The star joins the digital interview and at once starts an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, sounding really remorseful. Although she's only a bit behind, she needs to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, during an interview, that’s exactly what is ideal to encounter. Additionally, it’s fairly expected. Viewers who have seen her fearlessly queer and brash project titled Bottoms—that Sennott collaborated on with Emma Seligman and starred in with her friend The Bear’s standout—can be aware that Sennott holds a lot to discuss, whether about roles, relationships, or the appeal of creating a high-school brawl society. Plus, after watching the recent eight-part HBO series titled I Love LA, it is clear that she has even more thoughts on the struggles of young adulthood (As a millennial, she serves as a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp skilled for bridging millennials and Gen Z).
Influences and Creative Vision
Likenesses to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott admits to being a fan, citing the show in addition to the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as influences for the project, which details the struggles of online personality Tallulah and close companion and fledgling talent manager portrayed by Sennott. However, the most significant influence on the moodboard belonged to the popular sitcom, the HBO sitcom about an up-and-coming A-list actor succeeding in a corrupt entertainment industry (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott discovered it during the pandemic, became “captivated”, and resolved to put her own twist on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“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 originated—to some extent—from her own, initially fractious, transition to Los Angeles and from the cosmic event, a much-talked-about event for astrology heads. This represented an era that saw her understand major truths, professionally and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Raised in New England, the star started writing and performing stand-up while pursuing performance at a prestigious arts school. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott decided to act independently, appearing at live shows with Ayo and posting hysterical (and decidedly) weird comedy videos on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on a group of women intensely fixated on motherhood; another imagined being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being caught in a thriller. Interestingly, she met Seligman through the university’s film scene and ended up featuring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a religious event with hints of the intense thriller. The big theme of her career, she notes, has been people her own age giving her a shot, instead of traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, stating humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who were skeptical regarding Sennott previously will likely be regretting it currently. As part of she calls a “wild, full-circle” story, she has created her dream vehicle. A few years back she uploaded a video named about Los Angeles on social media, in which she lampooned film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a show about Angelenos juggling benefits of internet fame (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being accused of being a substance-abusing criminal, and perhaps becoming a unreliable pariah). It would be tempting to create a show about online fame that was horribly idealized—or, worse, one that belittled at those depicted. This show does neither, creating a depiction of privileged millennial life that’s frank about the mess and the appeal.
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
