The actress and writer on the uproarious series depicting that grotty glamour of younger generation lifestyle
The star appears on the video call and right away begins an explanation. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, sounding truly apologetic. Despite being only slightly delayed, she feels compelled to explain. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, during an interview, this is just what is ideal to experience. Besides, it’s pretty unsurprising. Anyone familiar with the unapologetically queer and unapologetically crass film titled Bottoms—that she collaborated on with Emma Seligman and starred in with close companion The Bear’s standout—will already know that Sennott possesses a lot to discuss, ranging from on gender, intimacy, or the pros of forming a teen fight club. And, once you finish the latest multi-episode HBO series titled I Love LA, it is clear that she has even more perspectives about the darker side of Gen Z life (As a millennial, she represents a bridge for this generation, on the cusp with a knack for connecting both generations).
Influences and Artistic Direction
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and the actress readily acknowledges a fan, referencing the show in addition to the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as influences for the project, which follows the struggles of online personality Tallulah and ally and aspiring agent Maia. Notably, the largest influence on creative vision belonged to Entourage, that show focusing on a rising A-list actor making his way in a corrupt LA scene (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She discovered it during lockdown, became “captivated”, and decided to create a new version on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she notes. The concept for the series came—partly—from her own, at first rocky, relocation to Los Angeles and from her saturn return, a much-talked-about phenomenon for enthusiasts. It was an era that involved her understand some big life lessons, professionally and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she says. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Humble Origins
Brought up in Connecticut, the star began developing and showcasing stand-up while pursuing theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
Sennott seized control, taking the stage at amateur nights with Edebiri and posting uproarious (and decidedly) weird comedy videos digitally. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted characters fetishistically drawn to having babies; another imagined working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being caught in a horror film. Interestingly, she met Emma through campus film circles and ended up starring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a religious event with echoes of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her path, she notes, has been people her own age giving her a shot, instead of traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, adding humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Individuals who were skeptical about her earlier will certainly be regretting it now. Through she describes as a “incredibly circular” story, she seems to have achieved her dream vehicle. A few years back she shared a clip titled on LA life on the internet, in which she lampooned film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a show about city dwellers balancing benefits of online celebrity (such as socializing at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your client being accused of being a substance-abusing thief, and potentially becoming a risky outcast). It would be easy to make a show about internet celebrity that was horribly aspirational—or, worse, one that punched down at those depicted. I Love LA avoids both, creating a portrait of advantaged millennial existence that’s candid about the chaos 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