The actress and writer discussing her hilarious series about the grotty allure of Gen Z lifestyle

The performer appears on the video call and right away launches into an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, sounding genuinely remorseful. Although she's only slightly late, she wants to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Fortunately, for a writer, this is exactly what one hopes to hear. Additionally, it’s quite unsurprising. Those who have seen the boldly openly gay and unapologetically crass film titled Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with her creative partner and appeared in with her friend The Bear’s standout—will be aware that Sennott holds a lot to share, ranging from about roles, relationships, or the merits of forming a youth combat group. Plus, after watching the new eight-part show titled I Love LA, viewers realize that the star holds additional thoughts on the darker side of modern youth (As a millennial, she represents a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp adept for straddling millennials and Gen Z).

Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach

Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and Sennott readily acknowledges enthusiastic, naming the show together with Sex and the City, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as influences for I Love LA, which tracks the journey of an influencer Tallulah and close companion who is also aspiring representative Maia. However, the largest spot on creative vision went to the popular sitcom, that HBO sitcom depicting a rising A-list actor making his way in a gritty LA scene (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She began viewing it amid the pandemic, became “captivated”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “for the girls and the gays”.

“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she says. The inspiration for I Love LA emerged—to some extent—from firsthand, initially fractious, relocation to Tinseltown and from her cosmic event, a frequently discussed event for followers. It was a phase that included her learn some big life lessons, professionally and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she admits. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”

Humble Origins

Raised in New England, Sennott started writing and performing comedy while studying theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”

She decided to act independently, performing at amateur nights with Edebiri and sharing hilarious (and very) weird online content online. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, followed several females fetishistically obsessed with motherhood; a different one imagined being employed at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being caught in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Seligman through the university’s film scene and ended up featuring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a funeral gathering with echoes of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her path, she notes, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, rather than traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, continuing humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Rising Success

Those who had doubts about Sennott earlier will likely be feeling foolish currently. In what she describes as a “astonishingly complete” development, she has manifested her dream vehicle. Previously she uploaded a video titled on LA life on social media, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a show about city dwellers juggling benefits of online celebrity (such as socializing at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being accused of being a drug-addled criminal, and potentially becoming a unreliable pariah). Some could tempting to produce a program about internet celebrity that was overly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that punched down at the characters. The series steers clear of each, creating a depiction of affluent twentysomething existence that’s frank about the mess and the shine.

Empathetic Approach

“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” she says. “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

Matthew Sims
Matthew Sims

A data scientist and digital strategist with over a decade of experience in AI implementation and business analytics, passionate about demystifying technology for enterprises.