The performer appears on the digital interview and immediately begins an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, seeming really apologetic. Although she's only a couple of minutes delayed, 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, that’s just what is ideal to experience. Additionally, it’s fairly predictable. Anyone who have seen the fearlessly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass movie titled Bottoms—that she penned with Emma Seligman and featured in with collaborator the talented actress—would understand that Sennott has a lot to say, be it on gender, intimacy, or the appeal of starting a high-school combat group. And, after watching her latest multi-episode program I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she holds even more insights regarding the struggles of modern youth (At 30, Sennott serves as a relatable figure of the gang, straddling eras with a knack for connecting both generations).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and Sennott admits to being a fan, citing it in addition to the classic series, Insecure and Atlanta as influences for the project, which tracks the journey of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend and aspiring talent manager Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the largest spot on concept was reserved for the HBO series, that HBO sitcom focusing on a rising Hollywood star navigating in a gritty entertainment industry (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She discovered it amid lockdown, became “hooked”, and resolved to create a new version on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she says. The idea for I Love LA originated—in part—from personal, initially fractious, transition to LA and from the cosmic event, a much-talked-about phenomenon for astrology heads. That period marked a phase that saw her learn some big truths, work-wise and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she recalls. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Early Beginnings
Brought up in the East Coast, the star started writing and performing humor while enrolled in theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott took matters into her own hands, appearing at live shows with her friend and posting hysterical (and very) weird skits on the internet. A particular video, Baby Cult, centered on a group of women obsessively obsessed with motherhood; a different one portrayed working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being stuck in a scary movie. By chance, she connected with Emma through NYU’s movie community and eventually featuring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a funeral gathering with echoes of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her journey, she explains, has been peers giving her a shot, as opposed to the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, stating amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Career Breakthrough
Individuals who had doubts regarding Sennott then will surely be regretting it currently. In what she calls a “astonishingly complete” development, she appears to manifested the perfect project. A few years back she shared a clip titled “it’s LA” on social media, in which she parodied film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a series about city dwellers managing the perks of internet fame (such as socializing at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your friend being accused of being a drug-addled stealer, and potentially becoming a risky outcast). Some could tempting to produce a program about digital influence that was overly aspirational—or, worse, one that belittled at its subjects. This show steers clear of each, making for a depiction of privileged twentysomething living that’s honest about the chaos 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
