The star appears on the online meeting and immediately begins an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, sounding truly remorseful. Although she's only a bit delayed, she needs 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!” Thankfully, for a writer, this is just what one hopes to experience. Moreover, it’s fairly predictable. Those who know the fearlessly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass project titled Bottoms—that she collaborated on with the director and starred in with collaborator the talented actress—will be aware that she holds plenty to share, be it on roles, intimacy, or the merits of forming a high-school combat group. And, once you finish the latest multi-episode program I Love LA, viewers realize that the star has further perspectives on the darker side of modern youth (As a millennial, Sennott serves as a bridge for this generation, a tale-end millennial adept for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls can’t be avoided and the actress admits to being a fan, citing it alongside Sex and the City, Insecure and the innovative program as influences for her series, which details the travails of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend and fledgling talent manager portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the largest spot on concept was reserved for Entourage, the show depicting a rising Hollywood star making his way in an often-seedy Hollywood (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it during the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and chose to put her own twist 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 I Love LA emerged—in part—from firsthand, at first rocky, move to Los Angeles and from her astrological phase, a frequently discussed event for enthusiasts. This represented a time that involved her understand some big insights, work-wise and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she recalls. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Starting Out
Brought up in the East Coast, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing stand-up while enrolled in theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” 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. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She took matters into her own hands, performing at amateur nights with Ayo and posting uproarious (and decidedly) weird skits digitally. A particular video, Baby Cult, followed characters fetishistically fixated on pregnancy; a different one portrayed working at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being caught in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ultimately appearing in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a tense film set at a religious event with hints of the Safdie brothers’ movie. A recurring idea of her career, she notes, has been people her own age supporting her, instead of established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she repeats, continuing humorously: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Individuals who were skeptical regarding her then will certainly be regretting it currently. Through she calls a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she has created the perfect project. Previously she shared a video called on LA life on social media, in which she parodied film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a series about LA residents managing advantages of online celebrity (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being suspected of being a substance-abusing stealer, and possibly becoming a unreliable persona non grata). It would be easy to create a show about internet celebrity that was extremely glamorous—or, more problematic, one that belittled at the characters. The series does neither, creating a portrait of privileged twentysomething living that’s honest about the mess and the shine.
Empathetic Approach
“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
