The star joins the video call and right away begins an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, seeming genuinely regretful. Despite being only slightly behind, she feels compelled to explain. “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, in this context, this is just what one hopes to encounter. Additionally, it’s fairly unsurprising. Those who have seen her boldly LGBTQ+ and outspoken movie Bottoms—that she co-wrote with Emma Seligman and featured in together with collaborator The Bear’s standout—will already know that she possesses plenty to say, be it about gender, relationships, or the pros of forming a high-school combat group. Plus, by the end her recent eight-part show titled I Love LA, it is clear that the star has even more thoughts about the struggles of modern youth (At 30, Sennott is an honorary member for this generation, straddling eras skilled for connecting different age groups).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and Sennott admits to being enthusiastic, citing it alongside the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as influences for the project, which details the journey of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and ally who is also new representative Sennott’s character. However, the most significant influence on concept went to the HBO series, the program focusing on a rising A-list actor navigating in a gritty LA scene (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She started watching it amid lockdown, became “obsessed”, and resolved to put her own twist 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 says. The concept for the series emerged—partly—from personal, initially rocky, move to Tinseltown and from her astrological phase, a much-talked-about phenomenon for astrology heads. It was an era that saw her learn significant life lessons, in her career and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “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 began developing and showcasing humor while pursuing theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she states. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She seized control, performing at open mics with her friend and sharing hysterical (and decidedly) unconventional skits on the internet. A particular video, Baby Cult, followed several females fetishistically fixated on pregnancy; another portrayed being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being stuck in a horror film. By chance, she met Seligman through NYU’s movie community and eventually starring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a religious event with echoes of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The central motif of her career, she explains, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, instead of the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, continuing humorously: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Individuals who were skeptical about Sennott previously will certainly be kicking themselves currently. In what she calls a “astonishingly complete” development, she appears to created an ideal role. In 2019 she shared a video called “it’s LA” on social media, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a show about LA residents balancing the perks of digital stardom (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your associate being labeled as being a intoxicated criminal, and perhaps becoming a risky pariah). Some could simple to create a show about internet celebrity that was overly aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at the characters. I Love LA steers clear of each, resulting in a representation of affluent twentysomething life that’s honest about the chaos and the appeal.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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
