Rachel Sennott enters the video call and right away begins an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, seeming really regretful. Although she's only a bit delayed, she feels compelled to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Luckily, in this context, this is precisely what one hopes to experience. Moreover, it’s fairly predictable. Those familiar with her fearlessly LGBTQ+ and outspoken movie titled Bottoms—that Sennott penned with Emma Seligman and starred in alongside close companion The Bear’s standout—would understand that she has plenty to say, ranging from on identity, sex, or the pros of creating a teen combat group. Furthermore, after watching the latest multi-episode show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she holds additional thoughts on the struggles of young adulthood (At 30, Sennott represents a bridge to younger audiences, on the cusp skilled for bridging both generations).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and the actress readily acknowledges enthusiastic, naming it in addition to the HBO hit, Insecure and the innovative program as influences for the project, which details the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and new representative portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the biggest presence on concept was reserved for Entourage, that HBO sitcom depicting an emerging Hollywood star making his way in a corrupt LA scene (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She discovered it throughout COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and resolved to put her own twist on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she notes. The concept for I Love LA originated—to some extent—from personal, at first difficult, relocation to LA and from the saturn return, a frequently discussed occurrence for followers. It was an era that saw her grasp significant insights, professionally and individually. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “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
Brought up in Connecticut, Sennott began writing and performing humor while pursuing acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” 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. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She seized control, taking the stage at live shows with Ayo and sharing hysterical (and decidedly) bizarre skits online. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on a group of women obsessively drawn to having babies; another portrayed being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being caught in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Emma through NYU’s movie community and eventually featuring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a religious event with hints of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her path, she explains, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, instead of established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, continuing amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Individuals who questioned about Sennott earlier will likely be feeling foolish today. As part of she calls a “astonishingly complete” development, she appears to created an ideal role. Previously she uploaded a video called on LA life on the internet, in which she mocked movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a series about LA residents juggling advantages of digital stardom (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your client being labeled as being a substance-abusing stealer, and possibly becoming a unreliable persona non grata). It would be easy to make a show about online fame that was horribly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that mocked at its subjects. The series steers clear of each, making for a representation of advantaged twentysomething existence that’s frank about the grot and the glamour.
Empathetic Approach
“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
