Rachel Sennott appears on the online meeting and right away begins an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, seeming really remorseful. Despite being only a couple of minutes behind, she needs to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Thankfully, during an interview, that’s exactly what one hopes to experience. Besides, it’s pretty predictable. Viewers who know her fearlessly queer and outspoken movie titled Bottoms—that she penned with Emma Seligman and appeared in with collaborator Ayo Edebiri—can be aware that Sennott has a lot to discuss, ranging from on identity, intimacy, or the pros of creating a teen fight club. Furthermore, by the end the new eight-part show I Love LA, it is clear that the star holds even more thoughts regarding the darker side of Gen Z life (At 30, Sennott serves as a bridge for this generation, straddling eras adept for bridging different age groups).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and the actress is a fan, referencing it in addition to Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as guides for her series, which follows the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also aspiring representative portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the biggest spot on the moodboard went to the HBO series, that show about a rising A-list actor succeeding in an often-seedy entertainment industry (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She started watching it during the pandemic, became “captivated”, and resolved to create a new version 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 inspiration for I Love LA came—in part—from firsthand, at first difficult, relocation to LA and from her cosmic event, a frequently discussed phenomenon for enthusiasts. This represented an era that involved her understand some big 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 admits. “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 …”
Humble Origins
Growing up in Connecticut, the star began creating and acting humor while enrolled in theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “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.” “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She seized control, appearing at open mics with her friend and posting hysterical (and distinctly) weird skits digitally. One, titled Baby Cult, followed characters obsessively fixated on motherhood; another envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being caught in a scary movie. Interestingly, she connected with Emma through NYU’s movie community and eventually appearing in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a tense film set at a Jewish wake with hints of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her career, she says, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, instead of the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, adding with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Individuals who were skeptical regarding her then will surely be regretting it today. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” development, she has manifested the perfect project. A few years back she uploaded a clip titled on LA life online, in which she parodied movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about Angelenos managing the perks of online celebrity (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your associate being suspected of being a intoxicated thief, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). It would be simple to create a program about digital influence that was extremely glamorous—or, worse, one that mocked at its subjects. This show avoids both, creating a portrait of advantaged twentysomething existence that’s frank about the mess and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“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
