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The star enters the online meeting and at once launches into an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, sounding truly apologetic. Despite being only a bit late, she needs to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Thankfully, for a writer, this is exactly what is ideal to encounter. Besides, it’s fairly predictable. Anyone familiar with the unapologetically openly gay and brash film Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with her creative partner and featured in alongside her friend The Bear’s standout—can understand that she has a lot to say, whether about identity, relationships, or the merits of creating a teen fight club. Plus, after watching her recent seasonal program I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star carries further perspectives on the struggles of young adulthood (At 30, she is an honorary member to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial skilled for straddling millennials and Gen Z).

Inspirations and Artistic Direction

Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and Sennott readily acknowledges an admirer, referencing the show in addition to the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as influences for I Love LA, which follows the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and new representative portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the most significant influence on concept went to Entourage, that HBO sitcom focusing on an emerging Hollywood star making his way in an often-seedy LA scene (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it during COVID-19, became “captivated”, and decided to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.

“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she explains. The concept for I Love LA originated—partly—from personal, initially difficult, move to LA and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed event for astrology heads. This represented a phase that saw her understand some big life lessons, professionally and personally. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she recalls. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”

Humble Origins

Growing up in the East Coast, the star started developing and showcasing humor while studying theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”

Sennott took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at live shows with Ayo and sharing hysterical (and decidedly) bizarre skits online. One, titled Baby Cult, depicted a group of women fetishistically drawn to having babies; another envisioned working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being stuck in a scary movie. By chance, she met Emma through NYU’s movie community and ultimately appearing in her initial project, Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a funeral gathering with echoes of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her career, she says, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, as opposed to the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, adding amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”

Rising Success

Individuals who were skeptical about her then will surely be kicking themselves currently. Through she labels a “incredibly circular” story, she seems to have manifested the perfect project. A few years back she uploaded content called about Los Angeles online, in which she parodied film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a series about city dwellers managing the perks of internet fame (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your client being accused of being a intoxicated criminal, and perhaps becoming a unreliable outcast). It would be tempting to produce a show about internet celebrity that was horribly aspirational—or, worse, one that mocked at those depicted. This show does neither, creating a portrait of privileged millennial existence that’s honest about the grot and the glamour.

Nuanced Portrayal

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