Rachel Sennott appears on the online meeting and right away starts an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, sounding truly regretful. Despite being only a bit delayed, she wants to clarify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Luckily, in this context, that’s precisely what is ideal to experience. Moreover, it’s fairly predictable. Viewers who have seen the unapologetically queer and brash movie Bottoms—that Sennott collaborated on with Emma Seligman and starred in alongside her friend the talented actress—can be aware that Sennott possesses much to share, ranging from about identity, sex, or the pros of starting a youth fight club. Plus, once you finish her recent seasonal program I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has even more thoughts regarding the struggles of Gen Z life (As a millennial, she represents a relatable figure to younger audiences, on the cusp with a knack for connecting both generations).
Influences and Artistic Direction
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls are inevitable and Sennott readily acknowledges a fan, referencing it together with the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as influences for her series, which tracks the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and fledgling agent portrayed by Sennott. However, the biggest spot on concept was reserved for the popular sitcom, that HBO sitcom depicting an up-and-coming celebrity navigating in a gritty Hollywood (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She began viewing it during lockdown, became “obsessed”, and resolved to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she explains. The concept for the series came—partly—from personal, initially difficult, transition to Los Angeles and from her astrological phase, a frequently discussed phenomenon for followers. That period marked a phase that saw her grasp significant life lessons, work-wise and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” 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 …”
Early Beginnings
Brought up in the East Coast, the star started creating and acting humor while studying performance at a prestigious arts school. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she states. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She took matters into her own hands, appearing at open mics with Edebiri and uploading hysterical (and distinctly) bizarre online content online. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, centered on a group of women fetishistically drawn to having babies; a different one imagined being employed at a trendy retail outlet as like being caught in a thriller. By chance, she connected with Emma through NYU’s movie community and eventually appearing in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a religious event with echoes of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her career, she says, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, instead of traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, stating amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Career Breakthrough
Individuals who questioned about Sennott then will likely be kicking themselves today. Through she describes as a “incredibly circular” story, she has manifested an ideal role. A few years back she shared content called on LA life on social media, in which she parodied movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with the co-writer) of a comedy about LA residents balancing advantages of digital stardom (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your friend being suspected of being a intoxicated thief, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). Some could tempting to create a series about digital influence that was overly idealized—or, more problematic, one that mocked at those depicted. I Love LA avoids both, making for a portrait of advantaged millennial life that’s candid about the mess and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
