The performer joins the online meeting and immediately begins an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, sounding genuinely remorseful. Despite being only a bit delayed, she wants to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Luckily, for a writer, this is exactly what is ideal to hear. Additionally, it’s pretty unsurprising. Those who have seen the fearlessly LGBTQ+ and brash project titled Bottoms—that Sennott penned with the director and starred in with close companion Ayo Edebiri—can already know that she has a lot to discuss, ranging from on gender, intimacy, or the appeal of starting a high-school combat group. And, after watching her latest eight-part HBO series titled I Love LA, viewers realize that she holds further thoughts regarding the darker side of young adulthood (At 30, she represents a relatable figure to younger audiences, straddling eras with a knack for straddling both generations).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Likenesses to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott is an admirer, citing the show in addition to the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as guides for the project, which tracks the travails of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also new talent manager Maia. Notably, the biggest spot on concept belonged to the HBO series, the HBO sitcom depicting an emerging Hollywood star making his way in a corrupt LA scene (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott began viewing it amid lockdown, became “captivated”, and decided to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she explains. The idea for I Love LA emerged—partly—from personal, at first rocky, move to Los Angeles and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed event for enthusiasts. That period marked a time that involved her learn major life lessons, work-wise and in private life. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she says. “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
Raised in Connecticut, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing humor while enrolled in acting at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she states. “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 took matters into her own hands, appearing at live shows with Edebiri and sharing hilarious (and distinctly) weird online content online. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted several females fetishistically drawn to having babies; another imagined working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being caught in a scary movie. By chance, she encountered Seligman through campus film circles and ultimately appearing in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a Jewish wake with shades of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her career, she notes, has been peers offering opportunities, instead of the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she emphasizes, stating with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Anyone who questioned about her then will certainly be feeling foolish now. As part of she describes as a “incredibly circular” story, she has created her dream vehicle. In 2019 she posted a video called “it’s LA” on social media, in which she mocked film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with Emma Barrie) of a show about city dwellers juggling advantages of internet fame (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being labeled as being a intoxicated thief, and potentially becoming a risky persona non grata). Some could easy to make a series about internet celebrity that was overly aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at those depicted. This show does neither, creating a representation of affluent young adult existence that’s honest about the grot and the shine.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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
