The star enters the digital interview and right away launches into an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, appearing truly regretful. She is only a bit delayed, she needs to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Fortunately, during an interview, this is just what you want to encounter. Moreover, it’s fairly predictable. Those who know her unapologetically LGBTQ+ and outspoken film titled Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with the director and appeared in with close companion the talented actress—can be aware that she holds much to share, be it about identity, intimacy, or the appeal of starting a high-school brawl society. Furthermore, once you finish her new eight-part HBO series I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she holds even more thoughts on the challenges of modern youth (As a millennial, she represents a relatable figure to younger audiences, on the cusp with a knack for bridging different age groups).
Inspirations and Creative Vision
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls can’t be avoided and the actress readily acknowledges a fan, referencing it together with the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as inspirations for I Love LA, which follows the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend and aspiring talent manager Maia. Perhaps, the most significant presence on the moodboard was reserved for Entourage, the program focusing on a rising A-list actor navigating in an often-seedy entertainment industry (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She began viewing it amid the pandemic, became “hooked”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she says. The idea for I Love LA originated—in part—from firsthand, originally fractious, move to LA and from her cosmic event, a frequently discussed phenomenon for astrology heads. This represented a time that included her understand significant insights, professionally and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she says. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Starting Out
Growing up in New England, Sennott started developing and showcasing humor while pursuing theatre at a prestigious arts school. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she says. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” 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, appearing at open mics with Edebiri and posting hysterical (and very) weird online content digitally. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, followed characters obsessively fixated on pregnancy; another envisioned being employed at the brand Hollister as similar to being caught in a thriller. Interestingly, she encountered Emma through campus film circles and ended up appearing in her first film, Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a religious event with hints of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The big theme of her career, she notes, has been peers giving her a shot, rather than traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, adding humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who were skeptical about her then will certainly be kicking themselves currently. In what she describes as a “wild, full-circle” development, she seems to have manifested her dream vehicle. A few years back she posted content titled “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she mocked movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with Emma Barrie) of a series about Angelenos juggling the perks of digital stardom (such as socializing at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your client being labeled as being a intoxicated stealer, and potentially becoming a risky pariah). Some could simple to create a show about online fame that was overly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that belittled at its subjects. The series does neither, making for a portrait of advantaged young adult existence that’s honest about the mess and the glamour.
Empathetic Approach
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
