Rachel Sennott appears on the digital interview and at once begins an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, appearing really apologetic. Although she's only slightly behind, she needs 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!” Luckily, for a writer, this is just what you want to experience. Additionally, it’s quite predictable. Anyone familiar with her boldly LGBTQ+ and brash project Bottoms—that she co-wrote with Emma Seligman and starred in alongside her friend the talented actress—would understand that Sennott possesses a lot to say, ranging from on roles, intimacy, or the merits of creating a high-school brawl society. And, by the end her recent eight-part show titled I Love LA, viewers realize that she carries even more insights on the challenges of Gen Z life (As a millennial, Sennott is a bridge of the gang, straddling eras adept for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Influences and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and Sennott admits to being a fan, naming the show in addition to the classic series, Insecure and Atlanta as guides for I Love LA, which follows the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and aspiring talent manager portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the most significant influence on the moodboard was reserved for Entourage, that show about an emerging celebrity succeeding in a gritty entertainment industry (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott started watching it during the pandemic, became “hooked”, and chose to create a new version 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 the series originated—to some extent—from her own, originally difficult, transition to LA and from the saturn return, a popular event for astrology heads. That period marked a phase that involved her understand some big insights, work-wise and in private life. “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.” “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Starting Out
Growing up in New England, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing comedy while studying acting at NYU’s Tisch. “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.” I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She seized control, appearing at open mics with Ayo and sharing hilarious (and distinctly) unconventional online content on the internet. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted several females intensely drawn to having babies; a different one imagined working at the brand Hollister as similar to being stuck in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Emma through NYU’s movie community and ended up featuring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a Jewish wake with shades of the intense thriller. The central motif of her path, she says, has been people her own age supporting her, rather than traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, stating amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Individuals who questioned regarding Sennott earlier will surely be kicking themselves today. As part of she calls a “astonishingly complete” story, she appears to manifested her dream vehicle. In 2019 she posted a clip titled on LA life on the internet, in which she parodied film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s a lead creator (with Emma Barrie) of a show about Angelenos juggling benefits of digital stardom (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being labeled as being a substance-abusing stealer, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). One might tempting to create a series about online fame that was extremely glamorous—or, more problematic, one that punched down at those depicted. The series steers clear of each, creating a representation of privileged millennial living that’s honest about the grot and the appeal.
Nuanced Portrayal
“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
