The actress and writer on the side-splitting series about that chaotic allure of today's youth existence
The star enters the digital interview and immediately begins an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, appearing really regretful. She is only a couple of minutes behind, she wants to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Thankfully, for a writer, this is precisely what one hopes to encounter. Besides, it’s quite expected. Anyone who have seen her unapologetically LGBTQ+ and brash film titled Bottoms—which Sennott penned with her creative partner and appeared in alongside her friend Ayo Edebiri—would already know that she has a lot to share, whether on identity, sex, or the pros of starting a teen brawl society. Plus, by the end the new seasonal show I Love LA, it is clear that the star has additional perspectives on the challenges of young adulthood (At 30, Sennott represents a relatable figure of the gang, on the cusp skilled for bridging millennials and Gen Z).
Influences and Creative Vision
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and the actress readily acknowledges an admirer, referencing it in addition to the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as guides for her series, which tracks the struggles of an influencer Tallulah and ally who is also aspiring talent manager portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the most significant influence on creative vision went to the popular sitcom, that show about an up-and-coming A-list actor succeeding in an often-seedy Hollywood (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott began viewing it amid the pandemic, became “captivated”, and decided to add a fresh perspective on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she explains. The inspiration for the series originated—in part—from personal, initially difficult, relocation to Tinseltown and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed event for astrology heads. That period marked a phase that included her learn significant insights, professionally and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she recalls. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Growing up in the East Coast, the star 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 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?”
She took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at amateur nights with Edebiri and uploading hysterical (and decidedly) weird online content digitally. One, titled Baby Cult, followed a group of women obsessively drawn to motherhood; another envisioned working at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being caught in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she met Seligman through campus film circles and ended up starring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a religious event with hints of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her journey, she explains, has been people her own age supporting her, as opposed to the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, adding humorously: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Rising Success
Individuals who were skeptical about Sennott previously will certainly be regretting it currently. In what she labels a “astonishingly complete” story, she seems to have manifested the perfect project. In 2019 she uploaded content titled “it’s LA” online, in which she parodied film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a comedy about LA residents balancing benefits of digital stardom (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being labeled as being a drug-addled stealer, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). It would be easy to make a series about online fame that was extremely glamorous—or, more problematic, one that belittled at its subjects. I Love LA avoids both, making for a representation of privileged twentysomething living that’s frank about the grot and the appeal.
Empathetic Approach
“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
