The actress and writer exploring the hilarious series about that grotty allure of younger generation existence
The star joins the digital interview and right away starts an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she exclaims, sounding really apologetic. Although she's only a bit late, she needs to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Fortunately, for a writer, this is just what you want to encounter. Besides, it’s pretty predictable. Those who have seen her unapologetically queer and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with Emma Seligman and starred in alongside collaborator Ayo Edebiri—will understand that she holds a lot to discuss, whether on gender, intimacy, or the merits of starting a high-school brawl society. And, after watching her new seasonal HBO series titled I Love LA, it is clear that the star holds additional thoughts about the darker side of modern youth (At 30, she represents an honorary member for this generation, straddling eras with a knack for straddling both generations).
Influences and Artistic Direction
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and the actress readily acknowledges a fan, naming it together with the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as inspirations for her series, which tracks the struggles of an influencer Tallulah and ally who is also fledgling agent Maia. Notably, the biggest presence on the moodboard belonged to the popular sitcom, that program about an up-and-coming celebrity making his way in an often-seedy LA scene (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She began viewing it during the pandemic, became “captivated”, and resolved 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 explains. The inspiration for I Love LA emerged—in part—from personal, originally fractious, move to Los Angeles and from the astrological phase, a much-talked-about phenomenon for enthusiasts. That period marked a time that saw her understand some big truths, professionally and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Starting Out
Raised in the East Coast, the star began developing and showcasing stand-up while studying performance at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She decided to act independently, performing at open mics with Ayo and uploading hilarious (and distinctly) bizarre skits online. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on a group of women intensely fixated on having babies; another portrayed working at a trendy retail outlet as like being trapped in a horror film. Interestingly, she encountered Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up featuring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a Jewish wake with hints of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her path, she explains, has been contemporaries supporting her, as opposed to the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, adding with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Individuals who questioned about Sennott earlier will surely be kicking themselves now. As part of she describes as a “astonishingly complete” story, she has created the perfect project. A few years back she posted content named about Los Angeles on social media, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a series about Angelenos juggling advantages of online celebrity (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your client being suspected of being a intoxicated thief, and perhaps becoming a unreliable outcast). One might simple to create a program about internet celebrity that was overly aspirational—or, worse, one that punched down at the characters. The series avoids both, making for a depiction of affluent twentysomething life that’s honest 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 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