The star appears on the online meeting and at once begins an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, sounding truly remorseful. Despite being only a couple of minutes behind, she needs to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Luckily, for a writer, this is just what you want to hear. Additionally, it’s quite expected. Those familiar with the unapologetically queer and brash film Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with Emma Seligman and featured in together with collaborator The Bear’s standout—would be aware that Sennott has plenty to say, ranging from about identity, sex, or the pros of creating a teen brawl society. And, after watching the recent eight-part HBO series titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she holds further thoughts on the struggles of Gen Z life (At 30, Sennott serves as an honorary member to younger audiences, on the cusp with a knack for connecting both generations).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and the actress is enthusiastic, referencing the show alongside the classic series, Insecure and Atlanta as guides for I Love LA, which follows the travails of an influencer Tallulah and ally and fledgling representative Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the biggest spot on concept was reserved for the popular sitcom, that HBO sitcom about an up-and-coming A-list actor navigating in a gritty Hollywood (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott began viewing it during COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and decided to put her own twist on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she says. The inspiration for this project came—partly—from personal, initially rocky, relocation to Tinseltown and from the saturn return, a frequently discussed occurrence for astrology heads. It was a time that involved her learn some big insights, work-wise and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she recalls. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Brought up in New England, Sennott began writing and performing stand-up while pursuing theatre at a prestigious arts school. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “None of the university plays cast me either.” And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She decided to act independently, appearing at live shows with Ayo and uploading hilarious (and decidedly) weird skits on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, centered on a group of women obsessively drawn to pregnancy; another imagined working at a trendy retail outlet as like being trapped in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Seligman through the university’s film scene and ended up appearing in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a Jewish wake with shades of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her journey, she notes, has been peers giving her a shot, as opposed to the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, continuing with a laugh: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who had doubts about her then will certainly be feeling foolish currently. In what she describes as a “wild, full-circle” development, she has created her dream vehicle. In 2019 she shared a video named “it’s LA” on social media, in which she parodied movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a series about Angelenos managing the perks of online celebrity (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with downsides (your associate being labeled as being a drug-addled stealer, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). It would be simple to create a show about online fame that was overly idealized—or, even less favorable, one that mocked at its subjects. This show does neither, making for a portrait of advantaged young adult life that’s honest about the grot and the glamour.
Balanced Perspective
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” she observes. “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
