The actress and writer exploring her uproarious series depicting the grotty allure of younger generation life
The performer joins the digital interview and right away launches into an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, seeming really regretful. She is only slightly behind, she feels compelled to explain. “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, in this context, this is exactly what is ideal to encounter. Besides, it’s quite expected. Those who have seen the boldly queer and unapologetically crass film Bottoms—which she co-wrote with the director and featured in together with close companion The Bear’s standout—can already know that she possesses much to say, whether on gender, sex, or the appeal of forming a teen combat group. Furthermore, after watching the latest multi-episode program I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has even more perspectives on the challenges of modern youth (At 30, Sennott represents a bridge for this generation, on the cusp with a knack for connecting different age groups).
Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s Girls are inevitable and Sennott admits to being a fan, referencing the show in addition to the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for her series, which details the travails of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and fledgling talent manager portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the most significant influence on creative vision belonged to the HBO series, the show depicting a rising Hollywood star navigating in a gritty LA scene (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott discovered it amid lockdown, became “hooked”, and resolved to put her own twist on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“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 came—partly—from firsthand, initially difficult, relocation to LA and from her saturn return, a popular occurrence for enthusiasts. That period marked an era that involved her learn some big insights, work-wise and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she says. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Humble Origins
Brought up in Connecticut, the star commenced developing and showcasing comedy while pursuing 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 states. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She seized control, taking the stage at open mics with her friend and posting hysterical (and decidedly) unconventional comedy videos online. A particular video, Baby Cult, followed several females obsessively obsessed with pregnancy; a different one portrayed working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being caught in a scary movie. By chance, she met Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up appearing in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a religious event with hints of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her path, she explains, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, instead of traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, stating humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Anyone who questioned about Sennott earlier will certainly be regretting it now. In what she calls a “incredibly circular” development, she seems to have created her dream vehicle. A few years back she shared a video titled on LA life on social media, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with the co-writer) of a show about LA residents juggling advantages of online celebrity (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being labeled as being a drug-addled criminal, and potentially becoming a risky pariah). It would be tempting to create a series about digital influence that was extremely idealized—or, even less favorable, one that mocked at the characters. I Love LA avoids both, making for a portrait of affluent young adult existence that’s candid about the mess and the glamour.
Balanced Perspective
“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