The performer appears on the online meeting and immediately launches into an explanation. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, sounding truly apologetic. Despite being only a bit late, she feels compelled to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Thankfully, for a writer, this is precisely what is ideal to experience. Additionally, it’s pretty expected. Viewers who know her unapologetically queer and unapologetically crass film Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with Emma Seligman and appeared in with close companion Ayo Edebiri—will be aware that Sennott has plenty to discuss, ranging from on gender, sex, or the appeal of starting a youth combat group. Plus, once you finish the recent seasonal HBO series titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star carries even more thoughts on the struggles of young adulthood (Now in her thirties, Sennott represents an honorary member for this generation, on the cusp with a knack for straddling different age groups).
Inspirations and Creative Vision
Likenesses to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and Sennott is an admirer, naming the show alongside the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as inspirations for her series, which tracks the travails of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend who is also aspiring talent manager portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the most significant spot on the moodboard was reserved for Entourage, the show depicting an emerging A-list actor navigating in a gritty Hollywood (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She began viewing it during COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and chose to put her own twist 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 this project came—to some extent—from her own, initially difficult, move to Los Angeles and from her cosmic event, a frequently discussed phenomenon for astrology heads. That period marked a phase that involved her learn significant insights, professionally and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she admits. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Growing up in Connecticut, the star began writing and performing humor while pursuing performance at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she says. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She decided to act independently, taking the stage at amateur nights with Edebiri and posting uproarious (and very) unconventional online content on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, depicted a group of women fetishistically drawn to pregnancy; another imagined being employed at the brand Hollister as similar to being stuck in a scary movie. Interestingly, she connected with Seligman through the university’s film scene and ultimately featuring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a Jewish wake with echoes of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her career, she notes, has been peers offering opportunities, as opposed to established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she confirms, adding with a laugh: “They don’t want us to win.”
Rising Success
Those who had doubts about Sennott previously will certainly be feeling foolish now. In what she calls a “incredibly circular” story, she appears to achieved the perfect project. Previously she uploaded a clip titled “it’s LA” online, in which she mocked movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with Emma Barrie) of a series about city dwellers balancing the perks of digital stardom (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with downsides (your friend being suspected of being a substance-abusing stealer, and possibly becoming a unreliable outcast). One might tempting to create a show about internet celebrity that was overly glamorous—or, worse, one that mocked at its subjects. This show steers clear of each, making for a portrait of advantaged young adult life that’s candid about the chaos and the glamour.
Balanced Perspective
“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
