The actress and writer on the hilarious series portraying the grotty glamour of today's youth life

The star enters the video call and at once launches into an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she exclaims, sounding really remorseful. Despite being only a bit delayed, she needs to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Luckily, during an interview, this is exactly what one hopes to encounter. Besides, it’s quite unsurprising. Those who have seen the fearlessly openly gay and brash project titled Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with the director and featured in alongside her friend the talented actress—will already know that Sennott has much to share, whether about gender, relationships, or the merits of starting a teen brawl society. Furthermore, after watching her latest eight-part program I Love LA, it is clear that she carries even more perspectives on the struggles of modern youth (At 30, she serves as a relatable figure of the gang, a tale-end millennial skilled for bridging millennials and Gen Z).

Influences and Storytelling Approach

Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and the actress is enthusiastic, naming the show together with Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as guides for her series, which tracks the journey of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and fledgling talent manager portrayed by Sennott. However, the largest influence on creative vision was reserved for the popular sitcom, the show depicting a rising A-list actor succeeding in a gritty entertainment industry (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott began viewing it amid COVID-19, became “hooked”, and chose to put her own twist 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 concept for this project emerged—in part—from her own, initially rocky, relocation to Tinseltown and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed phenomenon for enthusiasts. That period marked a phase that saw her grasp some big life lessons, professionally and personally. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she recalls. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”

Starting Out

Raised in New England, the star began writing and performing comedy while studying theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”

Sennott took matters into her own hands, performing at open mics with Edebiri and sharing hilarious (and very) unconventional comedy videos online. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, centered on characters fetishistically fixated on having babies; a different one envisioned being employed at the brand Hollister as similar to being stuck in a thriller. Interestingly, she met Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ultimately appearing in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a religious event with hints of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The central motif of her career, she says, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, rather than established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she emphasizes, adding with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”

Career Breakthrough

Anyone who had doubts about her then will certainly be feeling foolish today. In what she describes as a “wild, full-circle” story, she has created her dream vehicle. In 2019 she posted content titled about Los Angeles on social media, in which she lampooned movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about city dwellers juggling the perks of digital stardom (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with its pitfalls (your associate being suspected of being a intoxicated stealer, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). It would be simple to produce a program about internet celebrity that was overly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that mocked at the characters. This show avoids both, creating a portrait of affluent young adult existence that’s frank about the chaos and the glamour.

Empathetic Approach

“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

Randy Turner
Randy Turner

Elara is a passionate hiker and nature writer, sharing insights from years of exploring trails worldwide.