The star joins the digital interview and right away begins an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, seeming truly apologetic. Despite being only a bit behind, she needs to clarify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, during an interview, that’s precisely what one hopes to hear. Besides, it’s fairly predictable. Anyone who have seen the fearlessly openly gay and unapologetically crass film Bottoms—that she co-wrote with the director and appeared in with collaborator The Bear’s standout—would already know that Sennott holds much to share, be it on roles, relationships, or the pros of forming a teen combat group. And, after watching her new seasonal program I Love LA, viewers realize that the star has further thoughts regarding the struggles of modern youth (Now in her thirties, she represents a bridge to younger audiences, straddling eras adept for bridging both generations).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and Sennott readily acknowledges an admirer, citing the show together with the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as guides for I Love LA, which tracks the travails of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and aspiring agent Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the largest presence on creative vision was reserved for Entourage, that show about an emerging A-list actor succeeding in an often-seedy entertainment industry (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She discovered it during lockdown, became “obsessed”, and chose to put her own twist on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she says. The inspiration for I Love LA came—to some extent—from her own, at first fractious, transition to LA and from the cosmic event, a much-talked-about occurrence for astrology heads. That period marked a time that included her learn some big truths, professionally and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she recalls. “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…”
Humble Origins
Growing up in New England, Sennott began developing and showcasing humor while enrolled in performance at a prestigious arts school. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
Sennott decided to act independently, appearing at amateur nights with Ayo and uploading hysterical (and distinctly) bizarre skits online. One, Baby Cult, depicted several females obsessively fixated on pregnancy; a different one envisioned working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being stuck in a thriller. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Seligman through the university’s film scene and eventually appearing in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a funeral gathering with hints of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her journey, she explains, has been peers offering opportunities, instead of traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, stating with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Anyone who were skeptical regarding her earlier will likely be kicking themselves today. Through she labels a “wild, full-circle” development, she seems to have created her dream vehicle. In 2019 she posted a video titled about Los Angeles online, in which she parodied movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a show about Angelenos juggling advantages of internet fame (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with downsides (your friend being accused of being a substance-abusing stealer, and possibly becoming a risky pariah). It would be tempting to make a show about digital influence that was extremely aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at the characters. I Love LA does neither, resulting in a depiction of privileged young adult existence that’s honest about the chaos and the appeal.
Nuanced Portrayal
“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” 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
