Odessa A’zion Keeps Family Life Private in New Interview

Odessa A’zion says she prefers to keep parts of her family life out of the public eye.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the 25-year-old actress was asked about her mother, Pamela Adlon, and Adlon’s FX series Better Things, which aired from 2019 to 2022. The show, widely seen as autobiographical, followed Adlon’s character Sam Fox, a divorced actress raising three daughters on her own.

A’zion was 16 when Better Things premiered. When asked about the show, she said people often make assumptions after watching it. According to THR, she read part of her answer from a note saved on her phone.

“People will assume things based off of watching the show,” A’zion said. She added that the series reflects “one person’s perspective of possible shared experiences.”

She remained cautious when asked whether her mother’s career influenced her decision to become an actress. “It’s really hard to talk about without getting into personal specifics that I probably shouldn’t let the world know about,” she said.

When asked if her mother ever tried to discourage her from acting, A’zion again declined to go into detail, saying it was “really hard to answer.” She also chose not to discuss the current state of their relationship.

A’zion began using her stage name in 2021, inspired by her middle name, Zion. She has two sisters, Gideon, 28, and Valentine “Rocky,” 22. Adlon shares her three daughters with her ex-husband, Felix O. Adlon. The couple married in 1996 and divorced in 2010.

Adlon has previously spoken about basing Better Things on her own life, calling the idea a “lightning-bolt” moment. In a 2016 interview on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross, she said she initially tried to protect her daughters while developing the show.

“At first I was being very protective of them,” Adlon said at the time, explaining that she didn’t want her children to feel exposed or used by the project. She later involved them more closely, saying they helped with casting, gave feedback on material, and became part of the creative process. Adlon said the show was dedicated to her daughters and meant to give them a voice.

While Adlon has not frequently spoken publicly about A’zion’s career, she has shared her support on social media. In August, she posted the trailer for A’zion’s film Marty Supreme, praising her daughter’s talent and success.

The film stars A’zion as Rachel Mizler alongside Timothée Chalamet and Gwyneth Paltrow.

In November, Adlon also posted about watching A’zion’s HBO series I Love LA, calling herself a “proud mama” and celebrating her daughter’s work.