The actress and writer exploring her uproarious series depicting that messy allure of younger generation existence
The performer enters the online meeting and immediately launches into an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, appearing genuinely regretful. Although she's only a couple of minutes behind, she feels compelled to justify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, for a writer, that’s exactly what is ideal to encounter. Moreover, it’s pretty expected. Viewers who know the boldly openly gay and brash movie titled Bottoms—that she co-wrote with Emma Seligman and featured in together with her friend the talented actress—will understand that she has much to say, whether on identity, intimacy, or the appeal of forming a teen brawl society. And, once you finish her new multi-episode HBO series I Love LA, it is clear that the star carries further perspectives regarding the darker side of modern youth (As a millennial, Sennott serves as an honorary member for this generation, a tale-end millennial skilled for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s Girls are inevitable and Sennott is an admirer, citing it in addition to the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and Atlanta as inspirations for I Love LA, which follows the journey of online personality Tallulah and ally and aspiring representative Maia. Perhaps, the biggest spot on concept went to the HBO series, the HBO sitcom focusing on an up-and-coming Hollywood star navigating in a gritty entertainment industry (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She began viewing it during COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she notes. The idea for the series emerged—partly—from her own, at first rocky, move to Tinseltown and from her saturn return, a popular occurrence for followers. It was a time that involved her learn some big life lessons, work-wise and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she says. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Early Beginnings
Growing up in New England, Sennott started creating and acting stand-up while pursuing performance at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “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?”
She took matters into her own hands, performing at open mics with Ayo and sharing hysterical (and decidedly) unconventional skits on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on a group of women obsessively drawn to having babies; a different one envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being trapped in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Seligman through NYU’s movie community and eventually featuring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a religious event with hints of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her path, she explains, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, as opposed to established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she emphasizes, stating amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Manifesting Dreams
Individuals who had doubts regarding Sennott earlier will certainly be kicking themselves today. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” development, she seems to have achieved her dream vehicle. In 2019 she shared a clip titled on LA life on social media, in which she parodied movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about Angelenos juggling the perks of digital stardom (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your client being accused of being a substance-abusing thief, and possibly becoming a unreliable persona non grata). It would be simple to create a program about digital influence that was extremely aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that mocked at the characters. The series does neither, creating a representation of advantaged millennial existence that’s candid about the chaos and the appeal.
Nuanced Portrayal
“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