The star enters the online meeting and right away starts an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, appearing truly regretful. She is only a bit late, she needs to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, in this context, that’s precisely what is ideal to encounter. Besides, it’s quite predictable. Anyone who know her boldly LGBTQ+ and brash project titled Bottoms—which Sennott penned with Emma Seligman and featured in together with collaborator Ayo Edebiri—would be aware that she possesses much to say, ranging from about identity, relationships, or the appeal of starting a youth brawl society. Plus, after watching the latest eight-part program titled I Love LA, viewers realize that the star holds even more thoughts regarding the struggles of modern youth (Now in her thirties, she is a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp skilled for straddling different age groups).
Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and Sennott readily acknowledges enthusiastic, naming the show alongside Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as guides for I Love LA, which follows the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend and fledgling agent portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the most significant spot on the moodboard was reserved for the popular sitcom, the show about an emerging A-list actor succeeding in a corrupt Hollywood (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott started watching it amid lockdown, became “obsessed”, and chose to put her own twist 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 says. The concept for this project originated—to some extent—from her own, initially fractious, relocation to LA and from the cosmic event, a much-talked-about event for enthusiasts. That period marked a phase that involved her understand major insights, professionally and individually. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Brought up in New England, Sennott started creating and acting humor while enrolled in theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” 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.”
She decided to act independently, performing at open mics with Ayo and sharing uproarious (and decidedly) unconventional skits online. A particular video, Baby Cult, centered on several females intensely fixated on motherhood; a different one portrayed working at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being caught in a horror film. By chance, she connected with Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up appearing in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a funeral gathering with hints of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her path, she explains, has been people her own age giving her a shot, instead of the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, continuing humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Individuals who were skeptical about Sennott previously will surely be kicking themselves currently. In what she labels a “wild, full-circle” development, she seems to have created the perfect project. In 2019 she shared content called about Los Angeles on social media, in which she mocked film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a series about city dwellers juggling benefits of digital stardom (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your associate being labeled as being a substance-abusing criminal, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). It would be tempting to make a program about digital influence that was extremely idealized—or, more problematic, one that mocked at those depicted. The series avoids both, creating a depiction of affluent twentysomething living that’s honest about the grot 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
