The performer appears on the video call and right away launches into an explanation. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, sounding genuinely remorseful. She is only slightly late, she needs to explain. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Thankfully, in this context, this is exactly what is ideal to experience. Moreover, it’s fairly predictable. Those who have seen her unapologetically LGBTQ+ and outspoken project Bottoms—which she co-wrote with her creative partner and appeared in with her friend The Bear’s standout—can already know that she holds a lot to discuss, ranging from on identity, sex, or the pros of creating a youth brawl society. And, once you finish the latest seasonal program I Love LA, viewers realize that she has further thoughts regarding the struggles of modern youth (Now in her thirties, Sennott serves as a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp skilled for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Parallels to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott readily acknowledges an admirer, naming the show in addition to the HBO hit, Insecure and the innovative program as guides for her series, which tracks the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend who is also new representative Maia. However, the largest influence on the moodboard went to Entourage, that program focusing on an up-and-coming A-list actor navigating in a corrupt LA scene (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She began viewing it amid the pandemic, became “hooked”, and decided to add a fresh perspective 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 says. The inspiration for I Love LA originated—to some extent—from personal, initially difficult, relocation to LA and from the astrological phase, a much-talked-about phenomenon for followers. It was a time that saw her grasp some big life lessons, professionally and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she admits. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Humble Origins
Brought up in New England, Sennott started creating and acting comedy while studying theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She took matters into her own hands, performing at amateur nights with her friend and sharing hilarious (and very) unconventional online content on the internet. One, Baby Cult, followed several females fetishistically drawn to having babies; another portrayed being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being caught in a horror film. Interestingly, she encountered Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ended up starring in her first film, Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a funeral gathering with hints of the intense thriller. The big theme of her path, she says, has been contemporaries supporting her, as opposed to traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she confirms, adding humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Individuals who questioned about Sennott earlier will certainly be regretting it now. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” story, she seems to have created the perfect project. Previously she shared a clip named “it’s LA” on social media, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about Angelenos balancing the perks of digital stardom (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your client being labeled as being a intoxicated stealer, and possibly becoming a unreliable persona non grata). One might easy to make a show about internet celebrity that was horribly aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at the characters. The series avoids both, creating a depiction of affluent young adult living that’s honest about the mess and the glamour.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
