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The star joins the video call and at once begins an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, seeming truly regretful. Although she's only slightly delayed, she feels compelled to explain. “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!” Luckily, in this context, that’s precisely what one hopes to hear. Moreover, it’s pretty expected. Those who have seen the unapologetically queer and brash movie Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with Emma Seligman and starred in with her friend the talented actress—will already know that she holds plenty to discuss, ranging from on identity, sex, or the pros of creating a teen fight club. Plus, by the end her new multi-episode show I Love LA, it is clear that the star holds even more thoughts about the challenges of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, Sennott serves as an honorary member of the gang, on the cusp adept for bridging millennials and Gen Z).

Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction

The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and Sennott readily acknowledges a fan, citing it together with the classic series, Insecure and Atlanta as influences for the project, which details the journey of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and aspiring talent manager Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the most significant influence on creative vision was reserved for the HBO series, the program about a rising A-list actor making his way in a corrupt LA scene (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She discovered it amid COVID-19, became “hooked”, and chose to create a new version on it “for the girls and the gays”.

“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she notes. The concept for the series originated—to some extent—from personal, at first difficult, transition to Tinseltown and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed occurrence for enthusiasts. That period marked an era that saw her learn significant truths, professionally and personally. “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

Brought up in the East Coast, the star started creating and acting stand-up while pursuing acting at a prestigious arts school. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she states. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”

Sennott took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at live shows with Edebiri and sharing uproarious (and decidedly) weird online content on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, followed characters intensely fixated on pregnancy; a different one envisioned being employed at the brand Hollister as akin to being caught in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she met Seligman through the university’s film scene and eventually starring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a Jewish wake with hints of the intense thriller. The big theme of her path, she says, has been people her own age giving her a shot, as opposed to established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she repeats, continuing amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Manifesting Dreams

Those who questioned regarding Sennott then will surely be feeling foolish currently. As part of she labels a “incredibly circular” story, she has created an ideal role. In 2019 she posted a video titled “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a comedy about LA residents juggling benefits of digital stardom (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being accused of being a substance-abusing criminal, and perhaps becoming a unreliable persona non grata). Some could tempting to make a program about online fame that was overly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that belittled at those depicted. The series steers clear of each, making for a depiction of privileged twentysomething life that’s candid about the mess and the appeal.

Balanced Perspective

“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” she observes. “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