The performer enters the digital interview and at once starts an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, sounding truly apologetic. Although she's only a bit delayed, she needs to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Fortunately, in this context, that’s precisely what is ideal to hear. Besides, it’s quite expected. Those familiar with her fearlessly openly gay and brash project titled Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with her creative partner and appeared in with her friend Ayo Edebiri—will understand that she holds a lot to discuss, ranging from about roles, intimacy, or the appeal of creating a high-school combat group. Furthermore, by the end her new multi-episode HBO series I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she holds even more thoughts regarding the darker side of young adulthood (As a millennial, she represents a relatable figure to younger audiences, on the cusp with a knack for connecting both generations).
Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s Girls can’t be avoided and the actress is a fan, naming the show in addition to Sex and the City, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as inspirations for I Love LA, which details the struggles of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and aspiring talent manager portrayed by Sennott. However, the most significant spot on concept was reserved for Entourage, that program about an up-and-coming A-list actor navigating in an often-seedy LA scene (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She began viewing it amid the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and resolved 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 says. The inspiration for the series emerged—to some extent—from her own, initially difficult, relocation to LA and from her cosmic event, a popular phenomenon for followers. That period marked a phase that included her learn some big truths, in her career and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” 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
Growing up in the East Coast, Sennott started developing and showcasing comedy while studying performance at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She seized control, performing at amateur nights with Edebiri and posting hysterical (and distinctly) unconventional comedy videos online. One, Baby Cult, centered on characters fetishistically fixated on pregnancy; another envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being caught in a scary movie. Interestingly, she connected with Emma through campus film circles and ended up appearing in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a religious event with hints of the intense thriller. The big theme of her journey, she says, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, rather than established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she emphasizes, stating amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Individuals who had doubts regarding her previously will surely be feeling foolish today. In what she calls a “wild, full-circle” story, she seems to have achieved her dream vehicle. A few years back she uploaded a clip called on LA life on social media, in which she parodied movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a comedy about city dwellers managing the perks of online celebrity (such as socializing at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your associate being suspected of being a substance-abusing stealer, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). It would be tempting to create a program about digital influence that was extremely aspirational—or, worse, one that punched down at those depicted. This show steers clear of each, resulting in a portrait of advantaged twentysomething living that’s frank about the mess and the glamour.
Balanced Perspective
“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
