The star appears on the video call and at once starts an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, appearing genuinely remorseful. Although she's only slightly behind, she feels compelled to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, for a writer, that’s exactly what one hopes to experience. Additionally, it’s quite expected. Viewers who have seen the unapologetically queer and brash film Bottoms—that she penned with the director and appeared in alongside her friend The Bear’s standout—can already know that Sennott holds plenty to share, whether on roles, relationships, or the appeal of forming a youth brawl society. Plus, by the end her recent seasonal program I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star has further thoughts regarding the darker side of young adulthood (Now in her thirties, Sennott is an honorary member to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial skilled for connecting millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Creative Vision
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and Sennott readily acknowledges an admirer, naming the show in addition to the classic series, Insecure and Atlanta as guides for the project, which details the struggles of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also aspiring representative Maia. Notably, the largest spot on the moodboard was reserved for Entourage, that program focusing on an emerging A-list actor succeeding in an often-seedy entertainment industry (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She started watching it during lockdown, became “hooked”, and chose to add a fresh perspective 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 notes. The concept for I Love LA emerged—to some extent—from her own, originally rocky, transition to Los Angeles and from her cosmic event, a popular phenomenon for enthusiasts. It was a phase that involved her learn some big life lessons, in her career and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” 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 …”
Humble Origins
Brought up in the East Coast, Sennott commenced writing and performing stand-up while studying acting at a prestigious arts school. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at amateur nights with Ayo and sharing uproarious (and decidedly) weird skits online. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on a group of women intensely obsessed with motherhood; another envisioned being employed at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being caught in a thriller. By chance, she met Emma through the university’s film scene and ultimately featuring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a religious event with hints of Uncut Gems. The central motif of her journey, she notes, has been people her own age offering opportunities, as opposed to traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she confirms, adding amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Career Breakthrough
Individuals who questioned about Sennott previously will certainly be kicking themselves currently. In what she labels a “astonishingly complete” development, she appears to achieved the perfect project. In 2019 she posted content titled “it’s LA” on social media, in which she lampooned movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a series about city dwellers juggling benefits of internet fame (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your client being accused of being a drug-addled criminal, and perhaps becoming a unreliable pariah). Some could easy to create a show about internet celebrity that was overly aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that mocked at the characters. The series steers clear of each, creating a representation of privileged twentysomething existence that’s frank about the chaos and the shine.
Nuanced Portrayal
“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” 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
