The actress and writer on the hilarious show depicting the messy allure of Gen Z lifestyle
The star appears on the video call and right away begins an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, appearing really remorseful. Although she's only a couple of minutes delayed, she feels compelled to justify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Fortunately, in this context, this is just what you want to experience. Besides, it’s pretty predictable. Those who have seen her unapologetically openly gay and unapologetically crass movie Bottoms—that Sennott penned with her creative partner and appeared in with collaborator The Bear’s standout—will understand that Sennott has a lot to discuss, be it on gender, intimacy, or the merits of forming a high-school combat group. And, after watching her recent seasonal program titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she carries even more thoughts about the darker side of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, Sennott represents an honorary member to younger audiences, straddling eras with a knack for bridging different age groups).
Guiding Lights and Creative Vision
Parallels to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and the actress readily acknowledges enthusiastic, naming it alongside the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as guides for I Love LA, which details the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and fledgling talent manager portrayed by Sennott. However, the most significant influence on the moodboard went to Entourage, the HBO sitcom focusing on an up-and-coming A-list actor making his way in a corrupt LA scene (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott discovered it during COVID-19, became “captivated”, and resolved to create a new version on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she notes. The inspiration for the series emerged—in part—from personal, at first difficult, move to Tinseltown and from her astrological phase, a popular event for astrology heads. It was a phase that saw her grasp significant insights, professionally and individually. “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. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Brought up in New England, the star commenced developing and showcasing humor 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 explains. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She decided to act independently, taking the stage at live shows with her friend and posting hilarious (and very) bizarre online content digitally. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on a group of women obsessively obsessed with having babies; another portrayed being employed at the brand Hollister as akin to being caught in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ended up appearing in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a Jewish wake with hints of the Safdie brothers’ movie. A recurring idea of her path, she says, has been contemporaries supporting her, instead of traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, continuing amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Individuals who were skeptical about her earlier will surely be feeling foolish today. As part of she labels a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she has achieved her dream vehicle. Previously she posted a clip titled about Los Angeles online, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a series about LA residents juggling the perks of digital stardom (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your client being labeled as being a intoxicated thief, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). It would be tempting to produce a series about online fame that was extremely glamorous—or, more problematic, one that mocked at those depicted. This show avoids both, making for a portrait of advantaged young adult existence that’s honest about the grot and the shine.
Nuanced Portrayal
“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