The star enters the video call and immediately launches into an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, appearing truly remorseful. Although she's only slightly delayed, she needs to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Fortunately, in this context, this is precisely what you want to hear. Moreover, it’s pretty unsurprising. Viewers familiar with the fearlessly LGBTQ+ and brash movie titled Bottoms—that she penned with the director and featured in with her friend the talented actress—can understand that Sennott holds plenty to say, be it about roles, sex, or the pros of forming a youth brawl society. Plus, by the end her recent multi-episode program I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star holds further insights about the darker side of Gen Z life (At 30, she serves as an honorary member of the gang, a tale-end millennial adept for connecting different age groups).
Influences and Creative Vision
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and the actress readily acknowledges an admirer, referencing the show alongside the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as influences for I Love LA, which tracks the journey of an influencer Tallulah and ally who is also aspiring agent Sennott’s character. However, the most significant spot on the moodboard went to the popular sitcom, that program about an up-and-coming Hollywood star navigating in a corrupt entertainment industry (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott started watching it during COVID-19, became “hooked”, and resolved to create a new version on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she explains. The inspiration for this project originated—partly—from her own, originally rocky, move to Los Angeles and from her cosmic event, a popular phenomenon for astrology heads. It was a phase that saw her understand significant life lessons, in her career and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Starting Out
Growing up in New England, Sennott started developing and showcasing stand-up while studying theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She decided to act independently, appearing at open mics with Ayo and posting uproarious (and very) bizarre skits on the internet. One, Baby Cult, depicted characters obsessively obsessed with motherhood; another portrayed working at the brand Hollister as similar to being stuck in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Emma through NYU’s movie community and eventually appearing in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a funeral gathering with hints of the intense thriller. The central motif of her path, she notes, has been people her own age supporting her, instead of established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she repeats, stating amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who had doubts about Sennott previously will likely be regretting it currently. In what she calls a “incredibly circular” story, she has achieved the perfect project. Previously she posted content named on LA life on social media, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with the co-writer) of a show about Angelenos balancing advantages of digital stardom (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being labeled as being a intoxicated thief, and potentially becoming a unreliable persona non grata). Some could simple to make a program about digital influence that was overly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that punched down at those depicted. The series steers clear of each, creating a depiction of advantaged millennial life that’s frank about the chaos and the appeal.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” she says. “I think that young people have been through a lot – I’m mostly thinking of people younger than me, like my little sister, who went to college during Covid, so she had to come home, or my other sister who was doing school online.”|“The younger generation has faced significant
