham tells The Nerds of Color about working on the Gen-Z focused show. “I’ve been lucky to work with actors of all different ages, so I didn’t feel so out of it. But there were definitely things to learn.”

“I wish there was a Gen-Z for Dummies that we could check out and read,” Santos jokes.

When asked what they most admire about Gen-Z as a whole, Graham is quick to praise the younger generation’s love of self-expression and desire to push back against societal norms and expectations. “I think there’s a wider array of clothing, language, gender, and identity,” she says. “Just like, a broader freedom than what I grew up with.”

Ahead of the series premiere, the NOC chatted with Graham and Santos about what they learned from their younger Z-Suite co-stars, the legacy of their Gilmore Girls and Superstore characters, the importance of Filipino and queer representation in comedy, and so much more.

Check out the full video interview below:

The Z-Suite premieres on Tubi on February 6. Stay tuned for more coverage!