🔗 Share this article

Rachel Sennott appears on the digital interview and right away starts an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, seeming genuinely regretful. Despite being only a couple of minutes behind, she feels compelled to explain. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Luckily, during an interview, this is precisely what is ideal to experience. Additionally, it’s fairly expected. Those who know her fearlessly queer and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with Emma Seligman and starred in alongside her friend the talented actress—will understand that she holds a lot to share, be it on identity, relationships, or the appeal of forming a high-school brawl society. And, after watching her recent eight-part HBO series titled I Love LA, it is clear that the star carries further thoughts regarding the struggles of modern youth (As a millennial, Sennott represents a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp skilled for straddling millennials and Gen Z).

Influences and Creative Vision

Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and Sennott admits to being a fan, naming the show alongside the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for I Love LA, which follows the travails of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and new talent manager portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the most significant presence on concept was reserved for the popular sitcom, that HBO sitcom focusing on an up-and-coming Hollywood star making his way in a corrupt Hollywood (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She discovered it during COVID-19, became “hooked”, and decided to put her own twist on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.

“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she explains. The inspiration for the series originated—in part—from personal, at first fractious, transition to Los Angeles and from her cosmic event, a much-talked-about event for enthusiasts. It was a time that saw her grasp major insights, in her career and personally. “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 resembled a series of extreme challenges…”

Humble Origins

Raised in the East Coast, the star began creating and acting stand-up while pursuing theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”

Sennott seized control, performing at open mics with Edebiri and sharing uproarious (and very) weird comedy videos online. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted characters intensely fixated on pregnancy; another portrayed being employed at the brand Hollister as similar to being caught in a thriller. By chance, she encountered Emma through campus film circles and ultimately featuring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a Jewish wake with echoes of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The central motif of her journey, she notes, has been peers offering opportunities, rather than the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, adding amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”

Rising Success

Those who had doubts about her earlier will likely be feeling foolish now. As part of she labels a “wild, full-circle” story, she appears to achieved an ideal role. Previously she posted a clip called “it’s LA” on social media, in which she parodied movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a comedy about LA residents juggling benefits of digital stardom (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being labeled as being a substance-abusing stealer, and possibly becoming a unreliable persona non grata). Some could tempting to create a show about online fame that was overly aspirational—or, worse, one that punched down at its subjects. I Love LA does neither, creating a depiction of affluent twentysomething living that’s honest about the grot and the appeal.

Nuanced Portrayal

“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