The star joins the video call and at once launches into an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, seeming truly apologetic. Although she's only slightly late, she wants 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, during an interview, this is precisely what one hopes to hear. Moreover, it’s pretty predictable. Those who know the fearlessly queer and outspoken film titled Bottoms—which she penned with the director and featured in with collaborator the talented actress—will understand that Sennott has plenty to discuss, be it on gender, relationships, or the pros of forming a high-school brawl society. And, once you finish the new seasonal show titled I Love LA, it is clear that she has additional perspectives about the challenges of Gen Z life (As a millennial, she is a bridge of the gang, on the cusp with a knack for connecting millennials and Gen Z).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and Sennott admits to being a fan, referencing it alongside the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as inspirations for I Love LA, which follows the journey of an influencer Tallulah and close companion and fledgling talent manager Sennott’s character. Notably, the most significant presence on the moodboard was reserved for the popular sitcom, that HBO sitcom focusing on an emerging A-list actor succeeding in a gritty entertainment industry (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She began viewing it during COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and chose to put her own twist on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she explains. The concept for the series emerged—to some extent—from firsthand, initially difficult, move to LA and from the cosmic event, a much-talked-about phenomenon for followers. That period marked an era that saw her understand major life lessons, work-wise and in private life. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she recalls. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Raised in the East Coast, Sennott started creating and acting stand-up while studying acting at NYU’s Tisch. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she explains. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She decided to act independently, appearing at open mics with her friend and sharing uproarious (and distinctly) weird online content online. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on characters obsessively drawn to having babies; another envisioned being employed at the brand Hollister as akin to being caught in a thriller. By chance, she met Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up appearing in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a funeral gathering with hints of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her career, she explains, has been peers giving her a shot, rather than established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, continuing with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Career Breakthrough
Anyone who had doubts regarding her previously will surely be regretting it today. Through she describes as a “incredibly circular” story, she seems to have created an ideal role. Previously she shared content called “it’s LA” on social media, in which she parodied film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a show about Angelenos managing advantages of digital stardom (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being labeled as being a intoxicated thief, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). Some could tempting to create a series about digital influence that was overly idealized—or, worse, one that punched down at those depicted. The series steers clear of each, making for a portrait of advantaged twentysomething living that’s candid about the mess and the glamour.
Empathetic Approach
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” she observes. “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
