The actress and writer discussing the hilarious series about the grotty allure of Gen Z lifestyle
The performer joins the digital interview and immediately starts an explanation. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, appearing genuinely apologetic. She is only a bit behind, she needs to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Thankfully, for a writer, that’s exactly what you want to hear. Besides, it’s quite expected. Those familiar with her unapologetically LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass project titled Bottoms—that she collaborated on with her creative partner and featured in together with her friend Ayo Edebiri—would already know that she holds a lot to discuss, whether on identity, intimacy, or the merits of starting a youth fight club. Plus, once you finish the new multi-episode HBO series titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has further insights on the darker side of Gen Z life (As a millennial, she represents an honorary member to younger audiences, on the cusp with a knack for straddling different age groups).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and the actress readily acknowledges enthusiastic, naming the show together with the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as inspirations for her series, which details the struggles of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and ally who is also new agent Maia. Notably, the biggest influence on creative vision went to the HBO series, that show focusing on an up-and-coming celebrity making his way in a corrupt LA scene (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it during lockdown, became “obsessed”, and decided to create a new version on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she explains. The idea for I Love LA came—to some extent—from her own, originally fractious, move to Los Angeles and from her astrological phase, a frequently discussed phenomenon for astrology heads. It was a time that saw her grasp some big insights, in her career and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she recalls. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Humble Origins
Raised in Connecticut, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing comedy while studying acting at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she states. “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.”
She took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at amateur nights with Edebiri and sharing uproarious (and distinctly) weird skits online. One, Baby Cult, followed a group of women obsessively drawn to having babies; another imagined working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being stuck in a scary movie. By chance, she encountered Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ultimately featuring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a funeral gathering with hints of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her journey, she notes, has been people her own age supporting her, as opposed to traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, adding amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who questioned regarding Sennott previously will likely be kicking themselves currently. As part of she describes as a “wild, full-circle” development, she appears to achieved the perfect project. Previously she posted a clip named “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she lampooned movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a series about Angelenos managing advantages of online celebrity (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being suspected of being a drug-addled thief, and perhaps becoming a unreliable persona non grata). It would be tempting to produce a show about internet celebrity that was overly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that mocked at those depicted. The series steers clear of each, resulting in a depiction of privileged twentysomething life that’s honest about the mess and the glamour.
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
