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The star appears on the digital interview and right away launches into an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, sounding genuinely regretful. Despite being only slightly behind, she wants to explain. “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, for a writer, this is precisely what is ideal to hear. Moreover, it’s quite unsurprising. Those familiar with her unapologetically openly gay and outspoken movie titled Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with her creative partner and appeared in with collaborator The Bear’s standout—will already know that she has much to discuss, whether on identity, sex, or the merits of starting a youth brawl society. Furthermore, by the end her new seasonal show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star has further perspectives on the struggles of Gen Z life (As a millennial, she is an honorary member of the gang, on the cusp adept for connecting both generations).

Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach

The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and the actress admits to being an admirer, naming the show in addition to Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as influences for I Love LA, which details the travails of online personality Tallulah and her friend who is also aspiring talent manager Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the largest spot on the moodboard was reserved for the HBO series, that show about an emerging Hollywood star succeeding in a corrupt Hollywood (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She started watching it during the pandemic, became “hooked”, and decided 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 says. The idea for I Love LA originated—in part—from personal, at first rocky, transition to LA and from the cosmic event, a much-talked-about phenomenon for enthusiasts. That period marked a time that saw her grasp major insights, in her career 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 …”

Starting Out

Brought up in New England, the star commenced developing and showcasing comedy while pursuing acting at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”

Sennott seized control, appearing at live shows with Ayo and uploading hysterical (and distinctly) unconventional comedy videos on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on several females intensely fixated on having babies; a different one portrayed being employed at the brand Hollister as like being stuck in a thriller. Interestingly, she encountered Emma through campus film circles and ultimately featuring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a Jewish wake with echoes of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The big theme of her journey, she notes, has been people her own age supporting her, as opposed to the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, continuing amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Manifesting Dreams

Those who were skeptical about Sennott then will surely be feeling foolish currently. In what she labels a “wild, full-circle” story, she appears to manifested an ideal role. In 2019 she posted a video titled “it’s LA” on social media, in which she mocked film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about LA residents juggling the perks of internet fame (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your associate being accused of being a drug-addled stealer, and potentially becoming a unreliable pariah). It would be tempting to create a show about internet celebrity that was horribly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that punched down at its subjects. The series avoids both, creating a portrait of advantaged young adult existence that’s candid about the mess and the shine.

Nuanced Portrayal

“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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