The comedic talent on her uproarious show portraying that grotty allure of Gen Z life
The performer joins the video call and right away begins an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, sounding really regretful. She is only slightly behind, she feels compelled to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Fortunately, during an interview, that’s just what you want to experience. Moreover, it’s pretty unsurprising. Anyone who know her boldly LGBTQ+ and outspoken movie titled Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with the director and appeared in alongside close companion The Bear’s standout—will already know that she has plenty to discuss, ranging from on identity, sex, or the appeal of starting a high-school combat group. Furthermore, by the end her latest seasonal HBO series titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star carries even more perspectives on the darker side of Gen Z life (At 30, she serves as a relatable figure of the gang, on the cusp skilled for bridging millennials and Gen Z).
Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s Girls can’t be avoided and the actress readily acknowledges a fan, referencing the show alongside Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as influences for her series, which details the travails of online personality Tallulah and her friend and new representative Sennott’s character. However, the largest presence on the moodboard belonged to Entourage, the program about a rising Hollywood star navigating in a gritty entertainment industry (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott began viewing it amid lockdown, became “obsessed”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she says. The concept for this project emerged—in part—from her own, at first fractious, relocation to Tinseltown and from her astrological phase, a much-talked-about phenomenon for enthusiasts. That period marked a time that saw her understand some big life lessons, work-wise and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she admits. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Starting Out
Growing up in New England, Sennott started creating and acting stand-up while pursuing performance at a prestigious arts school. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she says. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott seized control, performing at amateur nights with Edebiri and uploading hilarious (and distinctly) bizarre skits online. One, titled Baby Cult, followed several females intensely drawn to having babies; another envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being caught in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Emma through the university’s film scene and ultimately appearing in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a religious event with shades of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her career, she notes, has been people her own age offering opportunities, instead of traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, adding amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Rising Success
Individuals who were skeptical about Sennott earlier will certainly be kicking themselves now. Through she describes as a “wild, full-circle” story, she has manifested her dream vehicle. A few years back she posted a video titled “it’s LA” on social media, in which she mocked film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a show about Angelenos managing the perks of digital stardom (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being accused of being a intoxicated thief, and potentially becoming a risky persona non grata). One might tempting to produce a program about online fame that was overly idealized—or, worse, one that belittled at the characters. I Love LA steers clear of each, making for a portrait of advantaged young adult living that’s candid about the grot and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” she observes. “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