The actress and writer on her side-splitting series about that grotty appeal of Gen Z life
The performer appears on the video call and right away begins an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, seeming genuinely remorseful. Despite being only slightly late, she wants to justify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Luckily, during an interview, that’s precisely what is ideal to hear. Besides, it’s quite expected. Anyone who know her unapologetically openly gay and outspoken movie titled Bottoms—which Sennott penned with Emma Seligman and featured in alongside her friend the talented actress—can already know that Sennott has much to say, ranging from on gender, intimacy, or the pros of creating a high-school fight club. Furthermore, by the end her new eight-part program titled I Love LA, viewers realize that the star has even more insights on the struggles of young adulthood (Now in her thirties, she represents a relatable figure of the gang, on the cusp with a knack for straddling both generations).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls can’t be avoided and the actress is a fan, naming the show together with Sex and the City, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as influences for I Love LA, which follows the journey of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend and new agent Sennott’s character. However, the biggest spot on creative vision belonged to the HBO series, that show about an up-and-coming celebrity making his way in an often-seedy LA scene (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott discovered it amid the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and resolved to create a new version on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she notes. The inspiration for the series originated—to some extent—from personal, initially rocky, transition to LA and from the saturn return, a frequently discussed occurrence for followers. That period marked a phase that saw her grasp 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. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Raised in the East Coast, Sennott began writing and performing stand-up while studying acting 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 explains. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott seized control, appearing at amateur nights with Edebiri and posting hilarious (and distinctly) bizarre comedy videos online. A particular video, Baby Cult, followed several females obsessively obsessed with motherhood; a different one envisioned working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being trapped in a scary movie. By chance, she encountered Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ended up featuring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a religious event with shades of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The big theme of her career, she says, has been contemporaries supporting her, as opposed to the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, continuing with a laugh: “They don’t want us to win.”
Career Breakthrough
Anyone who had doubts about her previously will likely be regretting it today. Through she labels a “astonishingly complete” story, she appears to created the perfect project. A few years back she posted a video titled on LA life on social media, in which she mocked movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a show about Angelenos juggling benefits of digital stardom (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being accused of being a substance-abusing criminal, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). It would be easy to produce a series about online fame that was extremely idealized—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at its subjects. This show does neither, making for a portrait of advantaged young adult life that’s frank about the mess and the glamour.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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
