The performer appears on the online meeting and right away begins an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, sounding really regretful. She is only slightly late, she wants to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, for a writer, this is exactly what one hopes to hear. Moreover, it’s fairly unsurprising. Those familiar with the boldly openly gay and brash film titled Bottoms—that Sennott penned with the director and starred in together with her friend The Bear’s standout—would be aware that Sennott holds much to say, whether on gender, sex, or the pros of creating a teen combat group. Furthermore, after watching the new seasonal HBO series titled I Love LA, viewers realize that the star carries even more perspectives about the darker side of Gen Z life (At 30, she represents a relatable figure to younger audiences, straddling eras adept for connecting both generations).
Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and the actress is enthusiastic, referencing the show in addition to the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as guides for her series, which follows the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend and aspiring agent portrayed by Sennott. However, the biggest influence on the moodboard belonged to the HBO series, the HBO sitcom focusing on an emerging A-list actor making his way in an often-seedy entertainment industry (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She discovered it during lockdown, became “hooked”, and chose to create a new version 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 idea for the series emerged—partly—from personal, at first fractious, transition to Tinseltown and from her astrological phase, a popular event for enthusiasts. This represented a time that saw her learn some big truths, professionally and in private life. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” 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…”
Starting Out
Raised in Connecticut, Sennott began developing and showcasing humor while studying theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott decided to act independently, performing at live shows with Edebiri and posting hilarious (and distinctly) weird skits online. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted a group of women fetishistically fixated on motherhood; a different one imagined being employed at a trendy retail outlet as like being trapped in a thriller. By chance, she encountered Emma through campus film circles and ended up starring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a Jewish wake with hints of the Safdie brothers’ movie. A recurring idea of her career, she explains, has been people her own age supporting her, rather than the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, adding amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who were skeptical regarding her then will certainly be kicking themselves today. As part of she calls a “incredibly circular” development, she has manifested her dream vehicle. Previously she uploaded a video titled “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she mocked film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with Emma Barrie) of a show about city dwellers balancing benefits of digital stardom (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being suspected of being a intoxicated criminal, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). One might simple to produce a series about online fame that was extremely glamorous—or, worse, one that belittled at those depicted. The series steers clear of each, creating a depiction of privileged young adult living that’s candid about the chaos and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“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
