Rachel Sennott appears on the video call and at once launches into an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, appearing really remorseful. Although she's only a couple of minutes behind, she feels compelled to justify. “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, in this context, this is just what you want to encounter. Moreover, it’s quite unsurprising. Those who have seen her boldly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass movie titled Bottoms—that she penned with the director and starred in with collaborator Ayo Edebiri—can understand that she holds plenty to say, ranging from about roles, intimacy, or the pros of forming a teen combat group. Plus, by the end the new eight-part HBO series titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star has additional perspectives about the challenges of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, Sennott serves as a bridge of the gang, on the cusp skilled for straddling different age groups).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
The comparisons to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott admits to being a fan, referencing the show together with the classic series, Insecure and the innovative program as guides for I Love LA, which tracks the journey of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also aspiring agent Maia. Perhaps, the most significant influence on the moodboard was reserved for Entourage, that HBO sitcom about a rising celebrity making his way in an often-seedy Hollywood (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it throughout the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and chose to put her own twist 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 inspiration for this project emerged—partly—from firsthand, initially fractious, move to Los Angeles and from the astrological phase, a much-talked-about occurrence for astrology heads. That period marked a phase that included her grasp significant insights, in her career and in private life. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she says. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Raised in the East Coast, the star started writing and performing humor while pursuing acting at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She took matters into her own hands, appearing at live shows with Ayo and sharing hysterical (and decidedly) weird skits online. One, titled Baby Cult, depicted characters fetishistically drawn to having babies; a different one portrayed being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being stuck in a horror film. Interestingly, she encountered Emma through campus film circles and ended up appearing in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a funeral gathering with hints of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her journey, she notes, has been peers offering opportunities, instead of traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, continuing with a laugh: “They don’t want us to win.”
Rising Success
Anyone who questioned about her earlier will likely be kicking themselves today. Through she calls a “astonishingly complete” story, she appears to achieved an ideal role. Previously she shared a video called “it’s LA” online, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a comedy about Angelenos managing benefits of internet fame (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being labeled as being a intoxicated stealer, and potentially becoming a unreliable persona non grata). Some could tempting to make a program about internet celebrity that was overly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that belittled at those depicted. I Love LA does neither, creating a depiction of advantaged millennial existence 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 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
