The actress and writer on her hilarious series portraying the grotty glamour of younger generation life

Rachel Sennott appears on the online meeting and immediately launches into an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, seeming genuinely regretful. Despite being only a bit late, 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!” Luckily, for a writer, this is precisely what one hopes to hear. Moreover, it’s fairly predictable. Those who have seen the boldly queer and unapologetically crass movie titled Bottoms—which Sennott penned with the director and featured in together with her friend The Bear’s standout—will already know that Sennott has a lot to discuss, ranging from on identity, intimacy, or the appeal of forming a youth fight club. Furthermore, by the end her new eight-part program titled I Love LA, it is clear that she carries further thoughts about the challenges of young adulthood (At 30, Sennott is a relatable figure of the gang, on the cusp adept for bridging both generations).

Guiding Lights and Creative Vision

Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott readily acknowledges enthusiastic, naming it in addition to the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as influences for I Love LA, which details the travails of an influencer Tallulah and her friend and new talent manager Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the most significant influence on creative vision belonged to the HBO series, the show depicting an emerging Hollywood star making his way in a corrupt LA scene (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott began viewing it amid COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and resolved to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.

“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she notes. The concept for this project emerged—in part—from personal, at first difficult, move to Tinseltown and from her cosmic event, a much-talked-about phenomenon for followers. It was an era that included her understand major life lessons, in her career and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “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 …”

Early Beginnings

Raised in Connecticut, the star started developing and showcasing stand-up while pursuing acting 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. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”

Sennott decided to act independently, performing at live shows with Edebiri and uploading hilarious (and distinctly) weird online content online. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted characters obsessively drawn to pregnancy; another portrayed being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being trapped in a scary movie. Interestingly, she encountered Seligman through the university’s film scene and eventually appearing in her first film, Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a funeral gathering with echoes of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The central motif of her path, she explains, has been peers giving her a shot, as opposed to traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, adding amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Rising Success

Those who had doubts about Sennott previously will likely be feeling foolish today. Through she labels a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she has achieved the perfect project. Previously she uploaded a clip named about Los Angeles on the internet, in which she lampooned movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a comedy about LA residents balancing the perks of internet fame (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your friend being accused of being a drug-addled criminal, and perhaps becoming a risky outcast). Some could tempting to produce a program about internet celebrity that was extremely idealized—or, more problematic, one that belittled at the characters. This show avoids both, making for a depiction of affluent millennial living that’s frank about the mess and the shine.

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

Elaine Foster
Elaine Foster

Elara Vance is a multidisciplinary artist and writer with over a decade of experience in digital design and creative storytelling.