The actress and writer on her side-splitting show depicting that grotty allure of Gen Z life
The performer joins the video call and at once launches into an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, sounding genuinely regretful. Despite being only slightly late, she wants to justify. “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!” Luckily, for a writer, this is exactly what is ideal to hear. Moreover, it’s quite predictable. Viewers familiar with her unapologetically LGBTQ+ and brash film Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with her creative partner and starred in with close companion Ayo Edebiri—would be aware that Sennott holds much to say, whether on identity, relationships, or the pros of starting a youth brawl society. Furthermore, once you finish the new eight-part HBO series I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she carries even more insights on the darker side of young adulthood (At 30, she represents a relatable figure to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial skilled for connecting different age groups).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls can’t be avoided and the actress admits to being a fan, naming it together with Sex and the City, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as influences for the project, which details the struggles of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend who is also new agent portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the biggest influence on the moodboard went to the HBO series, that HBO sitcom about an up-and-coming Hollywood star succeeding in a corrupt LA scene (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She started watching it amid COVID-19, 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 explains. The idea for this project emerged—partly—from personal, originally difficult, transition to LA and from the astrological phase, a popular occurrence for astrology heads. This represented an era that saw her understand some big insights, work-wise and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Humble Origins
Growing up in Connecticut, Sennott commenced writing and performing comedy while studying acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she states. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She took matters into her own hands, performing at live shows with Ayo and sharing hysterical (and distinctly) unconventional comedy videos online. A particular video, Baby Cult, followed several females intensely fixated on motherhood; a different one imagined working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being caught in a horror film. Interestingly, she met Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ended up featuring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a funeral gathering with hints of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her path, she explains, has been people her own age offering opportunities, rather than the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, adding humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Individuals who questioned about her earlier will likely be kicking themselves now. In what she labels a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she seems to have created an ideal role. Previously she uploaded a clip called on LA life on social media, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a series about LA residents juggling advantages of digital stardom (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being labeled as being a substance-abusing thief, and perhaps becoming a risky persona non grata). Some could tempting to make a program about online fame that was horribly idealized—or, more problematic, one that punched down at its subjects. The series does neither, creating a depiction of advantaged millennial existence that’s candid about the mess and the glamour.
Nuanced Portrayal
“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
