The star joins the digital interview and right away starts an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she exclaims, appearing truly regretful. She is only a bit late, she wants to justify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Fortunately, for a writer, that’s just what you want to experience. Additionally, it’s pretty unsurprising. Those familiar with the unapologetically openly gay and brash film Bottoms—which she co-wrote with her creative partner and starred in alongside collaborator Ayo Edebiri—would be aware that she holds much to say, be it on gender, intimacy, or the merits of starting a high-school fight club. Furthermore, after watching her latest seasonal HBO series titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has further thoughts about the struggles of modern youth (Now in her thirties, she represents a bridge to younger audiences, on the cusp with a knack for connecting both generations).
Influences and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and the actress is enthusiastic, citing the show together with the HBO hit, Insecure and the innovative program as guides for the project, which tracks the struggles of online personality Tallulah and close companion who is also new representative Sennott’s character. Notably, the largest presence on the moodboard was reserved for the popular sitcom, the show depicting an emerging Hollywood star navigating in an often-seedy Hollywood (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott discovered it throughout lockdown, became “hooked”, and resolved to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she explains. The concept for the series originated—partly—from her own, originally difficult, relocation to LA and from her cosmic event, a much-talked-about phenomenon for enthusiasts. It was a phase that saw her grasp some big truths, in her career and individually. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Starting Out
Brought up in Connecticut, the star began creating and acting humor while pursuing performance at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she explains. “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. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
Sennott seized control, taking the stage at open mics with Edebiri and posting uproarious (and decidedly) unconventional skits on the internet. One, Baby Cult, followed characters intensely fixated on motherhood; a different one portrayed working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being stuck in a horror film. By chance, she connected with Seligman through campus film circles and ended up appearing in her first film, Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a funeral gathering with echoes of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her journey, she explains, has been contemporaries supporting her, instead of traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, continuing humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Those who had doubts about Sennott previously will surely be feeling foolish today. As part of she calls a “incredibly circular” story, she has manifested an ideal role. A few years back she uploaded a clip named “it’s LA” online, in which she mocked movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a comedy about LA residents balancing the perks of online celebrity (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your client being suspected of being a intoxicated criminal, and possibly becoming a risky persona non grata). It would be tempting to make a program about internet celebrity that was overly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that punched down at those depicted. This show steers clear of each, making for a representation of advantaged millennial existence that’s frank about the mess and the glamour.
Empathetic Approach
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
