The star enters the digital interview and at once launches into an explanation. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, appearing truly remorseful. She is only a bit delayed, she feels compelled to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, in this context, that’s precisely what is ideal to hear. Additionally, it’s pretty unsurprising. Viewers who have seen her unapologetically LGBTQ+ and brash project Bottoms—that Sennott collaborated on with her creative partner and appeared in alongside collaborator The Bear’s standout—would understand that she possesses plenty to say, whether about gender, intimacy, or the pros of forming a youth combat group. Furthermore, once you finish the new seasonal show I Love LA, it is clear that the star carries additional insights on the challenges of Gen Z life (As a millennial, Sennott is a relatable figure for this generation, straddling eras skilled for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and the actress is a fan, referencing the show in addition to Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as influences for her series, which tracks the travails of an influencer Tallulah and ally who is also fledgling representative portrayed by Sennott. However, the most significant presence on concept was reserved for Entourage, that show depicting a rising Hollywood star navigating in a gritty LA scene (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She discovered it throughout lockdown, became “obsessed”, and decided to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she says. The inspiration for I Love LA came—to some extent—from firsthand, at first rocky, move to Los Angeles and from her saturn return, a frequently discussed occurrence for astrology heads. This represented a phase that included her grasp significant insights, work-wise and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she admits. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Growing up in New England, Sennott began developing and showcasing humor while pursuing acting at a prestigious arts school. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” 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 took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at open mics with Ayo and sharing hilarious (and decidedly) unconventional skits online. One, Baby Cult, depicted characters fetishistically fixated on pregnancy; another portrayed working at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being trapped in a thriller. In a neat twist of fate, she met Emma through the university’s film scene and eventually appearing in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a Jewish wake with hints of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her journey, she notes, has been people her own age supporting her, as opposed to established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, stating amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Rising Success
Those who had doubts about Sennott then will likely be regretting it now. Through she describes as a “incredibly circular” development, she has manifested her dream vehicle. In 2019 she shared content called about Los Angeles on social media, in which she lampooned film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with the co-writer) of a series about city dwellers balancing the perks of online celebrity (such as socializing at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your client being accused of being a drug-addled thief, and possibly becoming a risky outcast). One might tempting to make a program about internet celebrity that was overly aspirational—or, worse, one that mocked at its subjects. This show avoids both, resulting in a portrait of advantaged twentysomething existence that’s candid about the mess and the shine.
Nuanced Portrayal
“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
