The star joins the video call and right away begins an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, seeming genuinely apologetic. Despite being only a bit 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!” Luckily, for a writer, that’s just what is ideal to encounter. Moreover, it’s pretty predictable. Those who know her unapologetically queer and unapologetically crass film Bottoms—that Sennott penned with her creative partner and featured in alongside her friend the talented actress—would be aware that she has much to discuss, be it about roles, sex, or the pros of starting a youth fight club. Furthermore, after watching her latest eight-part HBO series titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star holds further thoughts on the challenges of young adulthood (As a millennial, Sennott is a bridge of the gang, on the cusp skilled for straddling different age groups).
Inspirations and Creative Vision
Parallels to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott readily acknowledges an admirer, naming the show in addition to the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and Atlanta as guides for her series, which follows the journey of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also new talent manager Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the largest presence on the moodboard went to the popular sitcom, the show depicting an emerging Hollywood star navigating in a corrupt Hollywood (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott began viewing it amid COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and chose to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“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 emerged—partly—from firsthand, originally fractious, relocation to LA and from her astrological phase, a frequently discussed occurrence for followers. This represented an era that involved her grasp significant truths, professionally and in private life. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she admits. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Growing up in New England, Sennott started creating and acting comedy while enrolled in acting at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “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. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She seized control, appearing at open mics with her friend and posting hilarious (and decidedly) bizarre skits on the internet. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted a group of women obsessively drawn to motherhood; a different one imagined working at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being caught in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Emma through NYU’s movie community and eventually starring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a religious event with shades of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her career, she says, has been peers giving her a shot, as opposed to traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, adding with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who were skeptical about Sennott earlier will surely be kicking themselves now. In what she labels a “incredibly circular” development, she seems to have achieved the perfect project. A few years back she posted a video named on LA life on social media, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Years later, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a comedy about Angelenos managing advantages of online celebrity (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being accused of being a intoxicated stealer, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). It would be simple to produce a program about internet celebrity that was horribly aspirational—or, worse, one that punched down at those depicted. The series avoids both, making for a portrait of privileged young adult living that’s honest about the grot 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
