The star enters the digital interview and right away begins an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, appearing really regretful. Despite being only slightly delayed, she wants to clarify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Fortunately, in this context, that’s just what one hopes to hear. Besides, it’s quite predictable. Those who have seen her boldly LGBTQ+ and brash project titled Bottoms—that Sennott penned with Emma Seligman and starred in alongside close companion Ayo Edebiri—will already know that Sennott has plenty to share, ranging from about identity, sex, or the appeal of forming a youth combat group. Furthermore, by the end her new eight-part program titled I Love LA, viewers realize that she carries even more perspectives on the darker side of young adulthood (Now in her thirties, she represents a relatable figure for this generation, straddling eras skilled for straddling both generations).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and Sennott admits to being enthusiastic, citing the show in addition to the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as guides for the project, which tracks the journey of an influencer Tallulah and her friend and fledgling agent portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the most significant influence on the moodboard was reserved for the HBO series, that program about an up-and-coming celebrity navigating in an often-seedy Hollywood (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott began viewing it throughout COVID-19, became “captivated”, and chose to create a new version on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she notes. The inspiration for I Love LA came—to some extent—from firsthand, at first fractious, move to Tinseltown and from her astrological phase, a much-talked-about phenomenon for followers. It was an era that saw her learn significant insights, work-wise and in private life. “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 resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Brought up in Connecticut, Sennott began writing and performing comedy while studying performance at NYU’s Tisch. “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 took matters into her own hands, performing at open mics with her friend and posting uproarious (and distinctly) weird skits on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, followed several females obsessively obsessed with motherhood; another imagined being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being caught in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she met Emma through campus film circles and ended up appearing in her first film, Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a religious event with hints of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The central motif of her journey, she explains, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, as opposed to traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, continuing amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Career Breakthrough
Individuals who questioned about her earlier will likely be kicking themselves currently. As part of she labels a “astonishingly complete” story, she appears to created the perfect project. Previously she uploaded a clip titled about Los Angeles on social media, in which she lampooned film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a series about city dwellers juggling the perks of internet fame (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being suspected of being a substance-abusing thief, and possibly becoming a risky persona non grata). One might tempting to create a series about digital influence that was horribly idealized—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at those depicted. This show steers clear of each, resulting in a depiction of advantaged millennial life that’s honest about the grot and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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
