🔗 Share this article

The performer appears on the digital interview and at once starts an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, seeming genuinely regretful. Despite being only slightly behind, she wants to explain. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Thankfully, during an interview, that’s just what is ideal to hear. Moreover, it’s fairly expected. Those familiar with her boldly openly gay and outspoken project Bottoms—which Sennott penned with Emma Seligman and starred in alongside collaborator Ayo Edebiri—will already know that Sennott possesses a lot to share, whether about roles, relationships, or the appeal of creating a high-school brawl society. And, after watching the recent seasonal program titled I Love LA, it is clear that she has additional thoughts on the darker side of Gen Z life (As a millennial, she serves as a relatable figure of the gang, a tale-end millennial with a knack for connecting different age groups).

Influences and Artistic Direction

Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and the actress admits to being a fan, citing the show alongside the classic series, Insecure and Atlanta as guides for the project, which follows the journey of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and new agent Maia. Perhaps, the biggest influence on concept was reserved for the popular sitcom, the show about a rising Hollywood star succeeding in a gritty Hollywood (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She started watching it throughout lockdown, became “captivated”, and decided to create a new version on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.

“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she says. The idea for the series originated—partly—from firsthand, initially difficult, transition to Los Angeles and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed phenomenon for astrology heads. This represented a time that saw her grasp significant insights, work-wise and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” 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 …”

Starting Out

Growing up in Connecticut, Sennott began developing and showcasing humor while enrolled in theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she states. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”

She took matters into her own hands, performing at live shows with her friend and posting uproarious (and decidedly) weird comedy videos digitally. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, centered on several females fetishistically drawn to pregnancy; another imagined working at the brand Hollister as like being caught in a thriller. Interestingly, she encountered Emma through campus film circles and ultimately starring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a funeral gathering with echoes of the intense thriller. The big theme of her career, she explains, has been peers offering opportunities, as opposed to the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, continuing amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”

Rising Success

Those who questioned regarding her previously will likely be regretting it today. In what she describes as a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she has manifested the perfect project. Previously she posted a clip named on LA life on the internet, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about Angelenos balancing advantages of digital stardom (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being labeled as being a substance-abusing thief, and possibly becoming a risky outcast). Some could easy to create a show about internet celebrity that was overly idealized—or, more problematic, one that belittled at those depicted. This show steers clear of each, resulting in a portrait of advantaged twentysomething existence that’s candid about the mess and the shine.

Balanced Perspective

“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” 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