The actress and writer on her uproarious series portraying the grotty glamour of younger generation existence
The star appears on the video call and right away launches into an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, seeming really apologetic. Although she's only slightly late, she needs to justify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Luckily, for a writer, that’s precisely what one hopes to experience. Besides, it’s fairly expected. Viewers familiar with the unapologetically queer and outspoken film titled Bottoms—that Sennott penned with Emma Seligman and starred in together with close companion The Bear’s standout—can already know that Sennott possesses plenty to discuss, be it on roles, relationships, or the appeal of forming a youth combat group. And, after watching the latest eight-part show titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she carries even more perspectives about the challenges of modern youth (At 30, Sennott is a bridge to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial adept for bridging both generations).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls are inevitable and Sennott is a fan, referencing the show together with the classic series, Insecure and Atlanta as guides for I Love LA, which follows the travails of an influencer Tallulah and close companion and aspiring representative portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the biggest spot on the moodboard belonged to Entourage, that HBO sitcom focusing on a rising Hollywood star making his way in a corrupt entertainment industry (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott began viewing it during the pandemic, became “obsessed”, 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 concept for I Love LA came—to some extent—from personal, initially fractious, move to Los Angeles and from the saturn return, a much-talked-about occurrence for followers. That period marked a time that saw her understand significant insights, in her career and in private life. “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. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Humble Origins
Raised in the East Coast, the star started creating and acting stand-up while studying performance at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she states. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She seized control, appearing at open mics with Ayo and uploading uproarious (and very) unconventional online content online. A particular video, Baby Cult, centered on characters intensely fixated on motherhood; another envisioned working at a trendy retail outlet as like being caught in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Emma through the university’s film scene and eventually appearing in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a religious event with hints of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The central motif of her journey, she says, has been people her own age giving her a shot, as opposed to the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, continuing with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who questioned regarding Sennott previously will certainly be feeling foolish now. Through she labels a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she has created her dream vehicle. In 2019 she posted content called on LA life on the internet, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with the co-writer) of a comedy about LA residents managing advantages of online celebrity (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being suspected of being a substance-abusing thief, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). It would be tempting to produce a show about online fame that was horribly glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at its subjects. This show avoids both, creating a depiction of privileged twentysomething living that’s candid about the grot and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“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
