The star appears on the video call and at once launches into an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, sounding genuinely remorseful. She is only a bit behind, she feels compelled to clarify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, during an interview, that’s just what you want to hear. Besides, it’s pretty predictable. Those who have seen her unapologetically LGBTQ+ and outspoken film Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with Emma Seligman and starred in alongside collaborator The Bear’s standout—will already know that she holds a lot to share, whether about gender, relationships, or the appeal of starting a youth brawl society. Furthermore, by the end her new eight-part show I Love LA, viewers realize that the star holds even more thoughts about the challenges of Gen Z life (At 30, she represents a bridge for this generation, on the cusp skilled for connecting different age groups).
Inspirations and Creative Vision
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and the actress readily acknowledges a fan, naming it in addition to Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as guides for I Love LA, which follows the travails of online personality Tallulah and her friend who is also fledgling agent Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the largest spot on the moodboard was reserved for the HBO series, the HBO sitcom depicting a rising celebrity succeeding in an often-seedy LA scene (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She started watching it during COVID-19, became “hooked”, and chose to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she says. The idea for the series originated—in part—from firsthand, at first difficult, relocation to Tinseltown and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed occurrence for astrology heads. It was a time that involved her understand significant truths, work-wise and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she admits. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Growing up in New England, the star started creating and acting humor while enrolled in acting at a prestigious arts school. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She decided to act independently, appearing at open mics with Edebiri and uploading uproarious (and decidedly) bizarre comedy videos online. One, Baby Cult, centered on characters intensely fixated on motherhood; a different one envisioned being employed at the brand Hollister as like being caught in a horror film. Interestingly, she connected with Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ultimately appearing in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a Jewish wake with hints of the intense thriller. The central motif of her journey, she notes, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, instead of the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she confirms, adding with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who had doubts about Sennott then will surely be feeling foolish currently. In what she labels a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she appears to created the perfect project. Previously she posted content titled “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she lampooned film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a series about city dwellers juggling the perks of internet fame (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your client being accused of being a substance-abusing criminal, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). Some could simple to make a program about internet celebrity that was extremely aspirational—or, worse, one that punched down at those depicted. This show does neither, creating a portrait of affluent twentysomething life that’s honest about the mess and the shine.
Balanced Perspective
“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
