The star appears on the online meeting and immediately starts an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, sounding truly apologetic. She is only a bit delayed, she wants to explain. “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!” Fortunately, during an interview, this is exactly what one hopes to encounter. Additionally, it’s pretty unsurprising. Viewers who know her boldly queer and brash project titled Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with the director and featured in alongside her friend Ayo Edebiri—will be aware that Sennott holds much to say, ranging from about roles, relationships, or the merits of creating a high-school fight club. And, after watching her new eight-part show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has even more thoughts about the darker side of modern youth (At 30, Sennott is a relatable figure for this generation, straddling eras adept for connecting different age groups).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and Sennott is enthusiastic, naming it alongside Sex and the City, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as influences for the project, which follows the journey of online personality Tallulah and close companion who is also new talent manager portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the biggest spot on concept was reserved for the popular sitcom, the program depicting an up-and-coming A-list actor navigating in an often-seedy entertainment industry (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it throughout COVID-19, became “captivated”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she explains. The concept for the series came—partly—from firsthand, originally difficult, transition to Tinseltown and from the saturn return, a frequently discussed occurrence for astrology heads. That period marked a time that involved her learn some big life lessons, 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 resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Raised in the East Coast, Sennott started creating and acting humor while enrolled in acting at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she states. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She seized control, performing at open mics with her friend and sharing hilarious (and distinctly) bizarre comedy videos online. One, Baby Cult, followed a group of women obsessively drawn to motherhood; a different one portrayed being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being trapped in a scary movie. Interestingly, she encountered Seligman through campus film circles and eventually featuring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a funeral gathering with hints of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her career, she says, has been people her own age offering opportunities, instead of traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, adding with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Anyone who had doubts regarding Sennott earlier will certainly be regretting it currently. In what she labels a “astonishingly complete” story, she has created an ideal role. A few years back she posted a clip called about Los Angeles online, in which she lampooned film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about Angelenos juggling the perks of online celebrity (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being labeled as being a drug-addled thief, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). Some could tempting to make a show about online fame that was horribly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that belittled at the characters. The series avoids both, creating a depiction of affluent millennial existence that’s frank about the grot and the glamour.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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
