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The star appears on the digital interview and at once launches into an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, appearing genuinely apologetic. Although she's only a couple of minutes behind, she wants to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Fortunately, during an interview, that’s precisely what is ideal to hear. Additionally, it’s quite predictable. Those familiar with the unapologetically openly gay and brash project Bottoms—which she co-wrote with Emma Seligman and featured in alongside collaborator The Bear’s standout—will understand that Sennott holds much to say, whether on roles, sex, or the appeal of starting a teen brawl society. And, by the end her new eight-part program I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star carries further insights on the darker side of Gen Z life (As a millennial, Sennott represents a bridge of the gang, straddling eras adept for bridging millennials and Gen Z).

Influences and Artistic Direction

The comparisons to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and the actress admits to being an admirer, citing the show together with the classic series, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as guides for I Love LA, which follows the travails of a social media star Tallulah and ally and fledgling agent Maia. Perhaps, the most significant influence on concept went to the popular sitcom, that show about a rising celebrity succeeding in an often-seedy LA scene (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She discovered it amid the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and chose to create a new version on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.

“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she explains. The concept for this project came—in part—from her own, originally difficult, move to Tinseltown and from her saturn return, a popular occurrence for astrology heads. It was a phase that saw her grasp some big truths, work-wise and in private life. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” 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…”

Humble Origins

Raised in Connecticut, the star began developing and showcasing comedy while pursuing acting at NYU’s Tisch. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” 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. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”

She decided to act independently, appearing at open mics with Ayo and sharing uproarious (and very) weird comedy videos online. One, Baby Cult, followed characters fetishistically drawn to having babies; a different one envisioned working at the brand Hollister as akin to being stuck in a thriller. By chance, she encountered Seligman 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 echoes of the intense thriller. The big theme of her career, she explains, has been people her own age giving her a shot, rather than traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she confirms, stating humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Career Breakthrough

Those who were skeptical about Sennott then will likely be feeling foolish currently. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” development, she seems to have manifested her dream vehicle. A few years back she shared a video titled on LA life on social media, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a series about Angelenos balancing advantages of internet fame (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your friend being accused of being a intoxicated stealer, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). It would be tempting to make a show about online fame that was overly aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at its subjects. I Love LA does neither, resulting in a representation of advantaged young adult living that’s frank about the mess and the glamour.

Nuanced Portrayal

“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