The actress and writer on her hilarious show about the chaotic allure of Gen Z existence
The performer enters the digital interview and immediately begins an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, seeming really apologetic. Although she's only a couple of minutes behind, she wants to clarify. “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!” Thankfully, during an interview, this is precisely what is ideal to experience. Besides, it’s pretty predictable. Viewers who know her unapologetically queer and brash project titled Bottoms—that Sennott penned with Emma Seligman and starred in with close companion the talented actress—can already know that she has a lot to say, whether on roles, intimacy, or the appeal of starting a teen fight club. And, once you finish the recent seasonal show I Love LA, it is clear that the star holds further insights about the darker side of modern youth (As a millennial, she serves as an honorary member to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial with a knack for bridging millennials and Gen Z).
Influences and Creative Vision
Parallels to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and the actress readily acknowledges an admirer, citing the show in addition to the HBO hit, Insecure and the innovative program as inspirations for the project, which tracks the travails of a social media star Tallulah and close companion who is also aspiring agent portrayed by Sennott. However, the biggest spot on concept belonged to the popular sitcom, the HBO sitcom focusing on a rising A-list actor making his way in an often-seedy LA scene (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott discovered it amid lockdown, became “captivated”, and chose 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 notes. The idea for I Love LA originated—partly—from her own, originally fractious, move to Los Angeles and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed occurrence for enthusiasts. This represented a time that saw her understand major insights, professionally and individually. “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. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Humble Origins
Growing up in New England, Sennott started writing and performing stand-up while studying theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott seized control, appearing at live shows with her friend and uploading hysterical (and decidedly) weird comedy videos digitally. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on characters obsessively obsessed with pregnancy; a different one envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being stuck in a scary movie. Interestingly, she met Emma through campus film circles and ended up appearing in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a Jewish wake with echoes of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The central motif of her career, she explains, has been people her own age supporting her, instead of established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she confirms, adding humorously: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Rising Success
Individuals who questioned regarding Sennott then will surely be kicking themselves today. As part of she calls a “incredibly circular” story, she seems to have created her dream vehicle. Previously she posted content titled “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a comedy about Angelenos balancing advantages of online celebrity (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being accused of being a drug-addled stealer, and possibly becoming a risky pariah). It would be simple to create a series about online fame that was horribly aspirational—or, worse, one that mocked at those depicted. This show does neither, creating a representation of privileged millennial existence that’s honest about the chaos and the shine.
Empathetic Approach
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” she observes. “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