Rachel Sennott appears on the video call and immediately launches into an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, seeming genuinely apologetic. She is only a bit delayed, she needs to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Fortunately, in this context, this is precisely what one hopes to experience. Additionally, it’s quite unsurprising. Anyone who know the unapologetically LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass movie titled Bottoms—that she penned with the director and starred in with collaborator The Bear’s standout—can already know that Sennott holds a lot to share, whether on gender, relationships, or the merits of starting a teen fight club. Furthermore, by the end her latest eight-part program I Love LA, viewers realize that she carries further thoughts about the struggles of modern youth (Now in her thirties, Sennott is a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp with a knack for bridging both generations).
Inspirations and Creative Vision
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and Sennott is enthusiastic, naming the show together with the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as guides for I Love LA, which tracks the journey of an influencer Tallulah and her friend who is also new talent manager Sennott’s character. Notably, the largest presence on concept belonged to the HBO series, the show about an up-and-coming celebrity navigating in a gritty LA scene (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it during the pandemic, became “captivated”, and decided to put her own twist 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 came—to some extent—from firsthand, at first difficult, relocation to LA and from the cosmic event, a much-talked-about phenomenon for astrology heads. That period marked a phase that included her learn significant life lessons, work-wise and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she says. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Brought up in the East Coast, the star began writing and performing humor while studying acting at a prestigious arts school. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
Sennott decided to act independently, performing at live shows with Ayo and uploading hilarious (and decidedly) unconventional skits online. One, Baby Cult, depicted characters obsessively obsessed with having babies; a different one envisioned working at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being trapped in a thriller. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Seligman through campus film circles and ended up appearing in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a religious event with hints of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her journey, she explains, has been people her own age supporting her, instead of the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, stating amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Anyone who had doubts regarding her then will certainly be regretting it today. In what she describes as a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she appears to achieved an ideal role. In 2019 she shared a clip titled about Los Angeles online, in which she mocked movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a series about city dwellers balancing advantages of digital stardom (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being suspected of being a drug-addled stealer, and possibly becoming a risky persona non grata). It would be tempting to make a show about internet celebrity that was overly glamorous—or, worse, one that punched down at those depicted. The series steers clear of each, creating a depiction of affluent young adult living 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
