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The star appears on the video call and at once begins an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, appearing really remorseful. She is only slightly late, she wants to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, during an interview, this is precisely what you want to experience. Moreover, it’s pretty predictable. Viewers who have seen the unapologetically queer and outspoken film titled Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with her creative partner and appeared in with her friend The Bear’s standout—will understand that Sennott possesses plenty to share, whether on roles, sex, or the merits of creating a teen fight club. Furthermore, after watching the new multi-episode program titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star holds even more perspectives on the challenges of young adulthood (Now in her thirties, Sennott serves as a bridge of the gang, a tale-end millennial with a knack for straddling both generations).

Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction

Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and Sennott readily acknowledges an admirer, naming it in addition to the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and Atlanta as inspirations for her series, which details the travails of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and ally and aspiring talent manager Maia. Notably, the largest influence on the moodboard went to the popular sitcom, that show about an emerging celebrity succeeding in a gritty LA scene (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She started watching it during COVID-19, became “captivated”, and resolved to put her own twist 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 says. The inspiration for this project came—partly—from firsthand, originally rocky, transition to Los Angeles and from her saturn return, a frequently discussed phenomenon for enthusiasts. That period marked a time that saw her learn some big insights, in her career and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she recalls. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”

Humble Origins

Growing up in New England, the star began writing and performing comedy while enrolled in acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she explains. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”

Sennott decided to act independently, performing at open mics with Edebiri and posting uproarious (and distinctly) weird skits online. A particular video, Baby Cult, centered on several females intensely drawn to motherhood; another envisioned being employed at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being trapped in a thriller. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Emma through the university’s film scene and ultimately starring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a funeral gathering with shades of the Safdie brothers’ movie. A recurring idea of her career, she notes, has been peers offering opportunities, rather than the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, continuing humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Manifesting Dreams

Individuals who had doubts about Sennott then will likely be regretting it currently. In what she labels a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she has achieved her dream vehicle. Previously she posted a clip titled about Los Angeles on social media, in which she parodied film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a comedy about Angelenos balancing benefits of internet fame (such as socializing at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being suspected of being a intoxicated thief, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). Some could tempting to produce a program about internet celebrity that was horribly aspirational—or, worse, one that mocked at those depicted. The series avoids both, creating a depiction of advantaged millennial existence that’s frank about the mess and the shine.

Empathetic Approach

“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” she observes. “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