The star joins the video call and right away begins an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, sounding truly remorseful. She is only slightly delayed, she needs to explain. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, in this context, this is exactly what is ideal to encounter. Additionally, it’s pretty unsurprising. Anyone familiar with the unapologetically openly gay and brash film titled Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with her creative partner and appeared in alongside close companion The Bear’s standout—would understand that she has a lot to discuss, be it about gender, sex, or the appeal of forming a high-school fight club. Plus, after watching her latest eight-part show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star carries even more thoughts regarding the challenges of Gen Z life (As a millennial, she is a bridge of the gang, a tale-end millennial with a knack for connecting millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and Sennott is an admirer, referencing the show in addition to Sex and the City, Insecure and Atlanta as inspirations for the project, which follows the struggles of a social media star Tallulah and ally and aspiring representative Sennott’s character. However, the most significant influence on creative vision was reserved for the HBO series, the show depicting a rising celebrity making his way in a gritty entertainment industry (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott began viewing it amid the pandemic, became “hooked”, and decided to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she notes. The idea for I Love LA emerged—partly—from firsthand, originally rocky, move to Tinseltown and from the saturn return, a frequently discussed event for followers. This represented a time that involved her learn significant truths, in her career and in private life. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she recalls. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Starting Out
Growing up in Connecticut, the star started writing and performing stand-up while studying performance at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott took matters into her own hands, appearing at live shows with her friend and sharing uproarious (and very) weird comedy videos on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, followed a group of women fetishistically drawn to having babies; another envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being stuck in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ended up featuring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a Jewish wake with hints of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her path, she says, has been people her own age supporting her, as opposed to established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, adding humorously: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who had doubts about Sennott previously will likely be feeling foolish now. In what she labels a “wild, full-circle” story, she has created the perfect project. Previously she uploaded a video named “it’s LA” on social media, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a series about city dwellers balancing advantages of online celebrity (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your friend being accused of being a drug-addled stealer, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). Some could tempting to produce a series about online fame that was overly idealized—or, even less favorable, one that mocked at the characters. The series does neither, creating a depiction of affluent young adult living that’s candid about the chaos and the glamour.
Balanced Perspective
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” she observes. “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
