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The star joins the digital interview and immediately starts an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, seeming really remorseful. Although she's only a bit behind, she needs to explain. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, for a writer, this is just what is ideal to encounter. Additionally, it’s quite unsurprising. Viewers familiar with her unapologetically LGBTQ+ and brash movie titled Bottoms—that Sennott collaborated on with Emma Seligman and appeared in alongside close companion Ayo Edebiri—can understand that she holds plenty to discuss, whether about gender, sex, or the appeal of forming a high-school fight club. Plus, after watching the latest multi-episode show titled I Love LA, viewers realize that the star carries further perspectives regarding the struggles of young adulthood (Now in her thirties, Sennott represents an honorary member to younger audiences, straddling eras adept for bridging different age groups).

Inspirations and Creative Vision

Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and the actress admits to being a fan, citing it alongside Sex and the City, Insecure and the innovative program as influences for her series, which tracks the journey of a social media star Tallulah and her friend who is also aspiring representative portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the biggest influence on concept was reserved for the popular sitcom, that program about an up-and-coming A-list actor navigating in a gritty LA scene (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott began viewing it during COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and chose to put her own twist 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 inspiration for I Love LA emerged—to some extent—from firsthand, originally difficult, move to Los Angeles and from her saturn return, a frequently discussed occurrence for astrology heads. This represented a time that included her learn significant insights, professionally and personally. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she admits. “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 …”

Humble Origins

Raised in Connecticut, Sennott began writing and performing stand-up while studying theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”

Sennott took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at open mics with Ayo and sharing hilarious (and distinctly) weird comedy videos online. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted characters intensely fixated on having babies; another envisioned working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being stuck in a horror film. Interestingly, she encountered Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up appearing in her first film, Shiva Baby, a tense film set at a religious event with shades of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her career, she notes, has been people her own age supporting her, as opposed to established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, stating humorously: “They don’t want us to win.”

Career Breakthrough

Those who were skeptical regarding her previously will likely be regretting it today. Through she calls a “wild, full-circle” development, she has manifested the perfect project. A few years back she posted a video called about Los Angeles on social media, in which she mocked movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a series about city dwellers balancing advantages of internet fame (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your friend being accused of being a drug-addled criminal, and possibly becoming a unreliable outcast). One might simple to make a show about digital influence that was overly idealized—or, worse, one that mocked at its subjects. I Love LA avoids both, making for a depiction of advantaged twentysomething existence that’s frank about the mess and the shine.

Balanced Perspective

“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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