The performer enters the online meeting and immediately begins an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, sounding genuinely apologetic. Although she's only a bit late, she needs to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, in this context, that’s just what one hopes to experience. Additionally, it’s fairly unsurprising. Anyone who know her boldly queer and brash movie Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with her creative partner and appeared in together with her friend the talented actress—would understand that Sennott possesses much to discuss, ranging from on gender, sex, or the pros of starting a youth combat group. Furthermore, by the end the latest multi-episode HBO series I Love LA, it is clear that she holds even more perspectives regarding the struggles of young adulthood (At 30, Sennott represents a bridge to younger audiences, on the cusp adept for bridging both generations).
Influences and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott admits to being enthusiastic, naming it in addition to Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as guides for the project, which follows the travails of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and ally and aspiring talent manager portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the largest spot on the moodboard was reserved for the popular sitcom, the HBO sitcom focusing on a rising celebrity navigating in a gritty entertainment industry (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott discovered it during lockdown, became “obsessed”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she notes. The inspiration for I Love LA originated—partly—from her own, originally rocky, move to LA and from her saturn return, a much-talked-about occurrence for followers. This represented a time that saw her learn significant insights, in her career and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “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
Raised in the East Coast, the star commenced creating and acting comedy while pursuing acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she says. “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. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at open mics with her friend and posting uproarious (and decidedly) bizarre comedy videos digitally. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, centered on a group of women fetishistically fixated on motherhood; another envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being caught in a scary movie. Interestingly, she connected with Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up starring in her first film, Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a religious event with echoes of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her career, she says, has been people her own age offering opportunities, instead of traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, adding amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Individuals who questioned about Sennott earlier will likely be regretting it currently. As part of she labels a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she seems to have manifested her dream vehicle. A few years back she uploaded a video titled on LA life on social media, in which she mocked movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a show about LA residents balancing the perks of online celebrity (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your client being suspected of being a drug-addled stealer, and perhaps becoming a risky pariah). Some could simple to create a program about internet celebrity that was extremely glamorous—or, worse, one that mocked at the characters. This show steers clear of each, making for a portrait of advantaged twentysomething living that’s candid about the grot and the shine.
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
