The star joins the video call and immediately begins an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, sounding really regretful. Despite being only a bit delayed, she wants to clarify. “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, in this context, this is precisely what one hopes to hear. Moreover, it’s quite expected. Those who have seen the boldly openly gay and outspoken film Bottoms—which she co-wrote with her creative partner and starred in with collaborator The Bear’s standout—will understand that Sennott has a lot to share, be it about roles, intimacy, or the appeal of starting a teen combat group. Plus, by the end the new multi-episode show titled I Love LA, viewers realize that she carries even more thoughts regarding the struggles of modern youth (Now in her thirties, she serves as a bridge of the gang, a tale-end millennial skilled for connecting millennials and Gen Z).
Influences and Artistic Direction
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls are inevitable and the actress readily acknowledges enthusiastic, naming it alongside the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as influences for the project, which follows the struggles of a social media star Tallulah and her friend who is also fledgling representative Sennott’s character. Notably, the most significant spot on creative vision belonged to Entourage, the HBO sitcom about an up-and-coming A-list actor making his way in a gritty LA scene (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott started watching it throughout the pandemic, became “hooked”, and resolved to put her own twist on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she explains. The idea for I Love LA originated—in part—from her own, at first rocky, transition to LA and from the cosmic event, a popular event for astrology heads. This represented a phase that saw her learn major life lessons, in her career and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” 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
Raised in the East Coast, Sennott began developing and showcasing comedy while enrolled in theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at amateur nights with Edebiri and posting hysterical (and decidedly) weird skits online. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on characters fetishistically drawn to having babies; another imagined working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being stuck in a thriller. By chance, she connected with Emma through NYU’s movie community and ultimately appearing in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a Jewish wake with shades of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her path, she explains, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, rather than traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she confirms, adding amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Anyone who had doubts about her then will certainly be regretting it now. Through she describes as a “astonishingly complete” development, she seems to have created an ideal role. A few years back she shared content titled about Los Angeles online, in which she lampooned movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about Angelenos juggling the perks of online celebrity (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your friend being suspected of being a drug-addled stealer, and potentially becoming a risky outcast). One might simple to produce a show about digital influence that was horribly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that mocked at the characters. The series steers clear of each, making for a depiction of affluent young adult life that’s candid about the chaos and the shine.
Empathetic Approach
“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
