Rachel Sennott enters the digital interview and right away begins an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, seeming really regretful. Although she's only a couple of minutes delayed, she wants to explain. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Fortunately, in this context, that’s precisely what is ideal to encounter. Moreover, it’s fairly unsurprising. Viewers familiar with her fearlessly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—which she collaborated on with the director and starred in alongside close companion The Bear’s standout—would understand that she holds plenty to share, be it on gender, relationships, or the merits of forming a youth fight club. Furthermore, by the end her new seasonal show titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star holds additional insights regarding the darker side of modern youth (As a millennial, Sennott is a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp with a knack for connecting both generations).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and the actress admits to being enthusiastic, naming it alongside the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as inspirations for I Love LA, which details the struggles of a social media star Tallulah and ally and new representative Maia. Notably, the most significant influence on concept was reserved for the popular sitcom, the HBO sitcom depicting an emerging celebrity succeeding in a gritty entertainment industry (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it amid lockdown, became “captivated”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she says. The concept for this project originated—to some extent—from firsthand, initially rocky, move to Tinseltown and from the cosmic event, a popular occurrence for enthusiasts. That period marked a phase that included her grasp major insights, work-wise and in private life. “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 resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Starting Out
Brought up in New England, Sennott commenced writing and performing humor while enrolled in performance at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she explains. “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. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott decided to act independently, taking the stage at amateur nights with Ayo and posting uproarious (and distinctly) weird online content online. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, followed characters obsessively obsessed with motherhood; another portrayed working at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being caught in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she met Emma through campus film circles and ended up starring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a religious event with hints of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The central motif of her career, she notes, has been people her own age supporting her, as opposed to the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, adding humorously: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who questioned regarding her previously will certainly be kicking themselves today. As part of she describes as a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she appears to achieved her dream vehicle. Previously she shared a clip titled on LA life on social media, in which she parodied film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with the co-writer) of a series about Angelenos balancing benefits of digital stardom (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being suspected of being a drug-addled criminal, and possibly becoming a risky outcast). One might tempting to produce a series about digital influence that was extremely idealized—or, more problematic, one that belittled at those depicted. I Love LA avoids both, creating a depiction of affluent young adult life that’s honest about the grot and the shine.
Balanced Perspective
“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” 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
