The performer joins the online meeting and at once begins an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, appearing genuinely remorseful. Although she's only a couple of minutes delayed, she feels compelled to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Fortunately, in this context, that’s just what one hopes to encounter. Moreover, it’s pretty unsurprising. Viewers who know her unapologetically queer and outspoken project Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with Emma Seligman and appeared in with collaborator The Bear’s standout—will understand that Sennott has a lot to share, whether on identity, relationships, or the appeal of creating a high-school brawl society. Furthermore, by the end the recent eight-part show titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star holds additional perspectives on the challenges of young adulthood (As a millennial, she represents a relatable figure to younger audiences, on the cusp adept for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Creative Vision
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and Sennott readily acknowledges an admirer, naming the show together with Sex and the City, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as influences for the project, which tracks the journey of an influencer Tallulah and ally and aspiring talent manager Maia. Notably, the largest presence on the moodboard went to the HBO series, the HBO sitcom focusing on a rising Hollywood star making his way in an often-seedy LA scene (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She began viewing it throughout the pandemic, became “hooked”, and resolved to put her own twist on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she says. The inspiration for I Love LA emerged—in part—from firsthand, initially difficult, move to LA and from the cosmic event, a much-talked-about event for followers. This represented a time that involved her learn some big insights, professionally and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she says. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Raised in Connecticut, Sennott began creating and acting stand-up while enrolled in theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “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. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott seized control, taking the stage at amateur nights with her friend and uploading hilarious (and distinctly) bizarre skits on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on several females intensely obsessed with having babies; another portrayed working at a trendy retail outlet as like being caught in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Emma through campus film circles and ended up appearing in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a religious event with hints of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her career, she notes, has been peers giving her a shot, rather than established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, continuing humorously: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who questioned about Sennott previously will surely be feeling foolish now. As part of she calls a “incredibly circular” story, she seems to have achieved an ideal role. A few years back she uploaded content titled on LA life on the internet, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Years later, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a show about Angelenos balancing the perks of online celebrity (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being labeled as being a drug-addled stealer, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). One might tempting to produce a series about online fame that was extremely aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at the characters. I Love LA does neither, creating a depiction of privileged twentysomething life that’s candid about the mess and the shine.
Empathetic Approach
“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
