The actress and writer discussing her uproarious series about that messy glamour of younger generation existence
The star appears on the digital interview and at once launches into an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, appearing really apologetic. She is only a couple of minutes behind, she needs to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Fortunately, in this context, that’s exactly what one hopes to experience. Besides, it’s quite unsurprising. Anyone who know the fearlessly LGBTQ+ and outspoken movie titled Bottoms—that she penned with the director and featured in together with close companion The Bear’s standout—can already know that Sennott holds a lot to discuss, be it about roles, relationships, or the pros of creating a teen brawl society. And, after watching the new eight-part show I Love LA, viewers realize that she carries further thoughts about the challenges of Gen Z life (As a millennial, Sennott serves as a relatable figure of the gang, on the cusp with a knack for straddling different age groups).
Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach
The comparisons to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and the actress admits to being enthusiastic, naming the show together with the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as inspirations for I Love LA, which follows the journey of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend who is also aspiring talent manager Maia. However, the most significant influence on the moodboard belonged to the HBO series, that HBO sitcom about an up-and-coming A-list actor making his way in a gritty Hollywood (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it amid the pandemic, became “hooked”, and decided to put her own twist on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she notes. The idea for this project came—partly—from personal, at first fractious, move to Tinseltown and from her astrological phase, a popular phenomenon for enthusiasts. That period marked a time that involved her grasp significant life lessons, work-wise and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she says. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Humble Origins
Brought up in Connecticut, the star started writing and performing comedy while studying acting at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
Sennott decided to act independently, taking the stage at open mics with Ayo and posting uproarious (and distinctly) weird online content on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, centered on characters intensely obsessed with having babies; a different one portrayed working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being stuck in a scary movie. Interestingly, she met Seligman through campus film circles and eventually starring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a funeral gathering with hints of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her path, she notes, has been people her own age supporting her, instead of the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, continuing with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who were skeptical regarding her previously will likely be regretting it now. As part of she describes as a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she seems to have achieved the perfect project. Previously she posted a clip titled “it’s LA” on social media, in which she lampooned film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a show about city dwellers balancing benefits of digital stardom (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with downsides (your friend being accused of being a intoxicated criminal, and potentially becoming a risky outcast). It would be easy to create a show about digital influence that was overly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that mocked at its subjects. This show steers clear of each, creating a representation of affluent millennial living that’s honest about the chaos and the shine.
Nuanced Portrayal
“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
