The actress and writer on her hilarious comedy depicting that grotty glamour of today's youth existence
The performer enters the video call and right away begins an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, appearing genuinely apologetic. Despite being only a bit late, she wants to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, in this context, that’s precisely what you want to hear. Additionally, it’s quite expected. Those who know her unapologetically LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass project titled Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with her creative partner and starred in with close companion The Bear’s standout—can be aware that she holds a lot to discuss, whether about gender, relationships, or the pros of forming a high-school combat group. Furthermore, after watching her recent multi-episode program I Love LA, viewers realize that the star has additional thoughts regarding the struggles of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, Sennott represents a relatable figure of the gang, a tale-end millennial skilled for bridging both generations).
Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s Girls are inevitable and the actress admits to being an admirer, naming the show in addition to Sex and the City, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for her series, which tracks the struggles of online personality Tallulah and ally and aspiring representative portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the most significant influence on concept was reserved for the HBO series, that HBO sitcom about a rising A-list actor navigating in a gritty Hollywood (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She began viewing it amid the pandemic, became “hooked”, and chose to create a new version 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 concept for the series originated—in part—from her own, initially rocky, move to Los Angeles and from her saturn return, a popular event for astrology heads. This represented a phase that saw her grasp significant life lessons, professionally and individually. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she says. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Humble Origins
Raised in New England, the star started creating and acting stand-up while studying acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. 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 seized control, appearing at amateur nights with Ayo and sharing hilarious (and distinctly) unconventional skits on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, centered on several females fetishistically drawn to pregnancy; another imagined being employed at the brand Hollister as like being stuck in a scary movie. Interestingly, she connected with Seligman through campus film circles and ultimately featuring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a religious event with echoes of the intense thriller. The big theme of her journey, she explains, has been peers giving her a shot, rather than traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she emphasizes, continuing with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Anyone who had doubts regarding her earlier will certainly be kicking themselves currently. In what she calls a “wild, full-circle” development, she appears to achieved her dream vehicle. Previously she posted a clip called “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she parodied movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about LA residents balancing advantages of internet fame (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being labeled as being a intoxicated criminal, and potentially becoming a unreliable persona non grata). It would be simple to create a series about digital influence that was overly glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at those depicted. The series steers clear of each, resulting in a portrait of affluent young adult living that’s frank about the chaos and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“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
