The performer joins the online meeting and right away begins an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, sounding genuinely apologetic. Despite being only a bit late, she feels compelled to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Luckily, during an interview, this is just what one hopes to experience. Additionally, it’s fairly expected. Those familiar with the unapologetically queer and outspoken project Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with Emma Seligman and featured in with close companion The Bear’s standout—would already know that she holds plenty to say, ranging from on roles, sex, or the merits of starting a teen combat group. And, once you finish the latest eight-part program titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star holds additional thoughts regarding the darker side of Gen Z life (As a millennial, Sennott represents a relatable figure to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial adept for bridging both generations).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
The comparisons to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and the actress admits to being a fan, citing it in addition to the classic series, Insecure and Atlanta as inspirations for I Love LA, which follows the struggles of online personality Tallulah and her friend who is also fledgling talent manager Maia. Notably, the largest spot on concept went to Entourage, that show focusing on an up-and-coming celebrity making his way in a corrupt entertainment industry (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She began viewing it amid COVID-19, became “hooked”, and chose to put her own twist on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she says. The idea for this project came—to some extent—from her own, originally rocky, move to LA and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed event for astrology heads. It was a time that included her learn some big insights, in her career and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” 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…”
Humble Origins
Growing up in Connecticut, the star began creating and acting comedy while studying performance at a prestigious arts school. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She took matters into her own hands, appearing at amateur nights with her friend and sharing hilarious (and decidedly) weird skits digitally. One, titled Baby Cult, followed several females fetishistically fixated on having babies; a different one portrayed working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being trapped in a scary movie. Interestingly, she encountered Seligman through the university’s film scene and ultimately appearing in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a Jewish wake with shades of the intense thriller. The central motif of her career, she says, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, instead of the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, adding with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who were skeptical about Sennott then will certainly be feeling foolish currently. In what she calls a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she has achieved an ideal role. Previously she uploaded content named on LA life on the internet, in which she parodied film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a show about Angelenos balancing advantages of internet fame (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your associate being suspected of being a substance-abusing criminal, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). It would be simple to make a show about internet celebrity that was overly idealized—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at those depicted. I Love LA avoids both, making for a representation of privileged millennial life that’s honest about the mess and the glamour.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” she says. “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
