The performer enters the video call and immediately starts an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, appearing truly apologetic. Despite being only a couple of minutes behind, she needs to justify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, in this context, this is precisely what one hopes to encounter. Moreover, it’s fairly predictable. Those who know her boldly queer and outspoken film Bottoms—that she penned with her creative partner and appeared in alongside her friend the talented actress—will understand that Sennott has a lot to discuss, whether on roles, relationships, or the merits of starting a high-school brawl society. Furthermore, once you finish her latest eight-part program titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she holds even more insights about the darker side of Gen Z life (As a millennial, she represents an honorary member for this generation, straddling eras skilled for connecting millennials and Gen Z).
Guiding Lights and Creative Vision
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and the actress admits to being a fan, naming the show in addition to the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for the project, which tracks the struggles of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and ally and fledgling agent Maia. Perhaps, the largest spot on the moodboard belonged to the HBO series, the program about an up-and-coming Hollywood star making his way in an often-seedy entertainment industry (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She began viewing it amid lockdown, became “obsessed”, and resolved to put her own twist 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 this project originated—in part—from personal, at first rocky, relocation to Tinseltown and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed occurrence for enthusiasts. It was a phase that included her grasp major insights, in her career and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she recalls. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Early Beginnings
Brought up in the East Coast, the star began developing and showcasing stand-up while pursuing acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “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?”
Sennott took matters into her own hands, appearing at amateur nights with her friend and sharing uproarious (and distinctly) weird comedy videos on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on a group of women fetishistically obsessed with pregnancy; another envisioned being employed at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being caught in a thriller. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Emma through NYU’s movie community and ultimately starring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a religious event with hints of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her path, she notes, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, instead of traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, stating humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Those who had doubts regarding her earlier will likely be regretting it currently. As part of she describes as a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she appears to manifested the perfect project. In 2019 she uploaded a clip named “it’s LA” online, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a show about LA residents balancing advantages of digital stardom (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your client being accused of being a substance-abusing stealer, and possibly becoming a unreliable persona non grata). One might simple to make a series about internet celebrity that was horribly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that mocked at those depicted. The series steers clear of each, making for a depiction of privileged millennial life that’s honest about the mess and the glamour.
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 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
