The star appears on the video call and right away launches into an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, sounding genuinely regretful. She is only a bit delayed, 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!” Fortunately, during an interview, that’s precisely what you want to encounter. Besides, it’s fairly predictable. Viewers who know the boldly openly gay and brash movie titled Bottoms—which she collaborated on with the director and starred in with her friend the talented actress—can understand that she has plenty to say, whether about roles, sex, or the merits of starting a youth fight club. And, after watching her latest seasonal HBO series I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has additional insights on the challenges of Gen Z life (As a millennial, Sennott represents a relatable figure of the gang, on the cusp with a knack for connecting both generations).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls are inevitable and the actress readily acknowledges enthusiastic, naming the show in addition to the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as inspirations for her series, which tracks the travails of a social media star Tallulah and her friend and new talent manager Sennott’s character. However, the biggest influence on the moodboard was reserved for Entourage, that show focusing on a rising celebrity succeeding in a corrupt entertainment industry (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott began viewing it during the pandemic, became “captivated”, and decided to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she says. The idea for I Love LA emerged—partly—from firsthand, initially difficult, relocation to Tinseltown and from her astrological phase, a frequently discussed phenomenon for astrology heads. This represented a phase that saw her learn some big insights, work-wise and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she admits. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Humble Origins
Raised in the East Coast, the star started writing and performing humor while studying performance at a prestigious arts school. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott took matters into her own hands, performing at open mics with Edebiri and uploading uproarious (and distinctly) unconventional skits digitally. One, Baby Cult, followed characters fetishistically drawn to having babies; another envisioned working at the brand Hollister as akin to being caught in a scary movie. By chance, she met Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up featuring in her first film, Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a funeral gathering with shades of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The central motif of her career, she says, has been people her own age supporting her, rather than the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she confirms, stating amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who questioned about Sennott earlier will likely be feeling foolish now. Through she labels a “incredibly circular” development, she appears to created the perfect project. A few years back she shared a clip called about Los Angeles on social media, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about LA residents juggling the perks of digital stardom (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with its pitfalls (your associate being accused of being a intoxicated criminal, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). One might easy to produce a show about internet celebrity that was overly idealized—or, worse, one that belittled at those depicted. This show does neither, resulting in a representation of affluent twentysomething existence that’s frank about the grot and the shine.
Empathetic Approach
“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
