The actress and writer discussing her uproarious series about that chaotic appeal of today's youth lifestyle
The performer joins the video call and right away launches into an explanation. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she exclaims, appearing truly remorseful. She is only slightly delayed, she needs to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Fortunately, during an interview, that’s just what you want to encounter. Besides, it’s pretty unsurprising. Anyone familiar with the fearlessly LGBTQ+ and brash movie Bottoms—which she collaborated on with her creative partner and appeared in with close companion The Bear’s standout—would be aware that she holds much to say, whether on gender, sex, or the merits of forming a teen brawl society. Plus, after watching her latest multi-episode program I Love LA, viewers realize that she holds even more thoughts on the darker side of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, she represents an honorary member to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial skilled for bridging both generations).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
The comparisons to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and the actress admits to being enthusiastic, naming the show alongside Sex and the City, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for her series, which details the struggles of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and ally and aspiring talent manager Sennott’s character. However, the biggest influence on creative vision was reserved for Entourage, the show depicting an up-and-coming Hollywood star navigating in an often-seedy Hollywood (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott began viewing it during lockdown, became “obsessed”, and decided to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she says. The idea for I Love LA came—to some extent—from her own, initially rocky, transition to Los Angeles and from the astrological phase, a popular event for astrology heads. That period marked a phase that involved her learn significant life lessons, professionally and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she says. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Early Beginnings
Raised in the East Coast, the star started developing and showcasing comedy while enrolled in theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she says. “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 took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at live shows with her friend and posting hysterical (and distinctly) unconventional online content digitally. One, titled Baby Cult, depicted several females obsessively fixated on pregnancy; another imagined working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being trapped in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Seligman through campus film circles and ultimately appearing in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a Jewish wake with shades of the intense thriller. The central motif of her journey, she says, has been people her own age giving her a shot, as opposed to traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she confirms, continuing with a laugh: “They don’t want us to win.”
Career Breakthrough
Individuals who had doubts regarding Sennott earlier will likely be kicking themselves currently. In what she labels a “astonishingly complete” development, she seems to have created an ideal role. In 2019 she shared a clip called “it’s LA” on social media, in which she lampooned movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about Angelenos juggling benefits of digital stardom (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being labeled as being a intoxicated thief, and possibly becoming a risky pariah). Some could easy to make a show about digital influence that was overly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that punched down at those depicted. The series does neither, resulting in a representation of privileged twentysomething existence that’s frank about the grot and the appeal.
Empathetic Approach
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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