The star appears on the video call and immediately launches into an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, sounding genuinely apologetic. Although she's only a bit delayed, she needs to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Fortunately, during an interview, that’s just what is ideal to encounter. Moreover, it’s quite expected. Viewers familiar with the fearlessly queer and outspoken movie titled Bottoms—which she collaborated on with the director and featured in together with collaborator Ayo Edebiri—will already know that Sennott possesses a lot to say, ranging from on roles, sex, or the appeal of starting a teen combat group. Furthermore, after watching the new eight-part show titled I Love LA, it is clear that she carries further insights on the darker side of modern youth (As a millennial, Sennott serves as a bridge to younger audiences, straddling eras with a knack for bridging millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and the actress admits to being a fan, naming the show in addition to Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as inspirations for her series, which follows the struggles of a social media star Tallulah and her friend and aspiring agent portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the largest influence on creative vision went to the popular sitcom, the HBO sitcom depicting an up-and-coming Hollywood star navigating in a corrupt Hollywood (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She discovered it during lockdown, became “hooked”, and chose to put her own twist on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she explains. The inspiration for I Love LA emerged—in part—from firsthand, at first fractious, move to Los Angeles and from her cosmic event, a frequently discussed occurrence for followers. That period marked an era that saw her understand some big life lessons, professionally and personally. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she recalls. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Growing up in the East Coast, the star commenced creating and acting stand-up while studying 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. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott seized control, taking the stage at live shows with Ayo and uploading uproarious (and decidedly) unconventional online content on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on a group of women obsessively fixated on pregnancy; another portrayed being employed at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being trapped in a thriller. By chance, she encountered Emma through NYU’s movie community and ultimately starring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a tense film set at a religious event with echoes of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her path, she explains, has been peers offering opportunities, instead of established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she repeats, stating humorously: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Rising Success
Individuals who had doubts about Sennott earlier will likely be regretting it currently. In what she describes as a “wild, full-circle” story, she appears to manifested an ideal role. In 2019 she shared a video titled about Los Angeles online, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a show about Angelenos managing the perks of digital stardom (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your friend being suspected of being a intoxicated thief, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). One might simple to produce a show about internet celebrity that was extremely glamorous—or, worse, one that mocked at its subjects. This show avoids both, creating a depiction of privileged young adult life that’s candid about the mess and the glamour.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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
