The actress and writer discussing her side-splitting comedy portraying that grotty glamour of younger generation life
The star joins the online meeting and at once starts an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, seeming really remorseful. She is only a bit behind, 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 one hopes to hear. Moreover, it’s fairly unsurprising. Viewers who know her unapologetically openly gay and outspoken project titled Bottoms—which she co-wrote with Emma Seligman and featured in together with her friend Ayo Edebiri—would be aware that Sennott has a lot to share, whether on gender, relationships, or the appeal of starting a teen brawl society. And, once you finish her new multi-episode show I Love LA, viewers realize that she holds even more thoughts about the challenges of modern youth (As a millennial, Sennott is a relatable figure to younger audiences, on the cusp with a knack for connecting different age groups).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and Sennott readily acknowledges enthusiastic, citing it together with the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as influences for I Love LA, which follows the struggles of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend and new representative portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the most significant influence on concept belonged to the HBO series, the show depicting a rising celebrity making his way in a corrupt entertainment industry (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She started watching it throughout the pandemic, became “captivated”, and chose to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she explains. The inspiration for I Love LA emerged—in part—from firsthand, at first difficult, transition to Tinseltown and from the cosmic event, a popular occurrence for astrology heads. That period marked an era that saw her learn significant insights, in her career and individually. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she recalls. “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…”
Starting Out
Growing up in the East Coast, Sennott commenced writing and performing comedy while studying performance at a prestigious arts school. “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. 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.”
She seized control, appearing at live shows with Edebiri and uploading uproarious (and decidedly) bizarre skits digitally. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, followed a group of women obsessively obsessed with pregnancy; another envisioned working at a trendy retail outlet as like being trapped in a thriller. By chance, she encountered Emma through NYU’s movie community and ultimately featuring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a religious event with hints of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her path, she says, has been peers offering opportunities, rather than established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, stating amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Anyone who questioned regarding Sennott earlier will surely be kicking themselves now. As part of she labels a “wild, full-circle” story, she has created the perfect project. Previously she posted a video called about Los Angeles on the internet, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with Emma Barrie) of a series about Angelenos managing advantages of online celebrity (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being accused of being a intoxicated thief, and perhaps becoming a risky persona non grata). It would be simple to make a program about digital influence that was extremely glamorous—or, more problematic, one that punched down at those depicted. This show avoids both, creating a representation of privileged twentysomething life that’s honest about the grot and the shine.
Balanced Perspective
“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