The comedic talent discussing her hilarious show portraying that grotty appeal of today's youth existence

The star joins the digital interview and immediately begins an explanation. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, sounding really regretful. She is only a couple of minutes delayed, she needs to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Fortunately, during an interview, that’s precisely what one hopes to encounter. Additionally, it’s pretty predictable. Those who know her boldly queer and unapologetically crass project titled Bottoms—that Sennott penned with the director and featured in alongside collaborator Ayo Edebiri—can understand that Sennott has much to share, be it about roles, relationships, or the pros of creating a youth brawl society. Plus, by the end the latest multi-episode show titled I Love LA, viewers realize that the star has additional thoughts about the darker side of young adulthood (As a millennial, she serves as an honorary member to younger audiences, on the cusp adept for connecting different age groups).

Inspirations and Storytelling Approach

Likenesses to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and Sennott readily acknowledges an admirer, referencing it alongside Sex and the City, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as influences for I Love LA, which follows the journey of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and ally and fledgling representative Sennott’s character. Notably, the biggest spot on concept was reserved for Entourage, the show focusing on a rising A-list actor succeeding in a corrupt Hollywood (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She discovered it during lockdown, became “hooked”, and chose to put her own twist 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 this project originated—to some extent—from personal, at first rocky, move to Los Angeles and from the astrological phase, a much-talked-about event for astrology heads. That period marked a phase that involved her grasp some big insights, professionally and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she admits. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”

Early Beginnings

Raised in New England, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing stand-up while pursuing theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”

She seized control, taking the stage at amateur nights with Ayo and uploading hysterical (and decidedly) unconventional comedy videos digitally. One, titled Baby Cult, followed several females fetishistically drawn to pregnancy; a different one portrayed being employed at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being caught in a thriller. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up featuring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a religious event with echoes of the intense thriller. The big theme of her career, she says, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, as opposed to established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, adding with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Manifesting Dreams

Anyone who had doubts regarding her then will certainly be regretting it currently. In what she calls a “wild, full-circle” story, she appears to created her dream vehicle. In 2019 she posted a video called on LA life online, in which she parodied movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about Angelenos juggling advantages of digital stardom (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your client being accused of being a drug-addled thief, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). It would be tempting to make a series about digital influence that was extremely glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at the characters. The series does neither, resulting in a portrait of advantaged young adult existence that’s honest about the grot and the appeal.

Balanced Perspective

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

Laura Beard
Laura Beard

Tech journalist and startup enthusiast covering London's innovation ecosystem.