The actress and writer on her uproarious series about the messy appeal of today's youth existence
The star joins the video call and right away starts an explanation. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, seeming truly apologetic. Although she's only slightly late, she needs to explain. “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, in this context, that’s just what you want to encounter. Moreover, it’s pretty expected. Anyone who know the unapologetically LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass film titled Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with Emma Seligman and starred in alongside close companion the talented actress—can already know that Sennott possesses a lot to say, be it about identity, intimacy, or the merits of creating a high-school brawl society. Furthermore, by the end her new eight-part show titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she carries additional thoughts regarding the darker side of Gen Z life (As a millennial, Sennott serves as an honorary member to younger audiences, on the cusp skilled for connecting different age groups).
Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and the actress admits to being a fan, naming the show alongside the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as influences for her series, which tracks the journey of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and aspiring agent portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the largest presence on concept went to the HBO series, that program focusing on a rising A-list actor succeeding in a gritty LA scene (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott began viewing it amid lockdown, became “hooked”, and resolved to create a new version 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 notes. The idea for this project originated—in part—from her own, initially rocky, move to Tinseltown and from the astrological phase, a much-talked-about event for astrology heads. This represented a time that saw her learn some big truths, professionally and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” 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…”
Starting Out
Growing up in New England, the star commenced writing and performing comedy while studying performance at NYU’s Tisch. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she says. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
Sennott decided to act independently, appearing at open mics with her friend and uploading hilarious (and distinctly) bizarre skits online. One, titled Baby Cult, depicted a group of women fetishistically drawn to motherhood; a different one portrayed being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being caught in a thriller. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ultimately appearing in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a Jewish wake with shades of the intense thriller. The central motif of her path, she notes, has been peers supporting her, rather than the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, adding amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Career Breakthrough
Those who were skeptical about Sennott previously will likely be feeling foolish today. As part of she labels a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she has achieved her dream vehicle. A few years back she posted a clip titled about Los Angeles on social media, in which she lampooned movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a series about LA residents juggling the perks of online celebrity (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being labeled as being a intoxicated thief, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). It would be easy to create a program about internet celebrity that was extremely aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at those depicted. This show steers clear of each, creating a representation of privileged millennial life that’s honest about the mess and the appeal.
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
