Rachel Sennott enters the digital interview and at once starts an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, appearing really regretful. Although she's only slightly behind, she needs to explain. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Thankfully, in this context, this is just what is ideal to encounter. Additionally, it’s fairly predictable. Those who know the fearlessly openly gay and outspoken film Bottoms—which she penned with Emma Seligman and appeared in together with close companion The Bear’s standout—will be aware that Sennott possesses much to discuss, whether about gender, sex, or the appeal of forming a high-school fight club. Furthermore, after watching the new seasonal program I Love LA, it is clear that she carries additional thoughts on the challenges of modern youth (As a millennial, Sennott represents a bridge of the gang, straddling eras with a knack for connecting different age groups).
Inspirations and Creative Vision
Parallels to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and the actress readily acknowledges enthusiastic, citing the show alongside Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as inspirations for I Love LA, which details the journey of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and ally and new representative portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the most significant influence on concept went to the popular sitcom, the program about an emerging A-list actor making his way in a gritty LA scene (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott discovered it during the pandemic, became “captivated”, and decided to create a new version on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she says. The idea for the series emerged—partly—from firsthand, initially fractious, move to Los Angeles and from her astrological phase, a much-talked-about phenomenon for astrology heads. That period marked an era that involved her learn significant insights, in her career and personally. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she admits. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Early Beginnings
Growing up in the East Coast, Sennott began writing and performing humor while studying theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she states. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott decided to act independently, appearing at amateur nights with Edebiri and posting hilarious (and very) weird online content on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, depicted characters obsessively obsessed with motherhood; another envisioned working at the brand Hollister as similar to being trapped in a horror film. Interestingly, she met Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ended up starring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a funeral gathering with shades of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her career, she explains, has been people her own age giving her a shot, instead of established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, continuing with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Individuals who were skeptical regarding Sennott previously will certainly be kicking themselves today. As part of she describes as a “wild, full-circle” story, she seems to have created her dream vehicle. In 2019 she posted content named about Los Angeles on social media, in which she mocked film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about Angelenos managing benefits of online celebrity (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your client being suspected of being a drug-addled thief, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). Some could simple to produce a series about digital influence that was extremely aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at its subjects. The series steers clear of each, resulting in a representation of affluent millennial life that’s honest about the grot and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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
