The performer enters the video call and at once starts an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, appearing genuinely apologetic. Although she's only a couple of minutes delayed, she needs to justify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, during an interview, this is just what is ideal to hear. Additionally, it’s quite unsurprising. Viewers familiar with the fearlessly queer and brash movie Bottoms—that she penned with the director and featured in alongside her friend the talented actress—would already know that Sennott has plenty to share, ranging from about identity, sex, or the merits of forming a high-school brawl society. And, after watching the latest eight-part HBO series I Love LA, it is clear that the star has additional perspectives about the struggles of young adulthood (As a millennial, Sennott represents a relatable figure to younger audiences, on the cusp adept for connecting both generations).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls are inevitable and the actress readily acknowledges a fan, referencing the show together with Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as influences for the project, which tracks the travails of an influencer Tallulah and close companion who is also fledgling agent Maia. However, the most significant presence on creative vision was reserved for the popular sitcom, the HBO sitcom focusing on an emerging Hollywood star succeeding in a gritty Hollywood (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott discovered it during lockdown, became “hooked”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she says. The inspiration for the series came—partly—from her own, originally difficult, relocation to Los Angeles and from her cosmic event, a frequently discussed occurrence for followers. That period marked an era that saw her understand some big insights, in her career and individually. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she recalls. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Growing up in New England, Sennott began creating and acting comedy while studying performance 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 explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She seized control, appearing at live shows with her friend and sharing hysterical (and distinctly) weird online content digitally. One, Baby Cult, centered on characters obsessively drawn to motherhood; a different one portrayed working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being stuck in a thriller. By chance, she connected with Emma through NYU’s movie community and eventually appearing in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a tense film set at a Jewish wake with shades of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The central motif of her career, she says, has been peers giving her a shot, instead of the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, adding with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Those who were skeptical regarding Sennott earlier will certainly be kicking themselves now. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” story, she seems to have created the perfect project. A few years back she shared a video titled on LA life on social media, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with the co-writer) of a series about city dwellers managing advantages of internet fame (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being labeled as being a substance-abusing thief, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). Some could tempting to create a series about online fame that was horribly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that mocked at those depicted. This show steers clear of each, creating a representation of privileged millennial life that’s candid about the chaos and the appeal.
Nuanced Portrayal
“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
