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The star joins the video call and immediately begins an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, appearing truly regretful. Although she's only slightly delayed, she needs to clarify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, for a writer, this is precisely what one hopes to experience. Additionally, it’s quite predictable. Viewers familiar with her boldly LGBTQ+ and brash movie Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with her creative partner and featured in with collaborator Ayo Edebiri—can understand that Sennott has plenty to say, ranging from about identity, intimacy, or the pros of creating a high-school brawl society. Plus, by the end her latest multi-episode show I Love LA, viewers realize that the star holds additional thoughts on the darker side of Gen Z life (As a millennial, Sennott serves as a bridge to younger audiences, straddling eras with a knack for bridging both generations).

Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction

The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and Sennott admits to being a fan, citing it alongside the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as influences for the project, which tracks the journey of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also aspiring talent manager Maia. However, the biggest influence on creative vision went to Entourage, that HBO sitcom depicting an emerging A-list actor making his way in an often-seedy Hollywood (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott discovered it during lockdown, became “hooked”, and decided 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 explains. The concept for this project emerged—partly—from her own, originally rocky, move to Los Angeles and from her astrological phase, a frequently discussed event for astrology heads. This represented a phase that saw her understand significant life lessons, in her career and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”

Humble Origins

Brought up in the East Coast, the star started writing and performing humor while pursuing acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she states. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” 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?”

She decided to act independently, appearing at live shows with Ayo and sharing hysterical (and decidedly) bizarre skits digitally. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted a group of women obsessively drawn to having babies; a different one imagined being employed at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being stuck in a horror film. Interestingly, she connected with Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up featuring in her first film, Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a funeral gathering with shades of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her path, she says, has been people her own age supporting her, rather than the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, continuing humorously: “They don’t want us to win.”

Rising Success

Individuals who had doubts regarding Sennott earlier will certainly be kicking themselves now. As part of she labels a “incredibly circular” story, she has created an ideal role. In 2019 she posted a clip titled “it’s LA” online, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a show about LA residents balancing advantages of online celebrity (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your associate being accused of being a intoxicated thief, and potentially becoming a risky persona non grata). One might tempting to make a show about online fame that was overly aspirational—or, worse, one that mocked at the characters. I Love LA avoids both, creating a representation of privileged millennial existence that’s candid about the grot and the shine.

Balanced Perspective

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