The actress and writer discussing her side-splitting series portraying the messy appeal of today's youth existence

The performer enters the online meeting and at once launches into an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, sounding genuinely regretful. Although she's only a bit delayed, she needs to explain. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Fortunately, during an interview, that’s precisely what you want to experience. Moreover, it’s fairly expected. Viewers who know the fearlessly LGBTQ+ and outspoken film Bottoms—which she co-wrote with her creative partner and featured in together with close companion The Bear’s standout—can understand that she has plenty to say, ranging from about roles, intimacy, or the merits of creating a youth combat group. And, by the end her latest eight-part show I Love LA, it is clear that she holds even more insights about the struggles of Gen Z life (At 30, Sennott represents a relatable figure of the gang, straddling eras skilled for connecting millennials and Gen Z).

Inspirations and Artistic Direction

The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and the actress admits to being a fan, referencing the show in addition to Sex and the City, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as influences for her series, which tracks the journey of a social media star Tallulah and her friend who is also aspiring agent Maia. Perhaps, the most significant influence on creative vision went to the popular sitcom, that show focusing on an emerging Hollywood star succeeding in a corrupt Hollywood (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott discovered it amid the pandemic, became “hooked”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.

“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she notes. The idea for this project emerged—to some extent—from her own, originally difficult, move to Tinseltown and from her saturn return, a frequently discussed phenomenon for astrology heads. That period marked an era that saw her learn some big life lessons, in her career and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”

Early Beginnings

Raised in Connecticut, the star started creating and acting comedy while pursuing performance at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”

Sennott took matters into her own hands, performing at live shows with her friend and uploading hilarious (and distinctly) weird skits on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, followed several females intensely fixated on having babies; another imagined working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being stuck in a scary movie. By chance, she connected with Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up appearing in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a funeral gathering with shades of the intense thriller. The big theme of her journey, she notes, has been people her own age supporting her, rather than established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, adding with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”

Career Breakthrough

Individuals who were skeptical regarding her then will certainly be kicking themselves now. As part of she describes as a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she has created the perfect project. Previously she shared a video titled on LA life on social media, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a series about city dwellers managing benefits of digital stardom (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being accused of being a drug-addled thief, and perhaps becoming a unreliable outcast). It would be simple to produce a series about online fame that was overly aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at its subjects. This show does neither, resulting in a representation of privileged millennial living that’s candid about the chaos and the shine.

Balanced Perspective

“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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

Thomas Diaz
Thomas Diaz

A productivity coach and writer passionate about helping individuals optimize their time and reach their full potential.