The star appears on the digital interview and immediately launches into an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, sounding really remorseful. Despite being only a bit late, she wants to clarify. “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, that’s just what one hopes to encounter. Additionally, it’s pretty unsurprising. Those who know the unapologetically queer and brash project titled Bottoms—that she collaborated on with Emma Seligman and starred in together with collaborator Ayo Edebiri—would already know that Sennott has much to share, be it about gender, intimacy, or the merits of forming a teen combat group. Furthermore, after watching her new seasonal HBO series I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has even more thoughts on the challenges of Gen Z life (As a millennial, Sennott is a relatable figure of the gang, on the cusp adept for straddling different age groups).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and the actress is an admirer, referencing it alongside Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for I Love LA, which tracks the travails of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend and aspiring talent manager Sennott’s character. Notably, the largest spot on concept went to the HBO series, the HBO sitcom about a rising Hollywood star navigating in a corrupt entertainment industry (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott began viewing it throughout the pandemic, became “captivated”, and chose to add a fresh perspective 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 inspiration for the series emerged—to some extent—from firsthand, initially difficult, relocation to LA and from her saturn return, a frequently discussed phenomenon for astrology heads. It was a time that saw her learn significant truths, professionally and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she recalls. “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…”
Early Beginnings
Growing up in the East Coast, Sennott began developing and showcasing comedy while studying performance at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. 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.”
Sennott seized control, performing at open mics with Edebiri and posting uproarious (and very) unconventional skits on the internet. A particular video, Baby Cult, followed several females obsessively obsessed with pregnancy; a different one portrayed being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being trapped in a thriller. By chance, she met Emma through campus film circles and eventually featuring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a tense film set at a Jewish wake with shades of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her path, she notes, has been peers supporting her, as opposed to traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, adding with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Those who questioned regarding Sennott earlier will likely be kicking themselves today. Through she describes as a “incredibly circular” story, she seems to have achieved the perfect project. A few years back she shared a clip named on LA life on social media, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with the co-writer) of a series about LA residents juggling benefits of internet fame (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your associate being accused of being a intoxicated criminal, and potentially becoming a unreliable outcast). It would be tempting to produce a program about digital influence that was overly glamorous—or, worse, one that belittled at its subjects. The series steers clear of each, resulting in a depiction of advantaged young adult living that’s frank 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
