The star joins the online meeting and at once begins an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, appearing really remorseful. Although she's only slightly behind, she feels compelled to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Fortunately, during an interview, this is precisely what one hopes to encounter. Besides, it’s quite predictable. Those who have seen the boldly LGBTQ+ and outspoken film titled Bottoms—that Sennott collaborated on with Emma Seligman and featured in with her friend The Bear’s standout—will understand that Sennott holds plenty to share, be it about gender, intimacy, or the merits of starting a youth combat group. Plus, by the end the recent eight-part HBO series I Love LA, it is clear that she has even more thoughts on the challenges of modern youth (Now in her thirties, Sennott is a bridge for this generation, on the cusp adept for connecting millennials and Gen Z).
Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction
Parallels to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and the actress is an admirer, referencing it in addition to Sex and the City, Insecure and the innovative program as influences for the project, which follows the journey of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend who is also new representative Maia. Notably, the largest influence on the moodboard belonged to the popular sitcom, the HBO sitcom focusing on a rising Hollywood star succeeding in a gritty entertainment industry (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott discovered it during the pandemic, became “captivated”, and resolved to put her own twist on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she notes. The concept for I Love LA originated—to some extent—from her own, initially difficult, move to Los Angeles and from the astrological phase, a much-talked-about event for enthusiasts. This represented a phase that saw her grasp significant life lessons, in her career and personally. “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.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Early Beginnings
Brought up in Connecticut, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing humor while enrolled in theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “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. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott seized control, performing at live shows with her friend and posting hysterical (and very) weird skits online. A particular video, Baby Cult, followed a group of women obsessively fixated on pregnancy; another envisioned working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being stuck in a thriller. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Seligman through the university’s film scene and ultimately appearing in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a Jewish wake with shades of the intense thriller. The central motif of her journey, she notes, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, instead of the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she emphasizes, continuing amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who were skeptical regarding her previously will likely be regretting it now. As part of she describes as a “wild, full-circle” story, she seems to have achieved the perfect project. In 2019 she posted a clip titled “it’s LA” on social media, in which she lampooned film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a show about city dwellers balancing the perks of internet fame (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being accused of being a intoxicated stealer, and possibly becoming a risky pariah). Some could tempting to produce a program about internet celebrity that was horribly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that punched down at those depicted. The series steers clear of each, making for a portrait of privileged young adult living that’s honest about the mess 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
