Rachel Sennott appears on the digital interview and immediately launches into an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, appearing really regretful. Although she's only a bit delayed, she feels compelled to clarify. “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, that’s precisely what one hopes to encounter. Besides, it’s quite expected. Viewers familiar with her unapologetically LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass movie Bottoms—that Sennott collaborated on with Emma Seligman and starred in with her friend the talented actress—can already know that she possesses a lot to say, whether about identity, intimacy, or the appeal of creating a teen combat group. Furthermore, after watching the latest eight-part show titled I Love LA, viewers realize that she carries even more thoughts about the challenges of Gen Z life (As a millennial, Sennott is a bridge for this generation, straddling eras with a knack for straddling both generations).
Guiding Lights and Creative Vision
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and the actress readily acknowledges a fan, referencing the show together with the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as guides for the project, which tracks the travails of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and aspiring agent Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the biggest presence on the moodboard went to Entourage, that program about an emerging Hollywood star succeeding in a gritty entertainment industry (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She discovered it amid the pandemic, became “captivated”, and decided to add a fresh perspective on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she notes. The inspiration for the series came—partly—from personal, initially difficult, relocation to LA and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed event for enthusiasts. That period marked an era that included her learn some big truths, in her career and individually. “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
Growing up in the East Coast, the star started developing and showcasing comedy while studying acting at NYU’s Tisch. “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 amateur nights with Edebiri and posting hysterical (and distinctly) unconventional online content digitally. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted several females obsessively drawn to having babies; another envisioned working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being caught in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she met Emma through NYU’s movie community and ultimately appearing in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a funeral gathering with echoes of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her career, she notes, has been people her own age giving her a shot, instead of traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, adding amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Anyone who were skeptical about her then will likely be feeling foolish now. As part of she describes as a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she has created the perfect project. A few years back she uploaded a video called “it’s LA” 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 her partner) of a comedy about Angelenos balancing benefits of digital stardom (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being suspected of being a drug-addled criminal, and possibly becoming a risky pariah). One might simple to produce a show about online fame that was extremely glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at its subjects. This show avoids both, creating a depiction of advantaged twentysomething living that’s frank about the chaos and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“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
