The star enters the video call and right away launches into an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, appearing genuinely regretful. She is only slightly delayed, she wants to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Thankfully, in this context, this is precisely what is ideal to hear. Moreover, it’s quite expected. Anyone familiar with the boldly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with her creative partner and featured in together with collaborator The Bear’s standout—can already know that she has a lot to discuss, whether on identity, sex, or the pros of forming a high-school brawl society. Furthermore, by the end the latest eight-part HBO series I Love LA, it is clear that she holds even more insights about the challenges of modern youth (Now in her thirties, she represents a bridge of the gang, on the cusp skilled for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and the actress admits to being an admirer, referencing the show in addition to the classic series, Insecure and Atlanta as influences for her series, which follows the travails of an influencer Tallulah and close companion and fledgling representative Maia. However, the largest spot on creative vision was reserved for the HBO series, that program depicting an up-and-coming Hollywood star making his way in a corrupt entertainment industry (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott started watching it amid COVID-19, became “hooked”, and decided to add a fresh perspective on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she explains. The idea for the series emerged—to some extent—from firsthand, originally rocky, transition to LA and from her cosmic event, a popular event for followers. This represented a phase that included her grasp major insights, professionally and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she says. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Starting Out
Growing up in New England, Sennott commenced writing and performing stand-up while studying theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “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. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott took matters into her own hands, appearing at amateur nights with Ayo and posting hysterical (and very) unconventional comedy videos online. A particular video, Baby Cult, centered on characters obsessively drawn to motherhood; another imagined being employed at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being trapped in a thriller. By chance, she connected with Emma through NYU’s movie community and ultimately featuring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a Jewish wake with shades of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her career, she explains, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, 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
Those who were skeptical about Sennott earlier will certainly be feeling foolish now. As part of she calls a “incredibly circular” story, she appears to achieved her dream vehicle. In 2019 she shared content titled “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a show about city dwellers juggling advantages of internet fame (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being accused of being a substance-abusing thief, and perhaps becoming a unreliable pariah). It would be simple to produce a series about online fame that was extremely glamorous—or, worse, one that mocked at the characters. I Love LA avoids both, creating a representation of advantaged young adult life that’s candid about the mess and the glamour.
Empathetic Approach
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” she says. “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
