The star appears on the video call and immediately begins an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she exclaims, sounding genuinely remorseful. She is only slightly late, she needs to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Fortunately, in this context, this is exactly what is ideal to experience. Besides, it’s pretty unsurprising. Viewers who have seen her fearlessly LGBTQ+ and brash film Bottoms—that she penned with the director and featured in with her friend the talented actress—would be aware that Sennott holds a lot to share, ranging from on identity, relationships, or the merits of starting a youth fight club. And, after watching her latest eight-part HBO series titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star carries even more thoughts on the challenges of young adulthood (At 30, she represents a relatable figure of the gang, a tale-end millennial with a knack for straddling both generations).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
The comparisons to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and the actress readily acknowledges a fan, naming the show together with the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as guides for I Love LA, which details the journey of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also fledgling agent Maia. Perhaps, the most significant presence on the moodboard belonged to the popular sitcom, the show focusing on a rising A-list actor succeeding in an often-seedy Hollywood (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She began viewing it throughout COVID-19, became “captivated”, and decided to create a new version on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she explains. The idea for this project came—to some extent—from firsthand, originally rocky, transition to Tinseltown and from her cosmic event, a much-talked-about phenomenon for astrology heads. That period marked an era that saw her understand major insights, in her career and in private life. “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. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Starting Out
Brought up in New England, the star commenced writing and performing stand-up while studying acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott seized control, appearing at open mics with Ayo and posting uproarious (and decidedly) weird skits online. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, followed characters obsessively obsessed with motherhood; a different one portrayed being employed at the brand Hollister as akin to being caught in a thriller. Interestingly, she connected with Emma through NYU’s movie community and ended up featuring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a religious event with hints of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The big theme of her journey, she notes, has been people her own age offering opportunities, instead of traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, continuing with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Rising Success
Individuals who were skeptical regarding her then will surely be kicking themselves currently. In what she calls a “incredibly circular” story, she appears to achieved the perfect project. A few years back she uploaded content called “it’s LA” online, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a series about city dwellers managing the perks of internet fame (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your client being suspected of being a drug-addled criminal, and perhaps becoming a risky persona non grata). Some could easy to make a series about internet celebrity that was overly idealized—or, worse, one that punched down at the characters. The series steers clear of each, creating a representation of advantaged twentysomething existence that’s honest about the chaos and the glamour.
Empathetic Approach
“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
