Rachel Sennott enters the video call and right away launches into an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, appearing really regretful. Although she's only slightly delayed, she wants to clarify. “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, for a writer, that’s exactly what you want to encounter. Besides, it’s fairly expected. Those who have seen the boldly queer and outspoken movie Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with the director and appeared in alongside collaborator The Bear’s standout—will already know that she possesses a lot to share, ranging from on roles, intimacy, or the appeal of starting a youth brawl society. Plus, after watching her new multi-episode show I Love LA, it is clear that she has even more thoughts on the struggles of modern youth (Now in her thirties, she serves as a relatable figure of the gang, on the cusp skilled for bridging both generations).
Inspirations and Creative Vision
Parallels to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and the actress readily acknowledges a fan, naming it together with the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as influences for the project, which tracks the struggles of online personality Tallulah and ally who is also new representative Maia. Perhaps, the biggest presence on creative vision belonged to Entourage, that program about a rising A-list actor succeeding in a corrupt LA scene (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott discovered it during the pandemic, became “hooked”, and decided 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 says. The idea for I Love LA emerged—to some extent—from firsthand, initially rocky, transition to Tinseltown and from the astrological phase, a much-talked-about phenomenon for enthusiasts. It was an era that saw her understand major life lessons, in her career and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” 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 …”
Starting Out
Growing up in the East Coast, the star commenced developing and showcasing stand-up while studying 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. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She seized control, taking the stage at live shows with her friend and sharing hilarious (and distinctly) weird online content digitally. One, titled Baby Cult, followed characters obsessively obsessed with motherhood; a different one imagined working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being caught in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Seligman through the university’s film scene and eventually starring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a Jewish wake with hints of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her journey, she says, has been people her own age offering opportunities, instead of traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she confirms, continuing amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Manifesting Dreams
Individuals who were skeptical regarding Sennott earlier will certainly be regretting it now. Through she calls 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 parodied Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with the co-writer) of a show about city dwellers managing the perks of internet fame (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being labeled as being a intoxicated stealer, and perhaps becoming a unreliable outcast). It would be tempting to make a show about internet celebrity that was horribly glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at those depicted. This show avoids both, making for a portrait of advantaged millennial living that’s honest about the mess and the glamour.
Nuanced Portrayal
“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” 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
