The actress and writer exploring her uproarious series depicting the grotty appeal of younger generation existence
Rachel Sennott enters the video call and right away begins an excuse. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, sounding really remorseful. Although she's only a bit delayed, she feels compelled to clarify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Fortunately, in this context, that’s precisely what one hopes to encounter. Besides, it’s quite unsurprising. Those who have seen the unapologetically queer and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—which she penned with Emma Seligman and starred in together with her friend the talented actress—would understand that Sennott has much to share, whether on roles, relationships, or the appeal of creating a youth brawl society. And, by the end the recent multi-episode show I Love LA, it is clear that she holds additional thoughts about the struggles of modern youth (Now in her thirties, Sennott serves as a bridge for this generation, straddling eras skilled for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Creative Vision
The comparisons to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and Sennott is a fan, naming it in addition to Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as influences for her series, which follows the journey of online personality Tallulah and close companion who is also fledgling talent manager Maia. Perhaps, the largest spot on the moodboard went to the popular sitcom, that show depicting a rising A-list actor navigating in a gritty entertainment industry (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott discovered it during lockdown, became “hooked”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she explains. The idea for I Love LA came—in part—from her own, originally difficult, move to Los Angeles and from her saturn return, a frequently discussed occurrence for followers. That period marked a phase that included her understand some big life lessons, work-wise and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she says. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Early Beginnings
Brought up in Connecticut, Sennott began developing and showcasing humor while pursuing acting at a prestigious arts school. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she states. “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.”
Sennott took matters into her own hands, appearing at live shows with Ayo and uploading hysterical (and distinctly) weird online content online. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on a group of women intensely obsessed with motherhood; a different one imagined being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being stuck in a thriller. By chance, she encountered Seligman through campus film circles and ended up starring in her first film, Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a religious event with hints of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her career, she says, has been peers supporting her, rather than traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, continuing amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Career Breakthrough
Individuals who had doubts about her then will surely be feeling foolish currently. As part of she labels a “wild, full-circle” development, she appears to achieved an ideal role. A few years back she uploaded a clip named “it’s LA” on social media, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a show about LA residents managing advantages of internet fame (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your associate being accused of being a substance-abusing criminal, and potentially becoming a risky persona non grata). It would be easy to make a series about internet celebrity that was overly idealized—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at its subjects. I Love LA avoids both, creating a representation of advantaged young adult living that’s candid about the mess and the appeal.
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
