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The performer joins the online meeting and immediately launches into an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, sounding genuinely apologetic. Despite being only slightly behind, she feels compelled to explain. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, in this context, that’s just what you want to encounter. Besides, it’s fairly unsurprising. Those familiar with her boldly queer and brash project Bottoms—which she penned with her creative partner and appeared in alongside close companion Ayo Edebiri—will be aware that she has plenty to say, ranging from on identity, sex, or the pros of creating a youth brawl society. And, once you finish her new multi-episode program I Love LA, it is clear that the star holds further insights about the struggles of modern youth (As a millennial, she represents a relatable figure to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial with a knack for connecting both generations).

Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction

Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and Sennott admits to being an admirer, naming it alongside Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as guides for the project, which tracks the struggles of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and new agent Maia. Perhaps, the largest spot on the moodboard was reserved for the popular sitcom, that HBO sitcom about a rising Hollywood star succeeding in a gritty Hollywood (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She began viewing it during the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and resolved to create a new version on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.

“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she says. The idea for this project emerged—partly—from firsthand, initially fractious, relocation to Tinseltown and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed event for astrology heads. This represented a phase that included her learn significant life lessons, in her career and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she admits. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”

Humble Origins

Brought up in the East Coast, Sennott began creating and acting humor while enrolled in theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “None of the university plays cast me either.” And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”

She decided to act independently, taking the stage at live shows with Ayo and posting hilarious (and decidedly) bizarre skits on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, followed a group of women obsessively fixated on having babies; a different one envisioned working at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being stuck in a horror film. Interestingly, she met Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ended up appearing in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a religious event with echoes of the intense thriller. The big theme of her path, she says, has been people her own age offering opportunities, as opposed to traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, adding with a laugh: “They don’t want us to win.”

Rising Success

Those who questioned regarding her previously will likely be feeling foolish currently. In what she calls a “astonishingly complete” development, she has created her dream vehicle. Previously she posted content titled on LA life on the internet, in which she parodied film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a show about LA residents balancing the perks of digital stardom (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your friend being labeled as being a intoxicated thief, and perhaps becoming a risky persona non grata). One might tempting to create a show about online fame that was extremely idealized—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at those depicted. I Love LA avoids both, making for a representation of privileged twentysomething life that’s honest about the mess and the glamour.

Empathetic Approach

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