The star joins the online meeting and immediately launches into an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, sounding genuinely regretful. Although she's only slightly behind, she feels compelled to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, for a writer, this is exactly what one hopes to hear. Moreover, it’s fairly unsurprising. Those who know her fearlessly queer and unapologetically crass film Bottoms—which she co-wrote with Emma Seligman and featured in with collaborator the talented actress—can already know that Sennott possesses much to discuss, ranging from about roles, intimacy, or the pros of forming a teen fight club. Plus, by the end the recent multi-episode HBO series I Love LA, it is clear that she carries even more insights on the struggles of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, Sennott is an honorary member to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial with a knack for connecting both generations).
Inspirations and Creative Vision
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and the actress admits to being a fan, referencing the show alongside Sex and the City, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as influences for her series, which details the journey of a social media star Tallulah and her friend who is also new agent portrayed by Sennott. However, the biggest presence on the moodboard belonged to the HBO series, that program focusing on an up-and-coming celebrity succeeding in a corrupt LA scene (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott discovered it during COVID-19, became “captivated”, and decided to put her own twist on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she explains. The concept for this project emerged—partly—from her own, originally fractious, transition to Tinseltown and from her astrological phase, a popular phenomenon for enthusiasts. This represented a time that included her understand some big insights, work-wise and individually. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Humble Origins
Raised in the East Coast, the star commenced writing and performing stand-up while enrolled in performance at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she explains. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She decided to act independently, taking the stage at open mics with Edebiri and sharing uproarious (and very) weird skits on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on several females intensely fixated on pregnancy; a different one envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being caught in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she met Emma through NYU’s movie community and ended up starring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a religious event with shades of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The big theme of her path, she notes, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, as opposed to established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, stating amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Individuals who had doubts regarding Sennott earlier will certainly be feeling foolish currently. In what she labels a “wild, full-circle” story, she has created her dream vehicle. A few years back she shared content called “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a show about LA residents juggling advantages of internet fame (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your associate being suspected of being a substance-abusing thief, and perhaps becoming a risky persona non grata). It would be tempting to produce a show about internet celebrity that was horribly aspirational—or, worse, one that mocked at the characters. This show does neither, making for a depiction of affluent young adult living that’s honest about the grot and the shine.
Empathetic Approach
“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
