Rachel Sennott joins the video call and at once launches into an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, sounding truly regretful. Although she's only slightly behind, she needs to justify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, for a writer, that’s exactly what you want to encounter. Additionally, it’s fairly predictable. Those familiar with her unapologetically LGBTQ+ and outspoken movie titled Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with her creative partner and featured in together with collaborator The Bear’s standout—will already know that Sennott has much to share, whether about identity, intimacy, or the merits of forming a youth brawl society. Furthermore, by the end her latest eight-part HBO series titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has further insights regarding the darker side of young adulthood (Now in her thirties, she is an honorary member of the gang, on the cusp adept for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and the actress readily acknowledges enthusiastic, referencing the show alongside Sex and the City, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as influences for I Love LA, which tracks the journey of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and ally who is also aspiring representative portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the biggest presence on concept was reserved for the popular sitcom, the HBO sitcom focusing on an emerging Hollywood star making his way in an often-seedy LA scene (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott began viewing it throughout the pandemic, became “captivated”, and decided to create a new version on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she explains. The idea for I Love LA originated—partly—from her own, originally rocky, relocation to LA and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed phenomenon for followers. This represented a phase that included her learn major insights, work-wise and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” 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 …”
Humble Origins
Growing up in New England, Sennott commenced writing and performing comedy while studying acting at a prestigious arts school. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she explains. “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.”
She seized control, appearing at live shows with Ayo and sharing uproarious (and decidedly) weird skits digitally. A particular video, Baby Cult, centered on a group of women intensely fixated on having babies; a different one envisioned working at the brand Hollister as similar to being stuck in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ended up starring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a Jewish wake with hints of Uncut Gems. The central motif of her journey, she notes, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, as opposed to traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, continuing amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Career Breakthrough
Individuals who had doubts regarding Sennott previously will likely be feeling foolish currently. Through she describes as a “incredibly circular” development, she has created her dream vehicle. In 2019 she uploaded content called “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she mocked film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s a lead creator (with Emma Barrie) of a show about city dwellers balancing advantages of digital stardom (such as socializing at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being labeled as being a substance-abusing thief, and potentially becoming a risky outcast). Some could tempting to create a series about internet celebrity that was horribly aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that mocked at those depicted. This show steers clear of each, resulting in a depiction of affluent twentysomething life that’s candid about the mess and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” she observes. “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
