The star enters the digital interview and at once launches into an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, seeming genuinely remorseful. Despite being only a couple of minutes delayed, she wants to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, in this context, that’s precisely what is ideal to encounter. Moreover, it’s quite expected. Those who know the fearlessly openly gay and unapologetically crass project titled Bottoms—that she penned with the director and starred in alongside her friend The Bear’s standout—would be aware that she possesses a lot to say, ranging from on gender, intimacy, or the merits of forming a youth brawl society. Plus, after watching her latest multi-episode program I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star holds even more perspectives about the darker side of young adulthood (Now in her thirties, she serves as a relatable figure of the gang, straddling eras skilled for bridging millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and Sennott is a fan, referencing it alongside the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as influences for the project, which details the struggles of an influencer Tallulah and ally and fledgling talent manager portrayed by Sennott. However, the largest influence on the moodboard belonged to the popular sitcom, the program about an up-and-coming A-list actor navigating in a gritty Hollywood (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She discovered it throughout COVID-19, became “captivated”, and chose to put her own twist on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she says. The idea for I Love LA originated—to some extent—from firsthand, at first fractious, transition to LA and from her astrological phase, a much-talked-about event for astrology heads. This represented a phase that involved her learn significant insights, in her career and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she says. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Growing up in the East Coast, Sennott started developing and showcasing humor while pursuing theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She took matters into her own hands, performing at live shows with Edebiri and sharing hilarious (and decidedly) weird comedy videos online. One, Baby Cult, followed several females intensely fixated on having babies; a different one imagined being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being trapped in a thriller. Interestingly, she met Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ended up featuring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a religious event with shades of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her career, she explains, has been people her own age giving her a shot, as opposed to established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she emphasizes, stating amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who were skeptical regarding her then will surely be kicking themselves currently. In what she calls a “astonishingly complete” story, she seems to have manifested her dream vehicle. A few years back she shared a clip named on LA life online, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about LA residents juggling the perks of online celebrity (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your client being labeled as being a intoxicated thief, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). One might tempting to make a program about internet celebrity that was horribly aspirational—or, worse, one that mocked at the characters. The series avoids both, making for a representation of privileged young adult existence that’s candid about the mess and the shine.
Balanced Perspective
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” she observes. “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
