The actress and writer on her side-splitting series depicting the messy appeal of today's youth life
The performer enters the video call and at once launches into an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, sounding genuinely regretful. She is only slightly late, she feels compelled to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Fortunately, for a writer, that’s just what one hopes to encounter. Besides, it’s pretty expected. Viewers who have seen the unapologetically queer and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—that she co-wrote with Emma Seligman and featured in alongside her friend the talented actress—can already know that Sennott possesses plenty to say, be it about identity, sex, or the merits of creating a high-school brawl society. And, by the end the latest multi-episode program I Love LA, it is clear that the star holds even more perspectives about the struggles of Gen Z life (As a millennial, she serves as a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp adept for bridging different age groups).
Influences and Creative Vision
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and Sennott admits to being an admirer, citing the show in addition to the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and Atlanta as guides for the project, which details the struggles of a social media star Tallulah and close companion who is also aspiring talent manager portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the largest spot on concept went to Entourage, the show about a rising celebrity succeeding in a corrupt entertainment industry (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott discovered it during the pandemic, 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 notes. The inspiration for I Love LA originated—partly—from firsthand, initially difficult, move to Tinseltown and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed occurrence for followers. That period marked an era that involved her learn some big insights, work-wise and personally. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she says. “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
Growing up in the East Coast, the star started creating and acting humor while pursuing acting at NYU’s Tisch. “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 seized control, taking the stage at live shows with Ayo and sharing uproarious (and decidedly) weird comedy videos on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, followed a group of women fetishistically fixated on motherhood; a different one envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being trapped in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Emma through campus film circles and ultimately featuring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a Jewish wake with shades of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her path, she notes, has been people her own age giving her a shot, as opposed to established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she repeats, continuing with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who had doubts about her previously will likely be regretting it today. As part of she calls a “astonishingly complete” development, she appears to created her dream vehicle. A few years back she posted content titled about Los Angeles on social media, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a series about LA residents balancing benefits of digital stardom (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being labeled as being a drug-addled thief, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). It would be simple to make a series about internet celebrity that was horribly aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at its subjects. This show steers clear of each, making for a depiction of advantaged young adult existence that’s candid about the grot and the glamour.
Balanced Perspective
“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
