Rachel Sennott appears on the digital interview and right away starts an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, sounding truly apologetic. Although she's only a couple of minutes behind, she needs to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, in this context, that’s precisely what is ideal to encounter. Moreover, it’s quite unsurprising. Viewers familiar with the boldly LGBTQ+ and outspoken film Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with the director and featured in together with close companion The Bear’s standout—can be aware that Sennott has much to share, be it about roles, intimacy, or the pros of forming a high-school fight club. And, after watching the latest eight-part program I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star has even more thoughts on the struggles of modern youth (As a millennial, she is a relatable figure of the gang, on the cusp with a knack for connecting millennials and Gen Z).
Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and the actress readily acknowledges an admirer, referencing the show in addition to the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for the project, which follows the travails of an influencer Tallulah and ally and new agent Maia. Notably, the largest spot on the moodboard was reserved for the popular sitcom, the HBO sitcom focusing on a rising celebrity navigating in a gritty entertainment industry (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She started watching it throughout lockdown, became “captivated”, and chose to put her own twist on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she says. The concept for this project came—to some extent—from firsthand, initially rocky, relocation to LA and from the astrological phase, a much-talked-about phenomenon for followers. This represented a time that saw her understand some big truths, in her career and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Humble Origins
Brought up in New England, the star commenced writing and performing comedy while pursuing theatre at a prestigious arts school. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She decided to act independently, appearing at amateur nights with Ayo and uploading uproarious (and decidedly) bizarre comedy videos online. One, Baby Cult, followed characters fetishistically obsessed with pregnancy; a different one portrayed being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being caught in a thriller. Interestingly, she met Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ended up appearing in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a religious event with shades of the intense thriller. The central motif of her path, she explains, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, instead of established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, stating with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Anyone who questioned regarding Sennott then will certainly be kicking themselves currently. Through she describes as a “incredibly circular” turn of events, she has achieved the perfect project. In 2019 she uploaded a video named “it’s LA” on social media, in which she parodied movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a show about city dwellers juggling benefits of internet fame (such as socializing at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your friend being accused of being a substance-abusing stealer, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). Some could simple to create a series about digital influence that was extremely glamorous—or, more problematic, one that punched down at the characters. This show avoids both, resulting in a depiction of affluent twentysomething life that’s candid about the mess and the glamour.
Balanced Perspective
“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” 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
