The actress and writer discussing her uproarious comedy portraying the messy glamour of younger generation existence
The performer enters the online meeting and immediately begins an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, appearing really regretful. Despite being only a bit behind, she feels compelled to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Luckily, for a writer, that’s precisely what you want to encounter. Moreover, it’s fairly predictable. Those who know the fearlessly openly gay and brash movie titled Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with her creative partner and starred in with her friend the talented actress—would be aware that Sennott holds much to discuss, whether about roles, sex, or the merits of creating a teen combat group. And, after watching her recent multi-episode show I Love LA, it is clear that she holds even more insights on the struggles of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, she is an honorary member to younger audiences, on the cusp skilled for connecting both generations).
Influences and Creative Vision
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and the actress admits to being a fan, naming the show together with the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and Atlanta as inspirations for the project, which tracks the journey of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and ally who is also aspiring agent Sennott’s character. However, the largest presence on creative vision was reserved for Entourage, that program about an up-and-coming Hollywood star navigating in a corrupt LA scene (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She started watching it amid the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and chose 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 explains. The concept for I Love LA emerged—to some extent—from personal, originally fractious, relocation to Los Angeles and from the saturn return, a popular event for astrology heads. This represented a time that saw her learn some big insights, work-wise and personally. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she admits. “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 Connecticut, Sennott started developing and showcasing comedy while enrolled in theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
Sennott seized control, taking the stage at live shows with her friend and uploading hysterical (and very) weird online content on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, centered on several females fetishistically fixated on pregnancy; a different one envisioned working at the brand Hollister as akin to being trapped in a scary movie. Interestingly, she encountered Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ultimately starring in her first film, Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a funeral gathering with echoes of the intense thriller. The big theme of her career, she explains, has been contemporaries supporting her, as opposed to the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, continuing humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Individuals who questioned about Sennott previously will certainly be feeling foolish now. In what she describes as a “astonishingly complete” story, she seems to have created an ideal role. A few years back she uploaded a clip titled on LA life on social media, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a show about Angelenos balancing benefits of internet fame (such as socializing at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your client being accused of being a intoxicated thief, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). One might tempting to produce a series about internet celebrity that was extremely aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at its subjects. The series steers clear of each, making for a depiction of advantaged twentysomething life that’s frank about the chaos and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“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
