The star appears on the video call and right away launches into an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, appearing really remorseful. She is only a couple of minutes delayed, she wants to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, for a writer, that’s exactly what you want to experience. Besides, it’s quite expected. Those familiar with her boldly queer and brash project titled Bottoms—that she penned with the director and starred in alongside collaborator the talented actress—can already know that she holds much to say, ranging from on gender, intimacy, or the merits of forming a youth combat group. And, after watching the recent seasonal HBO series titled I Love LA, it is clear that the star holds even more perspectives regarding the struggles of Gen Z life (At 30, Sennott represents a relatable figure for this generation, straddling eras with a knack for straddling different age groups).
Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and Sennott is a fan, naming it in addition to the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and Atlanta as influences for I Love LA, which tracks the journey of an influencer Tallulah and ally who is also fledgling representative portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the biggest spot on the moodboard was reserved for the popular sitcom, that program about an emerging A-list actor navigating in a corrupt entertainment industry (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She began viewing it throughout the pandemic, became “captivated”, and decided to put her own twist on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she says. The idea for I Love LA came—to some extent—from her own, initially rocky, move to Los Angeles and from the cosmic event, a much-talked-about phenomenon for enthusiasts. It was an era that saw her learn major life lessons, professionally and individually. “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. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Growing up in Connecticut, the star commenced creating and acting comedy while enrolled in acting at a prestigious arts school. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she explains. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She seized control, appearing at open mics with her friend and sharing uproarious (and decidedly) unconventional online content on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, depicted several females fetishistically drawn to pregnancy; another portrayed being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being caught in a horror film. Interestingly, she met Seligman through the university’s film scene and ended up featuring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a funeral gathering with shades of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The central motif of her path, she notes, has been people her own age supporting her, instead of traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she confirms, continuing humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Anyone who were skeptical regarding Sennott then will certainly be feeling foolish today. Through she labels a “incredibly circular” story, she has achieved the perfect project. A few years back she posted a clip titled “it’s LA” on social media, in which she parodied film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about Angelenos managing advantages of internet fame (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with downsides (your associate being labeled as being a substance-abusing criminal, and possibly becoming a unreliable persona non grata). Some could easy to make a program about online fame that was horribly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that belittled at its subjects. I Love LA does neither, making for a depiction of advantaged twentysomething existence that’s candid about the grot and the glamour.
Empathetic Approach
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” she says. “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
