The actress and writer on the uproarious series depicting that chaotic appeal of Gen Z existence
The performer joins the digital interview and right away starts an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, appearing really remorseful. Although she's only a couple of minutes delayed, she wants to explain. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Luckily, for a writer, that’s precisely what one hopes to experience. Additionally, it’s quite expected. Viewers familiar with the boldly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass project titled Bottoms—that she collaborated on with the director and appeared in together with collaborator Ayo Edebiri—would be aware that Sennott possesses plenty to say, be it on roles, intimacy, or the merits of starting a youth brawl society. And, after watching her recent seasonal show I Love LA, it is clear that she carries further insights about the struggles of Gen Z life (At 30, Sennott serves as a bridge to younger audiences, on the cusp with a knack for bridging both generations).
Inspirations and Creative Vision
The comparisons to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and the actress readily acknowledges enthusiastic, referencing it alongside Sex and the City, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as guides for I Love LA, which follows the journey of an influencer Tallulah and close companion and new talent manager Maia. However, the largest spot on creative vision belonged to Entourage, the HBO sitcom focusing on an emerging Hollywood star succeeding in a gritty LA scene (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott began viewing it throughout COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and decided to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she notes. The concept for I Love LA came—to some extent—from firsthand, initially difficult, transition to LA and from the astrological phase, a much-talked-about phenomenon for followers. It was an era that saw her learn major insights, in her career and in private life. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she says. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Starting Out
Raised in Connecticut, the star commenced writing and performing stand-up while pursuing theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
Sennott seized control, appearing at open mics with her friend and sharing uproarious (and distinctly) weird online content digitally. One, Baby Cult, centered on characters obsessively obsessed with pregnancy; another envisioned working at the brand Hollister as similar to being trapped in a thriller. Interestingly, she encountered Emma through campus film circles and ultimately starring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a religious event with shades of Uncut Gems. The central motif of her career, she notes, has been peers supporting her, instead of the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, adding amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who were skeptical regarding Sennott then will surely be kicking themselves now. As part of she calls a “astonishingly complete” development, she has created her dream vehicle. In 2019 she posted content called “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a show about city dwellers juggling advantages of digital stardom (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your associate being accused of being a intoxicated thief, and potentially becoming a risky pariah). It would be tempting to create a show about digital influence that was extremely glamorous—or, more problematic, one that belittled at those depicted. I Love LA does neither, creating a representation of privileged millennial existence that’s honest about the grot and the glamour.
Nuanced Portrayal
“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
