The star appears on the video call and immediately begins an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she exclaims, sounding truly regretful. Despite being only slightly late, 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, that’s just what one hopes to encounter. Additionally, it’s fairly expected. Those familiar with the unapologetically queer and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—that she collaborated on with Emma Seligman and starred in with her friend the talented actress—will be aware that Sennott possesses a lot to discuss, whether about roles, sex, or the pros of forming a high-school fight club. Furthermore, after watching the latest multi-episode HBO series titled I Love LA, it is clear that she carries even more perspectives about the darker side of modern youth (At 30, Sennott represents a bridge of the gang, straddling eras with a knack for bridging millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and Sennott is a fan, citing the show in addition to Sex and the City, Issa Rae’s show and Atlanta as influences for the project, which details the journey of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and fledgling agent Sennott’s character. Notably, the most significant presence on the moodboard was reserved for the popular sitcom, the show about an up-and-coming celebrity succeeding in an often-seedy LA scene (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She began viewing it throughout COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she notes. The idea for this project came—in part—from firsthand, at first fractious, move to LA and from her saturn return, a frequently discussed phenomenon for followers. This represented a time that saw her learn significant truths, professionally and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she says. “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 …”
Starting Out
Raised in Connecticut, the star started writing and performing humor while enrolled in performance at a prestigious arts school. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
Sennott seized control, appearing at open mics with her friend and uploading hilarious (and distinctly) unconventional skits digitally. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted a group of women obsessively drawn to pregnancy; another portrayed being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being stuck in a thriller. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Seligman through campus film circles and eventually featuring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a tense film set at a religious event with echoes of the Safdie brothers’ movie. A recurring idea of her career, she notes, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, as opposed to the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, adding amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who had doubts regarding her then will likely be kicking themselves currently. As part of she describes as a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she appears to manifested the perfect project. In 2019 she posted a clip titled about Los Angeles on the internet, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a show about LA residents managing benefits of internet fame (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your client being accused of being a substance-abusing thief, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). It would be tempting to make a program about digital influence that was overly glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at those depicted. This show steers clear of each, creating a depiction of affluent twentysomething life that’s candid about the grot and the shine.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” she observes. “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
