The star joins the online meeting and at once launches into an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, sounding genuinely regretful. Although she's only a bit late, she feels compelled to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Thankfully, during an interview, that’s just what one hopes to experience. Moreover, it’s quite unsurprising. Those familiar with the boldly LGBTQ+ and outspoken film Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with the director and featured in together with close companion the talented actress—would already know that she holds plenty to discuss, be it on gender, sex, or the appeal of starting a teen fight club. Plus, by the end her latest multi-episode HBO series titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has further insights regarding the struggles of Gen Z life (As a millennial, Sennott is a bridge for this generation, straddling eras adept for bridging both generations).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and the actress admits to being a fan, referencing it alongside the classic series, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for her series, which tracks the struggles of a social media star Tallulah and ally and fledgling talent manager Sennott’s character. However, the largest spot on creative vision went to Entourage, that HBO sitcom about an emerging Hollywood star making his way in a gritty LA scene (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott started watching it amid the pandemic, became “hooked”, and resolved to create a new version on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she explains. The inspiration for the series came—partly—from personal, initially rocky, move to Los Angeles and from her astrological phase, a much-talked-about event for astrology heads. It was a time that included her grasp some big truths, in her career and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Humble Origins
Raised in the East Coast, Sennott began developing and showcasing stand-up while pursuing acting at a prestigious arts school. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she states. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
Sennott decided to act independently, appearing at open mics with Ayo and posting hysterical (and decidedly) bizarre comedy videos on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, depicted characters intensely fixated on motherhood; another envisioned being employed at the brand Hollister as similar to being caught in a thriller. In a neat twist of fate, she met Emma through campus film circles and ultimately starring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a funeral gathering with shades of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her journey, she notes, has been people her own age giving her a shot, rather than traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, adding amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who were skeptical about Sennott earlier will certainly be feeling foolish currently. As part of she labels a “incredibly circular” development, she appears to manifested the perfect project. In 2019 she posted a video called on LA life online, in which she parodied movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a show about city dwellers managing the perks of digital stardom (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your client being labeled as being a intoxicated criminal, and possibly becoming a risky outcast). It would be easy to produce a series about online fame that was horribly glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that mocked at those depicted. This show avoids both, making for a depiction of privileged young adult living that’s candid about the grot and the appeal.
Empathetic Approach
“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
