The performer enters the online meeting and immediately launches into an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, sounding genuinely apologetic. Despite being only a couple of minutes late, she wants to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, for a writer, that’s precisely what one hopes to experience. Besides, it’s quite predictable. Those familiar with her boldly openly gay and brash film Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with Emma Seligman and appeared in with close companion Ayo Edebiri—would understand that she possesses much to discuss, be it about gender, relationships, or the pros of forming a teen combat group. Furthermore, by the end the new seasonal HBO series titled I Love LA, viewers realize that the star holds additional insights about the darker side of modern youth (Now in her thirties, she serves as a bridge of the gang, on the cusp with a knack for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Parallels to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and Sennott is a fan, citing it alongside the classic series, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for I Love LA, which follows the travails of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and ally and fledgling representative Maia. Perhaps, the largest presence on the moodboard belonged to the HBO series, that HBO sitcom about an emerging celebrity succeeding in a corrupt entertainment industry (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott began viewing it amid the pandemic, became “captivated”, and decided to put her own twist 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 notes. The concept for this project emerged—in part—from personal, originally difficult, relocation to LA and from her astrological phase, a popular event for enthusiasts. This represented a time that saw her grasp significant truths, professionally and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she recalls. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Starting Out
Growing up in Connecticut, Sennott started writing and performing stand-up while pursuing acting at NYU’s Tisch. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she states. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “None of the university plays cast me either.” And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott seized control, appearing at live shows with Edebiri and sharing hilarious (and distinctly) unconventional comedy videos digitally. One, Baby Cult, centered on characters fetishistically fixated on pregnancy; another envisioned working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being caught in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she met Emma through NYU’s movie community and ultimately appearing in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a religious event with hints of Uncut Gems. The central motif of her journey, she notes, has been people her own age offering opportunities, rather than traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she confirms, continuing with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Rising Success
Those who were skeptical about Sennott earlier will surely be kicking themselves today. As part of she describes as a “incredibly circular” story, she seems to have created the perfect project. In 2019 she shared content named on LA life on social media, in which she lampooned film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a series about city dwellers managing the perks of online celebrity (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your client being accused of being a substance-abusing thief, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). It would be tempting to make a show about online fame that was extremely aspirational—or, worse, one that mocked at the characters. This show steers clear of each, making for a depiction of affluent millennial existence that’s frank about the grot and the appeal.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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
