🔗 Share this article

Rachel Sennott enters the digital interview and right away launches into an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, appearing truly regretful. Despite being only slightly delayed, she wants to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Fortunately, for a writer, that’s precisely what you want to hear. Additionally, it’s fairly predictable. Those who know the boldly queer and outspoken project titled Bottoms—that she penned with the director and featured in with close companion the talented actress—would already know that Sennott has plenty to say, ranging from on roles, relationships, or the merits of creating a high-school fight club. Plus, after watching the new multi-episode program titled I Love LA, viewers realize that she has further perspectives regarding the challenges of modern youth (As a millennial, Sennott serves as an honorary member to younger audiences, on the cusp with a knack for bridging different age groups).

Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction

The comparisons to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and the actress readily acknowledges a fan, naming it together with the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and Atlanta as inspirations for I Love LA, which follows the travails of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and fledgling talent manager Maia. However, the most significant spot on concept was reserved for Entourage, the HBO sitcom focusing on an emerging celebrity navigating in an often-seedy Hollywood (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott discovered it throughout COVID-19, became “hooked”, and chose to create a new version 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 explains. The inspiration for I Love LA came—in part—from her own, originally rocky, relocation to LA and from the cosmic event, a popular phenomenon for followers. This represented an era that included her learn some big insights, in her career and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” 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 was almost like these biblical tests …”

Humble Origins

Brought up in New England, the star commenced writing and performing stand-up while enrolled in theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she explains. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “I wondered why I was even there at all.”

Sennott seized control, performing at amateur nights with Ayo and sharing uproarious (and very) bizarre comedy videos online. A particular video, Baby Cult, centered on several females fetishistically obsessed with pregnancy; a different one portrayed being employed at the brand Hollister as akin to being stuck in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she met Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up appearing in her first film, Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a Jewish wake with hints of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her path, she says, has been contemporaries supporting her, as opposed to traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she confirms, stating amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Career Breakthrough

Those who had doubts about her previously will surely be kicking themselves currently. As part of she describes as a “astonishingly complete” development, she seems to have manifested the perfect project. A few years back she shared content titled about Los Angeles on the internet, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a show about Angelenos balancing advantages of digital stardom (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your client being suspected of being a drug-addled stealer, and possibly becoming a unreliable persona non grata). Some could easy to produce a program about internet celebrity that was horribly aspirational—or, worse, one that punched down at the characters. This show steers clear of each, creating a depiction of affluent millennial 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