The performer enters the digital interview and at once launches into an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, appearing truly apologetic. Despite being only a couple of minutes behind, she needs 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, that’s precisely what you want to hear. Additionally, it’s pretty unsurprising. Those familiar with the boldly openly gay and outspoken project titled Bottoms—that Sennott collaborated on with the director and starred in together with her friend The Bear’s standout—would understand that Sennott has plenty to share, ranging from about gender, sex, or the merits of creating a high-school combat group. Plus, after watching her latest multi-episode program I Love LA, it is clear that the star has even more thoughts about the challenges of young adulthood (As a millennial, she represents a relatable figure to younger audiences, on the cusp skilled for straddling different age groups).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and Sennott readily acknowledges enthusiastic, naming it in addition to the HBO hit, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as influences for the project, which details the struggles of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and ally who is also fledgling talent manager portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the most significant influence on concept went to the HBO series, the show depicting an up-and-coming celebrity making his way in an often-seedy entertainment industry (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott started watching it during the pandemic, became “hooked”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she notes. The inspiration for the series originated—partly—from personal, initially difficult, transition to Tinseltown and from her astrological phase, a much-talked-about event for followers. This represented a time that saw her learn major truths, work-wise and personally. “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. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Starting Out
Growing up in Connecticut, Sennott commenced creating and acting humor while pursuing acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” 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 seized control, appearing at live shows with Edebiri and uploading uproarious (and very) weird comedy videos digitally. One, Baby Cult, centered on a group of women fetishistically obsessed with motherhood; another portrayed working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being trapped in a scary movie. By chance, she connected with Emma through the university’s film scene and eventually starring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a religious event with shades of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her career, she says, has been peers offering opportunities, instead of the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she confirms, adding with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Individuals who were skeptical about Sennott then will surely be regretting it now. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” development, she seems to have created her dream vehicle. Previously she shared content called about Los Angeles on social media, in which she lampooned film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about city dwellers managing the perks of digital stardom (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being suspected of being a substance-abusing stealer, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). Some could easy to create a show about digital influence that was overly glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at those depicted. This show does neither, resulting in a portrait of affluent twentysomething existence that’s candid about the grot and the glamour.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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
