The star enters the video call and at once begins an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, sounding genuinely regretful. Although she's only slightly behind, she wants to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. 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 experience. Besides, it’s quite predictable. Anyone who know the fearlessly queer and brash movie titled Bottoms—which she co-wrote with the director and featured in alongside her friend Ayo Edebiri—would be aware that she holds a lot to discuss, whether about identity, intimacy, or the merits of creating a teen brawl society. Plus, after watching the recent eight-part HBO series I Love LA, viewers realize that the star carries even more thoughts on the challenges of modern youth (At 30, she serves as an honorary member to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial adept for bridging different age groups).
Inspirations and Creative Vision
Parallels to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott readily acknowledges a fan, referencing it together with the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as influences for I Love LA, which details the struggles of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also aspiring representative Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the most significant spot on the moodboard was reserved for the popular sitcom, that program focusing on an emerging Hollywood star succeeding in a corrupt Hollywood (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott started watching it throughout lockdown, became “obsessed”, and decided to create a new version on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she notes. The inspiration for this project originated—partly—from firsthand, originally difficult, move to Los Angeles and from the saturn return, a much-talked-about occurrence for followers. It was a time that saw her understand significant insights, in her career and personally. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” 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…”
Starting Out
Raised in Connecticut, the star began writing and performing comedy while enrolled in performance at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she states. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at open mics with her friend and uploading hilarious (and very) unconventional skits on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted a group of women fetishistically fixated on pregnancy; another envisioned working at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being trapped in a horror film. By chance, she met Emma through NYU’s movie community and eventually featuring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a religious event with echoes of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her career, she explains, has been peers offering opportunities, instead of established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, adding with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who had doubts regarding her previously will certainly be kicking themselves now. Through she calls a “incredibly circular” turn of events, she seems to have achieved an ideal role. Previously she shared content called “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she mocked movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with the co-writer) of a series about Angelenos managing benefits of internet fame (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your associate being suspected of being a substance-abusing criminal, and perhaps becoming a risky outcast). It would be simple to make a show about online fame that was extremely glamorous—or, more problematic, one that belittled at those depicted. This show avoids both, creating a portrait of privileged millennial existence that’s candid about the chaos and the shine.
Nuanced Portrayal
“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
