The star joins the digital interview and right away begins an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, appearing genuinely regretful. Although she's only slightly delayed, she feels compelled to justify. “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 exactly what you want to hear. Moreover, it’s fairly unsurprising. Viewers who have seen her unapologetically LGBTQ+ and outspoken project titled Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with Emma Seligman and starred in alongside close companion the talented actress—can understand that she has plenty to share, ranging from on roles, sex, or the merits of starting a teen brawl society. Plus, after watching her new eight-part show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star holds even more perspectives regarding the struggles of modern youth (Now in her thirties, Sennott is an honorary member for this generation, on the cusp adept for connecting both generations).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and Sennott admits to being enthusiastic, citing it in addition to the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as influences for her series, which follows the travails of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend and fledgling talent manager Maia. Notably, the most significant presence on concept went to the HBO series, the program about an emerging celebrity succeeding in an often-seedy LA scene (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She began viewing it during the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and chose to add a fresh perspective 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 says. The inspiration for the series emerged—to some extent—from firsthand, originally rocky, relocation to Tinseltown and from her astrological phase, a popular phenomenon for followers. That period marked a time that included her grasp major truths, professionally and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she admits. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Early Beginnings
Raised in the East Coast, Sennott started developing and showcasing humor while pursuing acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She decided to act independently, taking the stage at open mics with Ayo and posting uproarious (and distinctly) bizarre skits digitally. A particular video, Baby Cult, followed a group of women obsessively drawn to motherhood; a different one portrayed being employed at a trendy retail outlet as like being caught in a scary movie. By chance, she met Seligman through campus film circles and ultimately starring in her first film, Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a Jewish wake with shades of Uncut Gems. The central motif of her journey, she explains, has been peers offering opportunities, instead of traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she confirms, adding amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who had doubts regarding her earlier will surely be regretting it now. In what she describes as a “wild, full-circle” story, she appears to achieved an ideal role. In 2019 she uploaded a video called “it’s LA” on social media, in which she lampooned film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about LA residents juggling advantages of online celebrity (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being suspected of being a substance-abusing criminal, and potentially becoming a risky persona non grata). One might tempting to make a show about digital influence that was horribly glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at its subjects. This show does neither, making for a depiction of privileged millennial existence that’s candid about the mess and the glamour.
Nuanced Portrayal
“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” 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
