The star appears on the digital interview and immediately begins an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, seeming genuinely remorseful. Despite being only a bit behind, she needs to justify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Fortunately, during an interview, that’s precisely what one hopes to experience. Moreover, it’s quite expected. Anyone familiar with her unapologetically openly gay and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—that Sennott penned with the director and appeared in alongside collaborator Ayo Edebiri—can already know that Sennott has much to discuss, be it on roles, sex, or the appeal of forming a youth fight club. And, after watching the latest eight-part program I Love LA, viewers realize that she holds further insights on the darker side of young adulthood (At 30, she represents a relatable figure to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial skilled for connecting both generations).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and Sennott admits to being enthusiastic, naming it together with the HBO hit, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for the project, which follows the struggles of an influencer Tallulah and her friend who is also new talent manager Maia. However, the largest presence on the moodboard belonged to the HBO series, the program about a rising A-list actor succeeding in a gritty Hollywood (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott began viewing it during the pandemic, became “hooked”, and chose to create a new version 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 explains. The inspiration for this project emerged—to some extent—from firsthand, at first difficult, transition to Los Angeles and from her saturn return, a popular event for astrology heads. It was a time that involved her grasp significant insights, work-wise and personally. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she admits. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Humble Origins
Growing up in New England, Sennott began creating and acting comedy while studying acting at a prestigious arts school. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. 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.”
She took matters into her own hands, appearing at live shows with Edebiri and sharing uproarious (and very) bizarre skits on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted characters intensely obsessed with pregnancy; another portrayed being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being trapped in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up featuring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a Jewish wake with hints of the intense thriller. The central motif of her career, she explains, has been people her own age giving her a shot, as opposed to the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she repeats, continuing amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Those who had doubts about her then will certainly be regretting it currently. Through she describes as a “incredibly circular” story, she seems to have created her dream vehicle. In 2019 she uploaded content titled about Los Angeles on the internet, in which she parodied movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a show about city dwellers juggling benefits of digital stardom (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being labeled as being a drug-addled thief, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). One might simple to make a series about internet celebrity that was horribly aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at the characters. I Love LA does neither, creating a representation of affluent millennial existence that’s candid about the chaos and the shine.
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
