The star enters the digital interview and immediately begins an explanation. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, appearing genuinely regretful. She is only slightly late, she needs to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, for a writer, that’s precisely what one hopes to encounter. Additionally, it’s fairly expected. Anyone familiar with her boldly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass film Bottoms—that she penned with the director and starred in together with close companion Ayo Edebiri—can be aware that she has a lot to say, be it about roles, relationships, or the appeal of starting a youth fight club. Plus, once you finish her new multi-episode show I Love LA, it is clear that she carries additional insights on the struggles of young adulthood (As a millennial, she serves as a bridge for this generation, a tale-end millennial adept for bridging different age groups).
Guiding Lights and Creative Vision
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and the actress readily acknowledges a fan, citing the show in addition to Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as guides for her series, which follows the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend who is also fledgling agent portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the biggest influence on creative vision belonged to the popular sitcom, that program focusing on an emerging A-list actor succeeding in an often-seedy Hollywood (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott started watching it throughout the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and resolved 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 says. The concept for the series emerged—to some extent—from personal, originally difficult, relocation to LA and from her cosmic event, a popular phenomenon for enthusiasts. It was a time that included her learn significant truths, work-wise and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she says. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Early Beginnings
Brought up in Connecticut, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing stand-up while enrolled in acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
Sennott decided to act independently, appearing at open mics with Ayo and posting hilarious (and distinctly) unconventional skits online. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted several females fetishistically obsessed with having babies; a different one imagined working at the brand Hollister as akin to being stuck in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Emma through NYU’s movie community and ended up featuring in her first film, Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a Jewish wake with hints of the Safdie brothers’ movie. A recurring idea of her path, she notes, has been peers supporting her, rather than established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she emphasizes, stating humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who were skeptical regarding her then will surely be feeling foolish today. As part of she describes as a “astonishingly complete” development, she seems to have achieved the perfect project. Previously she uploaded a clip titled on LA life on social media, in which she lampooned film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a series about city dwellers juggling benefits of digital stardom (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your client being accused of being a intoxicated criminal, and possibly becoming a unreliable persona non grata). It would be simple to produce a show about online fame that was extremely glamorous—or, more problematic, one that belittled at those depicted. This show steers clear of each, resulting in a representation of privileged young adult existence that’s honest about the mess and the shine.
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
