The actress and writer discussing the side-splitting comedy depicting the grotty glamour of Gen Z existence
The star enters the video call and at once launches into an explanation. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, appearing genuinely apologetic. She is only a bit behind, she needs to explain. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Thankfully, during an interview, this is precisely what you want to experience. Besides, it’s pretty expected. Anyone familiar with the unapologetically openly gay and unapologetically crass project titled Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with the director and appeared in together with close companion the talented actress—can be aware that Sennott possesses plenty to discuss, whether on identity, relationships, or the merits of forming a teen fight club. Plus, after watching her new multi-episode HBO series I Love LA, it is clear that she holds additional thoughts on the darker side of young adulthood (At 30, she represents an honorary member for this generation, straddling eras adept for straddling different age groups).
Influences and Artistic Direction
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and the actress is an admirer, naming the show alongside Sex and the City, Insecure and Atlanta as guides for I Love LA, which details the journey of an influencer Tallulah and close companion and aspiring agent portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the biggest influence on concept was reserved for the popular sitcom, the show depicting a rising Hollywood star navigating in a corrupt Hollywood (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it amid COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and resolved 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 concept for the series originated—in part—from her own, initially rocky, move to LA and from the saturn return, a popular phenomenon for astrology heads. That period marked a time that involved her learn some big insights, in her career and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she recalls. “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
Brought up in the East Coast, Sennott began writing and performing comedy while enrolled in performance at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “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. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott seized control, taking the stage at open mics with Ayo and posting uproarious (and very) weird online content on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted several females fetishistically fixated on pregnancy; another portrayed working at the brand Hollister as akin to being stuck in a thriller. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Emma through campus film circles and ultimately starring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a Jewish wake with shades of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her path, she says, has been people her own age giving her a shot, as opposed to established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she repeats, continuing humorously: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Career Breakthrough
Those who were skeptical regarding her previously will certainly be kicking themselves today. As part of she labels a “incredibly circular” development, she has manifested an ideal role. In 2019 she posted content titled about Los Angeles on social media, in which she lampooned movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a show about LA residents managing benefits of digital stardom (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being suspected of being a substance-abusing stealer, and possibly becoming a unreliable outcast). It would be tempting to make a show about internet celebrity that was extremely idealized—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at the characters. This show avoids both, making for a portrait of privileged millennial life that’s candid about the grot and the glamour.
Empathetic Approach
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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