The comedic talent on her uproarious show depicting the grotty glamour of today's youth existence
The star enters the online meeting and at once launches into an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, sounding truly regretful. Despite being only a bit delayed, she feels compelled to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Fortunately, for a writer, that’s just what is ideal to hear. Additionally, it’s quite predictable. Viewers who have seen the boldly openly gay and unapologetically crass movie Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with the director and starred in alongside collaborator the talented actress—will be aware that she has much to say, be it about identity, sex, or the merits of forming a high-school fight club. Plus, by the end her recent seasonal program I Love LA, viewers realize that she has further thoughts regarding the challenges of young adulthood (Now in her thirties, she is a relatable figure to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial adept for connecting different age groups).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and Sennott is an admirer, referencing it in addition to the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as guides for her series, which follows the struggles of online personality Tallulah and ally and aspiring representative portrayed by Sennott. However, the most significant presence on the moodboard belonged to the HBO series, the program focusing on an emerging celebrity making his way in an often-seedy LA scene (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott began viewing it throughout lockdown, became “obsessed”, and chose to put her own twist 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 notes. The inspiration for I Love LA originated—to some extent—from her own, at first rocky, transition to Tinseltown and from her saturn return, a frequently discussed occurrence for followers. It was a phase that saw her understand some big insights, professionally and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she says. “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…”
Humble Origins
Brought up in Connecticut, the star commenced creating and acting comedy while studying acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “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. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott seized control, appearing at amateur nights with her friend and posting hilarious (and very) bizarre skits online. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on a group of women obsessively obsessed with pregnancy; another imagined working at the brand Hollister as similar to being caught in a thriller. By chance, she encountered Emma through campus film circles and ultimately appearing in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a funeral gathering with echoes of the Safdie brothers’ movie. A recurring idea of her journey, she says, has been peers supporting her, instead of established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, adding with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Anyone who questioned about her previously will surely be regretting it now. Through she labels a “incredibly circular” development, she has manifested the perfect project. In 2019 she posted content named “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she lampooned film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with the co-writer) of a comedy about Angelenos balancing benefits of digital stardom (such as socializing at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being suspected of being a intoxicated criminal, and potentially becoming a unreliable persona non grata). Some could simple to produce a program about digital influence that was overly glamorous—or, worse, one that mocked at those depicted. The series does neither, resulting in a representation of affluent twentysomething living that’s honest about the mess and the glamour.
Balanced Perspective
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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