The performer enters the digital interview and at once starts an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, appearing genuinely regretful. She is only slightly late, she needs to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” 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 encounter. Moreover, it’s pretty expected. Those familiar with the unapologetically queer and unapologetically crass film Bottoms—that she co-wrote with Emma Seligman and featured in together with her friend the talented actress—can be aware that Sennott possesses a lot to discuss, whether about gender, relationships, or the appeal of forming a high-school fight club. And, once you finish the recent multi-episode HBO series I Love LA, it is clear that the star has additional insights about the struggles of young adulthood (At 30, she represents a relatable figure to younger audiences, on the cusp with a knack for straddling different age groups).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Parallels to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and Sennott readily acknowledges an admirer, citing it together with the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for I Love LA, which follows the journey of online personality Tallulah and ally who is also new talent manager Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the largest spot on the moodboard went to the HBO series, the program about an up-and-coming celebrity succeeding in a corrupt Hollywood (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She began viewing it throughout lockdown, became “captivated”, and resolved to put her own twist 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 notes. The idea for I Love LA came—to some extent—from firsthand, initially difficult, relocation to Los Angeles and from her saturn return, a popular phenomenon for astrology heads. This represented a time that involved her grasp significant life lessons, in her career and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “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, the star started writing and performing comedy while pursuing performance at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott decided to act independently, taking the stage at open mics with Ayo and posting hysterical (and decidedly) unconventional online content on the internet. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted several females obsessively fixated on pregnancy; another portrayed working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being caught in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Emma through the university’s film scene and eventually appearing in her first film, Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a funeral gathering with shades of the Safdie brothers’ movie. A recurring idea of her journey, she says, has been peers offering opportunities, as opposed to established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, adding amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Individuals who had doubts regarding Sennott earlier will surely be feeling foolish today. As part of she calls a “incredibly circular” story, she seems to have created her dream vehicle. In 2019 she uploaded a clip named “it’s LA” online, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a show about LA residents juggling the perks of internet fame (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being accused of being a drug-addled criminal, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). Some could easy to create a show about digital influence that was overly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that mocked at those depicted. This show does neither, making for a depiction of affluent young adult existence that’s honest about the chaos and the appeal.
Empathetic Approach
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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
