The performer joins the digital interview and immediately launches into an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, appearing really apologetic. She is only a bit delayed, she needs to explain. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Luckily, for a writer, that’s exactly what you want to experience. Additionally, it’s pretty expected. Viewers who know the unapologetically LGBTQ+ and brash project Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with the director and appeared in with her friend the talented actress—would understand that she holds plenty to say, ranging from about gender, intimacy, or the merits of forming a teen combat group. Plus, after watching the new multi-episode show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star holds further perspectives about the darker side of young adulthood (At 30, Sennott serves as a bridge for this generation, straddling eras skilled for bridging different age groups).
Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach
The comparisons to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and the actress admits to being enthusiastic, referencing the show together with the classic series, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for the project, which tracks the travails of an influencer Tallulah and her friend who is also aspiring representative Sennott’s character. However, the biggest influence on creative vision went to Entourage, that show about an emerging celebrity making his way in an often-seedy entertainment industry (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She began viewing it throughout lockdown, became “hooked”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she says. The idea for I Love LA originated—to some extent—from personal, originally fractious, move to LA and from the saturn return, a frequently discussed event for astrology heads. That period marked an era that saw her understand major truths, professionally and individually. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Brought up in the East Coast, the star began writing and performing comedy while studying acting at a prestigious arts school. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
Sennott decided to act independently, performing at live shows with Edebiri and sharing hilarious (and distinctly) unconventional comedy videos online. One, Baby Cult, depicted several females intensely drawn to motherhood; another envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being caught in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Seligman through the university’s film scene and ultimately starring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a Jewish wake with echoes of the intense thriller. The big theme of her path, she notes, has been peers giving her a shot, rather than traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, continuing humorously: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who had doubts about her earlier will likely be regretting it currently. As part of she describes as a “incredibly circular” development, she appears to manifested her dream vehicle. Previously she uploaded a clip titled “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she mocked film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a series about city dwellers juggling advantages of online celebrity (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being labeled as being a substance-abusing criminal, and possibly becoming a unreliable outcast). One might easy to produce a series about digital influence that was extremely aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at those depicted. This show avoids both, creating a portrait of privileged millennial life that’s honest about the chaos and the shine.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” she comments. “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
