Rachel Sennott appears on the video call and right away starts an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, seeming really remorseful. Despite being only slightly delayed, she needs to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, for a writer, that’s just what you want to experience. Besides, it’s pretty expected. Anyone who have seen the boldly queer and outspoken project titled Bottoms—which she collaborated on with Emma Seligman and featured in with her friend the talented actress—will understand that Sennott has much to say, whether about identity, intimacy, or the merits of forming a high-school fight club. And, by the end her latest seasonal program titled I Love LA, viewers realize that she carries further thoughts regarding the darker side of modern youth (Now in her thirties, she represents a relatable figure for this generation, straddling eras skilled for bridging different age groups).
Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and the actress is enthusiastic, citing the show together with the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as guides for I Love LA, which tracks the travails of a social media star Tallulah and close companion and fledgling talent manager Sennott’s character. Notably, the biggest spot on the moodboard belonged to Entourage, that HBO sitcom depicting a rising Hollywood star navigating in an often-seedy LA scene (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She began viewing it throughout lockdown, became “obsessed”, and decided to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she notes. The inspiration for I Love LA originated—to some extent—from firsthand, initially difficult, move to Los Angeles and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed event for followers. This represented an era that involved her grasp some big insights, professionally and personally. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she says. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Raised in the East Coast, the star began developing and showcasing stand-up while enrolled in acting at a prestigious arts school. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she states. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott took matters into her own hands, appearing at amateur nights with Ayo and uploading hilarious (and distinctly) unconventional comedy videos online. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted several females intensely fixated on motherhood; a different one imagined working at the brand Hollister as similar to being caught in a thriller. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Seligman through the university’s film scene and ultimately featuring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a funeral gathering with echoes of the Safdie brothers’ movie. A recurring idea of her journey, she explains, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, rather than the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she emphasizes, adding with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who were skeptical about Sennott earlier will certainly be feeling foolish today. As part of she describes as a “astonishingly complete” story, she seems to have achieved an ideal role. Previously she posted a clip titled on LA life on the internet, in which she mocked movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a series about Angelenos juggling benefits of digital stardom (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being accused of being a intoxicated criminal, and possibly becoming a risky outcast). Some could tempting to make a show about digital influence that was extremely glamorous—or, more problematic, one that belittled at those depicted. The series steers clear of each, making for a portrait of affluent twentysomething living that’s frank about the chaos and the appeal.
Empathetic Approach
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
