The performer appears on the online meeting and right away starts an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she exclaims, appearing really remorseful. Despite being only a couple of minutes behind, she feels compelled to clarify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, during an interview, this is just what one hopes to hear. Additionally, it’s pretty predictable. Those who know the boldly openly gay and outspoken movie Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with her creative partner and starred in with her friend the talented actress—would understand that she holds plenty to share, whether about gender, intimacy, or the pros of forming a youth fight club. And, once you finish her new multi-episode show I Love LA, it is clear that she holds even more perspectives regarding the darker side of young adulthood (At 30, she serves as an honorary member of the gang, a tale-end millennial with a knack for straddling both generations).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and the actress admits to being enthusiastic, referencing the show alongside the classic series, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for the project, which tracks the travails of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and fledgling agent portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the most significant presence on the moodboard was reserved for the HBO series, that program about an emerging celebrity making his way in a gritty Hollywood (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it throughout COVID-19, became “captivated”, and decided to create a new version on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she says. The idea for I Love LA came—partly—from firsthand, originally fractious, relocation to Tinseltown and from the astrological phase, a much-talked-about event for astrology heads. This represented an era that involved her grasp major truths, professionally and in private life. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she recalls. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Starting Out
Raised in New England, the star commenced creating and acting stand-up while pursuing theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She decided to act independently, performing at amateur nights with her friend and sharing hilarious (and decidedly) weird comedy videos on the internet. A particular video, Baby Cult, centered on several females intensely obsessed with motherhood; a different one portrayed being employed at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being caught in a scary movie. Interestingly, she connected with Emma through NYU’s movie community and eventually starring in her first film, Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a funeral gathering with hints of Uncut Gems. The central motif of her journey, she says, has been peers offering opportunities, as opposed to traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, stating amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Career Breakthrough
Anyone who were skeptical regarding her then will certainly be kicking themselves today. In what she labels a “incredibly circular” story, she has achieved her dream vehicle. In 2019 she posted a clip called “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a show about LA residents balancing benefits of online celebrity (such as socializing at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being accused of being a intoxicated thief, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). One might simple to create a series about internet celebrity that was extremely glamorous—or, more problematic, one that punched down at its subjects. I Love LA does neither, creating a depiction of advantaged young adult existence that’s frank about the mess and the shine.
Empathetic Approach
“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
