Rachel Sennott enters the online meeting and at once starts an explanation. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, appearing really regretful. Despite being only slightly behind, she feels compelled 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, during an interview, this is precisely what one hopes to hear. Besides, it’s fairly expected. Those who have seen her fearlessly openly gay and brash movie Bottoms—that Sennott penned with Emma Seligman and starred in with her friend The Bear’s standout—can already know that Sennott has much to say, ranging from on identity, intimacy, or the pros of forming a high-school brawl society. Plus, once you finish the new multi-episode program titled I Love LA, viewers realize that the star holds even more insights regarding the challenges of young adulthood (At 30, Sennott is a relatable figure for this generation, straddling eras adept for connecting different age groups).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and the actress readily acknowledges an admirer, naming it alongside the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as guides for the project, which tracks the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and new agent portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the largest influence on the moodboard was reserved for Entourage, that HBO sitcom focusing on an up-and-coming Hollywood star navigating in an often-seedy Hollywood (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott discovered it during lockdown, became “obsessed”, and decided to create a new version on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she says. The concept for the series emerged—in part—from personal, initially fractious, move to Los Angeles and from the cosmic event, a much-talked-about occurrence for followers. It was a phase that involved her learn some big insights, in her career and individually. “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. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Early Beginnings
Growing up in New England, Sennott started developing and showcasing comedy while pursuing acting at a prestigious arts school. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she explains. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott seized control, appearing at open mics with her friend and posting hysterical (and decidedly) unconventional skits online. One, titled Baby Cult, depicted a group of women intensely fixated on pregnancy; a different one imagined being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being caught in a scary movie. Interestingly, she connected with Seligman through campus film circles and ultimately featuring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a funeral gathering with hints of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The big theme of her journey, she says, has been people her own age giving her a shot, rather than the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she confirms, continuing with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Anyone who were skeptical regarding her previously will surely be kicking themselves today. As part of she describes as a “wild, full-circle” development, she seems to have manifested her dream vehicle. Previously she shared content titled on LA life on the internet, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about city dwellers balancing benefits of online celebrity (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being labeled as being a drug-addled thief, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). Some could tempting to make a series about internet celebrity that was overly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that mocked at its subjects. I Love LA does neither, creating a depiction of privileged twentysomething living that’s frank about the mess and the shine.
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 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
