The performer appears on the video call and at once begins an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, seeming really remorseful. She is only a bit late, she needs to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Luckily, in this context, that’s just what you want to experience. Besides, it’s quite unsurprising. Those familiar with the boldly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—that she collaborated on with Emma Seligman and appeared in alongside collaborator the talented actress—would be aware that Sennott has plenty to share, whether about gender, intimacy, or the pros of creating a high-school fight club. Furthermore, once you finish her new seasonal program titled I Love LA, viewers realize that the star carries further thoughts regarding the challenges of modern youth (At 30, Sennott represents an honorary member to younger audiences, straddling eras with a knack for straddling different age groups).
Influences and Creative Vision
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and the actress is a fan, naming it in addition to the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as influences for the project, which follows the journey of an influencer Tallulah and close companion and aspiring agent portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the biggest spot on the moodboard went to the HBO series, the show depicting an up-and-coming Hollywood star navigating in a gritty entertainment industry (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She began viewing it throughout the pandemic, became “obsessed”, 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 says. The inspiration for the series emerged—in part—from her own, at first rocky, move to Los Angeles and from the astrological phase, a popular event for followers. It was a time that saw her understand some big truths, work-wise and individually. “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. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Early Beginnings
Growing up in New England, Sennott began writing and performing humor while enrolled in theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She decided to act independently, performing at open mics with her friend and uploading uproarious (and distinctly) unconventional online content digitally. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted characters obsessively obsessed with pregnancy; a different one imagined working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being trapped in a scary movie. Interestingly, she connected with Emma through campus film circles and ultimately appearing in her initial project, Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a religious event with shades of the Safdie brothers’ movie. A recurring idea of her journey, she explains, has been contemporaries supporting her, rather than established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, adding amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Individuals who were skeptical about her previously will surely be feeling foolish currently. In what she calls a “incredibly circular” turn of events, she seems to have created an ideal role. Previously she posted a clip called about Los Angeles on the internet, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a comedy about city dwellers balancing advantages of digital stardom (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being accused of being a substance-abusing stealer, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). It would be tempting to create a series about online fame that was extremely glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at the characters. The series avoids both, creating a portrait of affluent young adult existence that’s honest about the mess and the shine.
Balanced Perspective
“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
