The performer joins the video call and at once begins an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, sounding truly apologetic. She is only a bit behind, she needs to justify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, during an interview, this is just what is ideal to experience. Moreover, it’s fairly predictable. Those who have seen the boldly LGBTQ+ and brash project Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with the director and starred in alongside close companion Ayo Edebiri—can be aware that Sennott possesses plenty to share, whether about identity, sex, or the pros of starting a youth combat group. Furthermore, by the end her recent seasonal show I Love LA, it is clear that the star holds additional insights regarding the challenges of young adulthood (At 30, she represents a bridge of the gang, a tale-end millennial skilled for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and Sennott readily acknowledges a fan, naming it together with Sex and the City, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for I Love LA, which tracks the journey of a social media star Tallulah and ally who is also fledgling agent portrayed by Sennott. However, the most significant influence on concept went to the HBO series, the program about a rising A-list actor navigating in a gritty entertainment industry (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She discovered it during lockdown, became “hooked”, and decided to put her own twist 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 idea for I Love LA came—in part—from firsthand, originally rocky, relocation to Tinseltown and from her saturn return, a popular occurrence for astrology heads. This represented a time that saw her learn major insights, professionally and individually. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she admits. “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 …”
Humble Origins
Growing up in the East Coast, Sennott started writing and performing comedy while studying acting at a prestigious arts school. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She took matters into her own hands, performing at live shows with Ayo and uploading hilarious (and very) weird comedy videos on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted a group of women obsessively drawn to having babies; a different one portrayed being employed at a trendy retail outlet as like being caught in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Emma through NYU’s movie community and ultimately starring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a tense film set at a funeral gathering with echoes of Uncut Gems. The central motif of her path, she says, has been people her own age offering opportunities, rather than the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, adding amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Individuals who had doubts regarding Sennott then will likely be feeling foolish now. As part of she describes as a “astonishingly complete” story, she has manifested her dream vehicle. In 2019 she uploaded a video named “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she mocked film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a comedy about Angelenos juggling the perks of online celebrity (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your client being labeled as being a substance-abusing thief, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). Some could tempting to create a show about online fame that was horribly glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at the characters. This show avoids both, resulting in a portrait of advantaged twentysomething life that’s candid about the mess and the appeal.
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
