The performer appears on the online meeting and immediately starts an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, seeming genuinely regretful. She is only a bit delayed, she feels compelled to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, for a writer, that’s exactly what one hopes to hear. Moreover, it’s pretty predictable. Those familiar with her fearlessly queer and outspoken project titled Bottoms—which she co-wrote with Emma Seligman and starred in with collaborator the talented actress—will already know that Sennott holds a lot to say, be it on gender, relationships, or the pros of creating a high-school combat group. Plus, after watching the latest eight-part program I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she carries even more perspectives regarding the challenges of young adulthood (At 30, Sennott represents a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp with a knack for connecting both generations).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and the actress admits to being an admirer, citing the show in addition to the HBO hit, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as guides for I Love LA, which tracks the travails of an influencer Tallulah and close companion who is also aspiring representative Maia. However, the biggest spot on creative vision belonged to the popular sitcom, that show depicting a rising A-list actor navigating in a corrupt Hollywood (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott started watching it during lockdown, became “hooked”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she notes. The inspiration for I Love LA emerged—partly—from firsthand, originally rocky, transition to Los Angeles and from the saturn return, a popular event for astrology heads. This represented an era that involved her grasp major truths, professionally and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Raised in Connecticut, the star commenced developing and showcasing comedy while enrolled in performance at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she states. “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?”
Sennott took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at open mics with Edebiri and posting hilarious (and distinctly) bizarre skits on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted characters intensely fixated on having babies; another imagined working at the brand Hollister as akin to being trapped in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she met Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up featuring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a funeral gathering with shades of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The big theme of her journey, she explains, has been people her own age supporting her, rather than established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she confirms, stating humorously: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Rising Success
Individuals who were skeptical regarding her earlier will certainly be feeling foolish now. In what she describes as a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she seems to have manifested her dream vehicle. Previously she uploaded content titled about Los Angeles on the internet, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about LA residents balancing advantages of internet fame (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your client being suspected of being a intoxicated criminal, and perhaps becoming a risky outcast). One might tempting to create a show about online fame that was horribly idealized—or, more problematic, one that mocked at those depicted. This show avoids both, making for a representation of privileged millennial life that’s frank about the chaos and the glamour.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
