The actress and writer on the uproarious series about the chaotic allure of Gen Z existence
The star enters the video call and right away launches into an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, sounding really remorseful. She is only slightly delayed, she wants to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, in this context, that’s exactly what one hopes to experience. Besides, it’s quite unsurprising. Viewers familiar with her boldly LGBTQ+ and brash film titled Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with Emma Seligman and starred in with her friend Ayo Edebiri—would understand that she possesses plenty to share, whether on identity, relationships, or the merits of starting a youth brawl society. Furthermore, by the end the new multi-episode show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star carries even more insights on the darker side of modern youth (As a millennial, Sennott represents a bridge for this generation, on the cusp with a knack for bridging millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott is enthusiastic, naming the show alongside the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as inspirations for I Love LA, which follows the journey of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and new talent manager portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the biggest influence on creative vision belonged to the popular sitcom, that program about a rising celebrity making his way in a gritty entertainment industry (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott began viewing it amid the pandemic, became “captivated”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she notes. The idea for this project originated—partly—from her own, originally rocky, transition to Tinseltown and from her astrological phase, a popular phenomenon for enthusiasts. That period marked a phase that involved her grasp major life lessons, professionally and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” 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…”
Humble Origins
Growing up in New England, the star commenced writing and performing stand-up while pursuing acting at a prestigious arts school. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott took matters into her own hands, performing at live shows with Edebiri and sharing uproarious (and decidedly) bizarre skits digitally. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, centered on several females fetishistically fixated on pregnancy; a different one imagined being employed at a trendy retail outlet as like being stuck in a thriller. Interestingly, she met Emma through NYU’s movie community and ultimately featuring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a tense film set at a religious event with shades of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The central motif of her career, she notes, has been peers supporting her, as opposed to the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she emphasizes, continuing humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Individuals who had doubts regarding Sennott earlier will likely be kicking themselves currently. As part of she labels a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she appears to manifested an ideal role. In 2019 she posted a clip called on LA life on the internet, in which she lampooned film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a show about LA residents juggling advantages of online celebrity (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your friend being suspected of being a substance-abusing stealer, and possibly becoming a risky persona non grata). One might tempting to create a series about internet celebrity that was extremely glamorous—or, worse, one that punched down at the characters. I Love LA steers clear of each, creating a portrait of affluent young adult life that’s honest about the grot and the shine.
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 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
