Rachel Sennott enters the digital interview and right away launches into an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, sounding genuinely remorseful. Despite being only a couple of minutes late, she needs to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Luckily, in this context, that’s just what one hopes to hear. Moreover, it’s pretty predictable. Those familiar with her unapologetically queer and unapologetically crass movie Bottoms—which Sennott penned with her creative partner and appeared in together with collaborator Ayo Edebiri—can understand that Sennott possesses much to say, be it about gender, intimacy, or the merits of creating a youth fight club. Furthermore, by the end the new multi-episode show I Love LA, viewers realize that the star has even more insights on the challenges of Gen Z life (At 30, Sennott serves as a bridge to younger audiences, straddling eras adept for bridging different age groups).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls can’t be avoided and the actress admits to being enthusiastic, referencing it alongside the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as inspirations for the project, which tracks the struggles of an influencer Tallulah and ally and new agent portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the biggest presence on concept belonged to the HBO series, the HBO sitcom about an up-and-coming celebrity navigating in a corrupt LA scene (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She began viewing it throughout lockdown, became “hooked”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she notes. The idea for I Love LA originated—in part—from firsthand, initially rocky, move to LA and from her saturn return, a much-talked-about occurrence for enthusiasts. This represented a time that included her learn significant insights, in her career and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” 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 …”
Starting Out
Growing up in the East Coast, the star began creating and acting humor while pursuing performance at a prestigious arts school. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she says. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
Sennott took matters into her own hands, performing at open mics with her friend and uploading uproarious (and very) bizarre skits online. One, Baby Cult, depicted characters obsessively fixated on having babies; a different one imagined working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being stuck in a horror film. By chance, she encountered Emma through NYU’s movie community and ended up starring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a Jewish wake with hints of the intense thriller. The central motif of her journey, she explains, has been peers giving her a shot, as opposed to traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, stating amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who questioned regarding Sennott then will certainly be regretting it today. As part of she calls a “astonishingly complete” development, she has achieved her dream vehicle. Previously she posted a clip titled “it’s LA” on social media, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a series about Angelenos managing the perks of internet fame (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your client being accused of being a intoxicated thief, and possibly becoming a risky pariah). It would be simple to make a show about internet celebrity that was overly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that punched down at those depicted. This show does neither, creating a portrait of affluent millennial existence that’s candid about the grot and the shine.
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
