The actress and writer on the hilarious show portraying that grotty allure of Gen Z life
The star appears on the video call and immediately starts an explanation. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, appearing truly apologetic. Although she's only a couple of minutes delayed, she needs 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!” Luckily, for a writer, this is exactly what you want to encounter. Additionally, it’s quite predictable. Those who know the unapologetically LGBTQ+ and outspoken movie Bottoms—that Sennott collaborated on with her creative partner and starred in alongside collaborator the talented actress—would be aware that she possesses much to discuss, ranging from about identity, intimacy, or the merits of forming a teen fight club. Plus, by the end the latest seasonal show titled I Love LA, it is clear that she carries further perspectives about the struggles of young adulthood (As a millennial, Sennott is a relatable figure to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial adept for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction
Parallels to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott admits to being an admirer, citing it together with the HBO hit, Insecure and Atlanta as influences for the project, which details the journey of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and new representative Maia. However, the biggest presence on concept was reserved for Entourage, the HBO sitcom depicting a rising Hollywood star navigating in a gritty LA scene (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She started watching it amid lockdown, became “hooked”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she says. The inspiration for I Love LA came—to some extent—from her own, initially difficult, transition to Tinseltown and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed occurrence for enthusiasts. That period marked an era that saw her learn major insights, professionally and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Early Beginnings
Raised in New England, the star started writing and performing stand-up while enrolled in acting at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She decided to act independently, appearing at open mics with her friend and uploading hysterical (and decidedly) weird skits on the internet. One, Baby Cult, followed several females obsessively obsessed with having babies; a different one imagined working at a trendy retail outlet as like being trapped in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up starring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a tense film set at a Jewish wake with echoes of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her path, she says, has been peers giving her a shot, rather than established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, stating humorously: “They don’t want us to win.”
Rising Success
Individuals who questioned regarding Sennott earlier will surely be regretting it now. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” story, she appears to created an ideal role. A few years back she shared content called on LA life on the internet, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about city dwellers managing the perks of digital stardom (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being labeled as being a drug-addled stealer, and potentially becoming a unreliable persona non grata). It would be easy to produce a program about internet celebrity that was horribly aspirational—or, worse, one that belittled at its subjects. I Love LA avoids both, creating a portrait of affluent twentysomething life that’s candid about the grot and the shine.
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
