The actress and writer on her uproarious comedy portraying the messy allure of today's youth life
The star appears on the video call and at once launches into an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, appearing really regretful. Despite being only slightly late, she feels compelled to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Fortunately, for a writer, that’s precisely what you want to encounter. Additionally, it’s fairly unsurprising. Those who know her boldly queer and brash movie Bottoms—which she collaborated on with the director and featured in with collaborator Ayo Edebiri—would already know that she possesses much to discuss, be it on roles, relationships, or the merits of starting a youth brawl society. Furthermore, after watching her new multi-episode show I Love LA, it is clear that she carries additional thoughts regarding the struggles of modern youth (As a millennial, she represents a bridge to younger audiences, straddling eras with a knack 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, citing the show in addition to the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and Atlanta as influences for the project, which follows the travails of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and aspiring talent manager Maia. However, the largest presence on the moodboard belonged to the HBO series, the show about an up-and-coming celebrity navigating in a gritty Hollywood (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She discovered it amid the pandemic, became “captivated”, and decided 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 explains. The idea for the series came—in part—from firsthand, at first rocky, relocation to LA and from her cosmic event, a popular event for enthusiasts. That period marked an era that saw her learn significant truths, in her career and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she admits. “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
Brought up in Connecticut, the star commenced developing and showcasing stand-up while studying theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at open mics with Edebiri and uploading hysterical (and distinctly) bizarre skits on the internet. A particular video, Baby Cult, centered on several females obsessively obsessed with pregnancy; another envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being stuck in a horror film. By chance, she connected with Emma through campus film circles and eventually featuring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a tense film set at a funeral gathering with shades of the intense thriller. The central motif of her path, she says, has been people her own age offering opportunities, as opposed to established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, adding amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who were skeptical about her previously will certainly be kicking themselves now. As part of she calls a “wild, full-circle” story, she appears to created her dream vehicle. A few years back she shared content titled about Los Angeles online, in which she mocked film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with the co-writer) of a comedy about city dwellers managing benefits of internet fame (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being labeled as being a intoxicated thief, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). One might easy to make a program about digital influence that was horribly idealized—or, worse, one that belittled at its subjects. This show avoids both, resulting in a portrait of advantaged millennial existence that’s honest about the mess and the shine.
Empathetic Approach
“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” she comments. “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
