The performer joins the digital interview and right away starts an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, sounding really regretful. Although she's only slightly late, she needs to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Thankfully, for a writer, that’s exactly what is ideal to hear. Additionally, it’s fairly expected. Viewers who have seen her unapologetically LGBTQ+ and outspoken movie Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with the director and appeared in together with close companion the talented actress—can already know that Sennott possesses plenty to discuss, be it about identity, sex, or the appeal of starting a youth combat group. Furthermore, after watching her latest seasonal HBO series titled I Love LA, viewers realize that she holds additional thoughts regarding the darker side of Gen Z life (As a millennial, Sennott represents a relatable figure for this generation, a tale-end millennial adept for bridging different age groups).
Influences and Artistic Direction
Parallels to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and Sennott is an admirer, referencing the show in addition to the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as influences for the project, which follows the travails of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also new representative Maia. However, the biggest spot on creative vision was reserved for Entourage, that program focusing on an emerging Hollywood star succeeding in an often-seedy LA scene (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott discovered it during COVID-19, became “hooked”, and resolved to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she explains. The idea for the series came—partly—from personal, initially difficult, relocation to Los Angeles and from the cosmic event, a popular phenomenon for enthusiasts. It was a phase that involved her learn major life lessons, in her career and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she admits. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Early Beginnings
Raised in the East Coast, Sennott began writing and performing stand-up 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 explains. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She took matters into her own hands, performing at live shows with Edebiri and uploading hilarious (and very) bizarre comedy videos digitally. One, titled Baby Cult, followed several females fetishistically drawn to pregnancy; a different one imagined working at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being caught in a thriller. Interestingly, she met Emma through campus film circles and eventually starring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a religious event with echoes of the intense thriller. The big theme of her journey, she explains, has been people her own age offering opportunities, rather than the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, continuing humorously: “They don’t want us to win.”
Career Breakthrough
Those who were skeptical regarding Sennott previously will likely be kicking themselves today. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” story, she has created an ideal role. In 2019 she posted a video called about Los Angeles on social media, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with Emma Barrie) of a series about Angelenos managing benefits of online celebrity (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being accused of being a intoxicated criminal, and perhaps becoming a risky outcast). One might easy to produce a series about online fame that was overly idealized—or, worse, one that mocked at its subjects. I Love LA steers clear of each, resulting in a depiction of affluent young adult existence that’s candid about the mess and the appeal.
Nuanced Portrayal
“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
