The actress and writer on her hilarious comedy depicting the messy glamour of today's youth life
The performer appears on the digital interview and immediately launches into an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, appearing really apologetic. She is only a bit delayed, she feels compelled to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, for a writer, that’s just what is ideal to encounter. Besides, it’s quite predictable. Viewers familiar with her boldly openly gay and unapologetically crass movie titled Bottoms—that she penned with Emma Seligman and starred in alongside close companion Ayo Edebiri—can be aware that Sennott holds much to say, whether about identity, relationships, or the pros of starting a youth fight club. Furthermore, by the end the recent eight-part HBO series I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she holds further perspectives about the darker side of modern youth (At 30, Sennott serves as an honorary member to younger audiences, straddling eras skilled for connecting millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and the actress readily acknowledges an admirer, referencing it alongside the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as influences for her series, which details the travails of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and fledgling talent manager Maia. Perhaps, the largest influence on concept was reserved for the HBO series, that show depicting an up-and-coming celebrity making his way in a corrupt Hollywood (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott started watching it throughout lockdown, became “obsessed”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she explains. The concept for the series originated—to some extent—from her own, originally rocky, relocation to Los Angeles and from her astrological phase, a much-talked-about occurrence for followers. That period marked an era that saw her learn major insights, work-wise and in private life. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” 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 was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Growing up in the East Coast, Sennott began developing and showcasing comedy while enrolled in theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” 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.”
She decided to act independently, performing at amateur nights with Edebiri and posting uproarious (and distinctly) bizarre skits on the internet. One, Baby Cult, followed characters fetishistically drawn to having babies; a different one imagined working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being stuck in a thriller. Interestingly, she encountered Seligman through campus film circles and eventually appearing in her initial project, Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a religious event with echoes of Uncut Gems. The central motif of her path, she notes, has been people her own age supporting her, rather than established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she emphasizes, adding humorously: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Rising Success
Those who questioned about her previously will likely be kicking themselves today. In what she labels a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she has achieved her dream vehicle. In 2019 she shared a video called about Los Angeles on social media, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a show about Angelenos juggling the perks of digital stardom (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being labeled as being a substance-abusing stealer, and possibly becoming a risky outcast). One might easy to create a program about digital influence that was horribly glamorous—or, worse, one that mocked at those depicted. This show steers clear of each, creating a portrait of affluent millennial living that’s candid about the mess and the shine.
Nuanced Portrayal
“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