The performer appears on the video call and immediately starts an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, seeming really apologetic. Although she's only slightly delayed, she wants 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!” Fortunately, in this context, this is just what is ideal to encounter. Moreover, it’s quite unsurprising. Those who have seen her unapologetically openly gay and outspoken film Bottoms—which she collaborated on with her creative partner and appeared in together with close companion Ayo Edebiri—will already know that Sennott has plenty to share, ranging from about roles, relationships, or the pros of forming a teen fight club. Plus, once you finish the recent eight-part show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she holds additional thoughts about the struggles of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, she serves as a relatable figure to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial with a knack for straddling different age groups).
Influences and Creative Vision
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s Girls are inevitable and Sennott admits to being an admirer, citing the show alongside Sex and the City, Insecure and Atlanta as influences for her series, which follows the travails of a social media star Tallulah and her friend who is also aspiring agent Sennott’s character. However, the biggest spot on creative vision went to the HBO series, the program about an emerging Hollywood star making his way in a gritty Hollywood (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott discovered it during lockdown, became “hooked”, and decided to create a new version 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 notes. The inspiration for this project originated—in part—from her own, initially difficult, transition to LA and from her astrological phase, a frequently discussed event for enthusiasts. It was an era that saw her learn some big truths, in her career and personally. “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. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Starting Out
Growing up in Connecticut, Sennott began writing and performing stand-up while enrolled in theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She took matters into her own hands, appearing at open mics with her friend and posting uproarious (and decidedly) bizarre skits online. A particular video, Baby Cult, centered on a group of women intensely drawn to having babies; another envisioned working at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being caught in a horror film. Interestingly, she connected with Emma through the university’s film scene and ultimately starring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a tense film set at a Jewish wake with echoes of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her path, she explains, has been people her own age offering opportunities, as opposed to established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, continuing amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Career Breakthrough
Individuals who had doubts about her then will certainly be regretting it today. In what she labels a “wild, full-circle” story, she has manifested the perfect project. A few years back she posted content named “it’s LA” online, in which she mocked movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a show about city dwellers juggling the perks of internet fame (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with its pitfalls (your associate being accused of being a intoxicated criminal, and possibly becoming a unreliable persona non grata). Some could tempting to produce a series about internet celebrity that was overly idealized—or, more problematic, one that mocked at its subjects. The series avoids both, making for a representation of privileged young adult living that’s honest about the chaos and the glamour.
Empathetic Approach
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
