The performer joins the digital interview and immediately begins an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, seeming genuinely apologetic. Despite being only a bit late, she feels compelled to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Luckily, during an interview, this is just what one hopes to encounter. Moreover, it’s fairly expected. Viewers who know the unapologetically queer and brash film Bottoms—which she co-wrote with the director and starred in with her friend Ayo Edebiri—would be aware that she has a lot to discuss, ranging from about identity, sex, or the pros of starting a teen combat group. And, by the end the recent seasonal program I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star carries further insights regarding the darker side of young adulthood (As a millennial, she is an honorary member of the gang, a tale-end millennial adept for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and Sennott is a fan, naming the show in addition to the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as influences for her series, which tracks the journey of online personality Tallulah and ally and aspiring representative Maia. Perhaps, the largest influence on creative vision belonged to the HBO series, the HBO sitcom focusing on an up-and-coming celebrity navigating in a corrupt entertainment industry (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She discovered it throughout the pandemic, became “captivated”, and decided to create a new version on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she notes. The idea for the series originated—to some extent—from her own, originally difficult, move to Los Angeles and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed occurrence for enthusiasts. That period marked an era that saw her understand significant life lessons, in her career and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she says. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Humble Origins
Growing up in New England, the star began writing and performing stand-up while studying acting at a prestigious arts school. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She decided to act independently, appearing at open mics with Ayo and posting uproarious (and very) unconventional online content digitally. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted a group of women obsessively fixated on having babies; another portrayed working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being trapped in a scary movie. Interestingly, she connected with Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ultimately starring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a religious event with shades of the intense thriller. The big theme of her career, she notes, has been people her own age giving her a shot, instead of the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, adding with a laugh: “They don’t want us to win.”
Rising Success
Anyone who had doubts regarding her then will surely be regretting it now. Through she calls a “incredibly circular” story, she appears to achieved her dream vehicle. Previously she posted a clip titled about Los Angeles on social media, in which she parodied movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a show about LA residents juggling the perks of digital stardom (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being accused of being a drug-addled criminal, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). Some could simple to produce a program about internet celebrity that was extremely glamorous—or, more problematic, one that belittled at its subjects. The series steers clear of each, resulting in a depiction of advantaged young adult existence that’s candid about the mess and the shine.
Empathetic Approach
“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
