The performer joins the video call and right away begins an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, appearing genuinely apologetic. Although she's only slightly behind, she wants to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, during an interview, this is exactly what one hopes to hear. Additionally, it’s quite expected. Viewers who know her fearlessly LGBTQ+ and brash movie titled Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with her creative partner and starred in together with collaborator the talented actress—would already know that she has a lot to say, whether about roles, sex, or the pros of forming a youth combat group. Furthermore, by the end her new multi-episode program I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star holds further insights on the challenges of young adulthood (As a millennial, Sennott represents a bridge to younger audiences, on the cusp skilled for straddling both generations).
Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction
Parallels to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and Sennott admits to being an admirer, citing the show alongside the HBO hit, Insecure and Atlanta as influences for I Love LA, which follows the journey of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also aspiring talent manager Maia. Perhaps, the biggest spot on concept belonged to the popular sitcom, that HBO sitcom focusing on an up-and-coming A-list actor making his way in an often-seedy LA scene (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott began viewing it amid the pandemic, became “hooked”, and decided to create a new version on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she explains. The concept for this project originated—in part—from her own, at first rocky, transition to LA and from the saturn return, a frequently discussed phenomenon for followers. It was a time that included her learn major life lessons, work-wise and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she says. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Early Beginnings
Growing up in New England, the star began writing and performing comedy while studying performance at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott seized control, performing at live shows with her friend and uploading hilarious (and decidedly) unconventional skits on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, centered on a group of women intensely drawn to having babies; a different one envisioned working at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being trapped in a horror film. By chance, she connected with Emma through the university’s film scene and ultimately appearing in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a religious event with hints of the intense thriller. The big theme of her path, she explains, has been peers offering opportunities, as opposed to the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, continuing humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Individuals who had doubts about her then will certainly be kicking themselves currently. In what she labels a “wild, full-circle” story, she seems to have manifested her dream vehicle. A few years back she uploaded content called “it’s LA” on social media, in which she lampooned film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a comedy about LA residents managing the perks of digital stardom (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your client being labeled as being a substance-abusing criminal, and perhaps becoming a risky pariah). It would be easy to produce a series about digital influence that was overly idealized—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at its subjects. The series avoids both, making for a representation of advantaged millennial life that’s frank about the grot and the appeal.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
