The actress and writer exploring her hilarious show depicting the grotty allure of Gen Z life

The star joins the digital interview and immediately launches into an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she exclaims, appearing truly regretful. Despite being only a bit behind, she needs to justify. “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, during an interview, that’s exactly what you want to encounter. Besides, it’s fairly predictable. Viewers who know the fearlessly queer and brash movie Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with Emma Seligman and appeared in together with her friend The Bear’s standout—would already know that Sennott has a lot to discuss, be it on gender, relationships, or the pros of creating a teen fight club. Furthermore, by the end the recent multi-episode HBO series titled I Love LA, it is clear that the star holds even more insights on the darker side of young adulthood (At 30, she is an honorary member for this generation, straddling eras with a knack for connecting both generations).

Inspirations and Storytelling Approach

Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls are inevitable and Sennott is a fan, referencing the show together with Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as influences for I Love LA, which tracks the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and new talent manager Maia. However, the largest influence on the moodboard was reserved for the popular sitcom, that HBO sitcom depicting an up-and-coming Hollywood star navigating in an often-seedy LA scene (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott discovered it during the pandemic, became “obsessed”, 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 notes. The inspiration for I Love LA originated—to some extent—from her own, at first fractious, move to Los Angeles and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed event for followers. It was an era that involved her grasp some big life lessons, work-wise and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she says. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”

Early Beginnings

Raised in New England, the star began writing and performing stand-up 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. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. 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?”

Sennott took matters into her own hands, appearing at live shows with Edebiri and sharing hysterical (and very) unconventional skits on the internet. A particular video, Baby Cult, centered on characters obsessively obsessed with pregnancy; another envisioned being employed at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being stuck in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Emma through NYU’s movie community and eventually starring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a religious event with shades of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her journey, she explains, has been people her own age supporting her, rather than established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, adding humorously: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”

Career Breakthrough

Those who questioned regarding her earlier will likely be kicking themselves today. As part of she calls a “incredibly circular” story, she seems to have created an ideal role. Previously she uploaded a clip titled about Los Angeles online, in which she lampooned film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about city dwellers juggling the perks of digital stardom (such as socializing at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your client being accused of being a drug-addled thief, and perhaps becoming a risky pariah). Some could easy to make a show about internet celebrity that was overly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that mocked at its subjects. I Love LA avoids both, making for a representation of affluent young adult existence that’s frank about the mess and the glamour.

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

Tracy Phillips
Tracy Phillips

Elena is a certified gemologist with over 15 years of experience in diamond trading and investment analysis, specializing in market forecasting.