The performer appears on the digital interview and at once launches into an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, appearing genuinely regretful. Although she's only a bit behind, she feels compelled to justify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Thankfully, for a writer, this is precisely what you want to hear. Moreover, it’s quite predictable. Anyone who know the fearlessly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass project titled Bottoms—which Sennott penned with the director and starred in alongside collaborator the talented actress—can already know that Sennott possesses plenty to say, whether on gender, sex, or the merits of starting a youth combat group. Plus, once you finish the new multi-episode show titled I Love LA, it is clear that the star holds even more insights on the struggles of modern youth (As a millennial, Sennott serves as a relatable figure for this generation, a tale-end millennial with a knack for bridging both generations).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and the actress is an admirer, naming it together with the classic series, Insecure and the innovative program as guides for I Love LA, which details the journey of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and new agent portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the biggest influence on the moodboard went to the popular sitcom, that program depicting a rising Hollywood star making his way in a gritty Hollywood (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott discovered it during the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she says. The concept for I Love LA came—partly—from firsthand, at first fractious, relocation to Tinseltown and from the saturn return, a popular phenomenon for followers. That period marked a phase that saw her grasp some big insights, professionally and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “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 …”
Early Beginnings
Raised in Connecticut, Sennott started developing and showcasing comedy while enrolled in performance at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott seized control, performing at open mics with her friend and sharing uproarious (and decidedly) unconventional online content on the internet. One, Baby Cult, centered on a group of women obsessively obsessed with pregnancy; a different one envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being caught in a thriller. By chance, she connected with Emma through NYU’s movie community and ultimately starring in her first film, Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a religious event with shades of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her path, she notes, has been peers offering opportunities, rather than established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, adding humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Individuals who were skeptical regarding her previously will likely be regretting it today. In what she calls a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she has achieved the perfect project. In 2019 she shared a clip titled about Los Angeles on social media, in which she lampooned movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a comedy about city dwellers managing advantages of online celebrity (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your associate being suspected of being a substance-abusing stealer, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). It would be tempting to produce a show about internet celebrity that was overly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that punched down at the characters. I Love LA steers clear of each, resulting in a representation of affluent twentysomething life that’s candid about the chaos and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” she comments. “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
