The comedic talent discussing the side-splitting series depicting that chaotic allure of Gen Z existence
The star appears on the video call and at once launches into an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, sounding really apologetic. She is only slightly late, she wants 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!” Luckily, during an interview, that’s exactly what is ideal to experience. Moreover, it’s quite unsurprising. Viewers familiar with the fearlessly LGBTQ+ and brash movie Bottoms—that Sennott penned with Emma Seligman and featured in alongside her friend The Bear’s standout—will already know that she holds a lot to share, ranging from about roles, intimacy, or the merits of creating a youth fight club. Furthermore, by the end the new multi-episode show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star carries further perspectives regarding the darker side of modern youth (Now in her thirties, Sennott is a relatable figure to younger audiences, straddling eras skilled for straddling both generations).
Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and the actress admits to being a fan, citing the show in addition to the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as influences for her series, which details the travails of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend and fledgling talent manager Maia. Perhaps, the largest spot on creative vision was reserved for the popular sitcom, that program focusing on an emerging A-list actor navigating in a corrupt entertainment industry (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She discovered it during the pandemic, became “hooked”, and chose 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 inspiration for the series came—partly—from her own, at first difficult, transition to Tinseltown and from her saturn return, a popular event for astrology heads. This represented a phase that saw her understand significant insights, in her career and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she says. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Growing up in Connecticut, the star began developing and showcasing stand-up while studying performance at NYU’s Tisch. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she says. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She seized control, performing at open mics with Ayo and uploading hilarious (and decidedly) unconventional comedy videos digitally. One, Baby Cult, followed characters fetishistically fixated on pregnancy; another imagined working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being trapped in a horror film. Interestingly, she connected with Emma through NYU’s movie community and ultimately appearing in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a funeral gathering with shades of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her career, she notes, has been people her own age offering opportunities, rather than established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she emphasizes, adding amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Career Breakthrough
Those who questioned regarding Sennott earlier will certainly be kicking themselves today. In what she labels a “incredibly circular” development, she appears to created the perfect project. A few years back she shared a video named on LA life on the internet, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a show about LA residents balancing the perks of online celebrity (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being suspected of being a substance-abusing criminal, and perhaps becoming a unreliable persona non grata). It would be simple to make a series about online fame that was horribly glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that mocked at the characters. I Love LA does neither, creating a representation of privileged young adult life that’s honest about the chaos and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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