The comedic talent exploring her uproarious series depicting that messy allure of today's youth lifestyle
The performer appears on the video call and immediately begins an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, seeming really apologetic. Despite being only a couple of minutes delayed, she feels compelled to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Fortunately, for a writer, this is just what one hopes to hear. Additionally, it’s fairly predictable. Those who have seen her boldly LGBTQ+ and outspoken film Bottoms—that Sennott collaborated on with Emma Seligman and starred in with close companion Ayo Edebiri—can already know that she has a lot to discuss, whether about roles, relationships, or the merits of starting a youth fight club. Plus, once you finish her new multi-episode show I Love LA, it is clear that she carries further thoughts regarding the darker side of modern youth (At 30, Sennott represents a bridge to younger audiences, straddling eras adept for connecting both generations).
Guiding Lights and Creative Vision
The comparisons to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and the actress admits to being a fan, naming the show in addition to the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as inspirations for her series, which tracks the travails of a social media star Tallulah and her friend who is also aspiring representative Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the most significant presence on the moodboard was reserved for Entourage, that program about an emerging A-list actor making his way in a gritty entertainment industry (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott began viewing it throughout COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and chose to create a new version 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 concept for the series emerged—to some extent—from personal, initially fractious, transition to LA and from her cosmic event, a frequently discussed phenomenon for enthusiasts. That period marked a phase that included her grasp major insights, in her career and individually. “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
Raised in Connecticut, Sennott commenced creating and acting comedy while studying performance at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She took matters into her own hands, performing at open mics with Ayo and posting hilarious (and very) unconventional comedy videos on the internet. One, Baby Cult, depicted a group of women fetishistically fixated on pregnancy; a different one portrayed working at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being caught in a thriller. By chance, she met Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ended up appearing in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a Jewish wake with hints of the intense thriller. The big theme of her journey, she says, has been people her own age supporting her, rather than the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she confirms, continuing with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Rising Success
Individuals who were skeptical about Sennott earlier will surely be kicking themselves today. In what she calls a “astonishingly complete” story, she seems to have achieved her dream vehicle. Previously she posted content called on LA life online, in which she parodied movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a series about Angelenos balancing advantages of online celebrity (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being suspected of being a intoxicated thief, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). One might simple to produce a series about online fame that was horribly aspirational—or, worse, one that punched down at its subjects. I Love LA avoids both, making for a representation of advantaged young adult existence 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