The actress and writer discussing her hilarious series about the chaotic appeal of Gen Z life
The performer appears on the video call and right away launches into an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, seeming genuinely remorseful. Although she's only a bit delayed, she feels compelled to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Fortunately, for a writer, that’s just what one hopes to encounter. Moreover, it’s pretty unsurprising. Those who know her fearlessly LGBTQ+ and brash project titled Bottoms—which she collaborated on with the director and appeared in together with close companion the talented actress—will understand that Sennott possesses a lot to share, ranging from on gender, relationships, or the appeal of creating a high-school fight club. Furthermore, by the end the new multi-episode show titled I Love LA, it is clear that she carries additional thoughts about the struggles of modern youth (Now in her thirties, Sennott represents an honorary member to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial adept for bridging both generations).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and the actress admits to being a fan, referencing it in addition to Sex and the City, Insecure and Atlanta as inspirations for I Love LA, which details the travails of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend and aspiring talent manager Maia. Notably, the most significant spot on creative vision went to the popular sitcom, the HBO sitcom depicting an up-and-coming A-list actor navigating in a gritty entertainment industry (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She began viewing it throughout lockdown, became “hooked”, and decided to add a fresh perspective on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she notes. The concept for this project originated—in part—from firsthand, initially difficult, relocation to LA and from the astrological phase, a popular phenomenon for enthusiasts. This represented a phase that included her grasp significant insights, work-wise and in private life. “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. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Early Beginnings
Growing up in Connecticut, Sennott began developing and showcasing humor while pursuing acting at a prestigious arts school. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she states. “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?”
Sennott seized control, taking the stage at amateur nights with Edebiri and uploading hilarious (and decidedly) unconventional comedy videos online. One, titled Baby Cult, depicted several females fetishistically drawn to having babies; a different one envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being trapped in a scary movie. Interestingly, she encountered Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up starring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a Jewish wake with echoes of the Safdie brothers’ movie. A recurring idea of her path, she explains, has been people her own age offering opportunities, as opposed to established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she repeats, adding with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Rising Success
Individuals who were skeptical about her then will likely be feeling foolish today. In what she labels a “wild, full-circle” development, she seems to have created the perfect project. A few years back she shared content named about Los Angeles online, in which she mocked film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a comedy about Angelenos balancing the perks of internet fame (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being labeled as being a substance-abusing criminal, and perhaps becoming a risky outcast). It would be simple to produce a show about online fame that was extremely glamorous—or, worse, one that mocked at those depicted. This show does neither, making for a portrait of advantaged millennial living that’s honest about the grot and the shine.
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
