The star enters the digital interview and at once begins an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, appearing really regretful. She is only slightly late, she needs to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Thankfully, in this context, that’s just what you want to encounter. Besides, it’s pretty unsurprising. Anyone who know her unapologetically queer and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—that Sennott penned with her creative partner and featured in together with close companion Ayo Edebiri—can be aware that Sennott possesses much to discuss, whether on roles, sex, or the merits of starting a teen fight club. And, by the end her latest eight-part HBO series titled I Love LA, viewers realize that she holds even more insights on the challenges of young adulthood (At 30, she is a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp adept for straddling different age groups).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and Sennott admits to being an admirer, naming the show alongside the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as inspirations for I Love LA, which details the struggles of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and new representative portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the biggest spot on creative vision was reserved for the popular sitcom, the show focusing on a rising celebrity succeeding in a gritty Hollywood (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott started watching it amid lockdown, became “obsessed”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she says. The inspiration for this project emerged—in part—from firsthand, at first fractious, move to Tinseltown and from her saturn return, a frequently discussed phenomenon for followers. This represented an era that saw her learn some big insights, work-wise and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she says. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Early Beginnings
Growing up in New England, the star commenced developing and showcasing stand-up while pursuing acting at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” 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. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She took matters into her own hands, performing at amateur nights with Ayo and sharing uproarious (and distinctly) unconventional skits online. A particular video, Baby Cult, centered on a group of women intensely obsessed with having babies; another portrayed being employed at the brand Hollister as like being caught in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she met Emma through NYU’s movie community and ultimately appearing in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a religious event with hints of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The central motif of her career, she notes, has been peers giving her a shot, rather than the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she confirms, stating humorously: “They don’t want us to win.”
Rising Success
Anyone who had doubts about her earlier will certainly be kicking themselves currently. Through she describes as a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she has manifested an ideal role. Previously she shared a video called “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she parodied film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about city dwellers managing the perks of online celebrity (such as socializing at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your client being labeled as being a intoxicated criminal, and perhaps becoming a unreliable pariah). One might tempting to make a series about digital influence that was horribly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that punched down at the characters. I Love LA steers clear of each, making for a depiction of advantaged young adult living that’s candid about the chaos and the shine.
Balanced Perspective
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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
