The star enters the online meeting and right away launches into an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, sounding genuinely apologetic. Although she's only a bit behind, she needs 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!” Thankfully, during an interview, this is just what is ideal to hear. Moreover, it’s quite expected. Those who have seen the unapologetically openly gay and brash project Bottoms—that Sennott penned with the director and appeared in alongside her friend The Bear’s standout—would be aware that she possesses much to share, whether on roles, sex, or the pros of forming a youth fight club. Furthermore, after watching the new eight-part program titled I Love LA, it is clear that she has additional perspectives about the challenges of Gen Z life (At 30, Sennott is a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp skilled for bridging millennials and Gen Z).
Guiding Lights and Creative Vision
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and Sennott is a fan, referencing the show alongside the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as guides for her series, which follows the journey of an influencer Tallulah and close companion who is also new representative Maia. However, the biggest presence on concept belonged to Entourage, the show focusing on an emerging A-list actor succeeding in a gritty LA scene (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott began viewing it throughout lockdown, became “captivated”, and resolved to put her own twist 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 says. The concept for I Love LA originated—partly—from firsthand, initially fractious, move to Tinseltown and from the astrological phase, a much-talked-about event for enthusiasts. That period marked an era that saw her grasp major truths, work-wise and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she says. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Starting Out
Raised in New England, the star started creating and acting humor while pursuing performance at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “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. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott seized control, taking the stage at open mics with Edebiri and uploading hysterical (and very) weird online content on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted a group of women intensely obsessed with having babies; another envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being stuck in a horror film. By chance, she encountered Emma through campus film circles and ultimately featuring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a Jewish wake with echoes of the intense thriller. The big theme of her path, she explains, has been contemporaries supporting her, instead of established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she emphasizes, adding humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who questioned about Sennott then will likely be kicking themselves today. Through she calls a “incredibly circular” story, she seems to have achieved an ideal role. A few years back she posted content titled about Los Angeles online, in which she mocked film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a show about city dwellers managing advantages of digital stardom (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being labeled as being a substance-abusing thief, and potentially becoming a unreliable persona non grata). It would be tempting to make a show about internet celebrity that was overly aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that mocked at the characters. The series does neither, resulting in a depiction of affluent millennial life that’s honest about the grot and the appeal.
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
