Rachel Sennott appears on the online meeting and immediately begins an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, appearing really remorseful. She is only a couple of minutes behind, 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!” Luckily, for a writer, this is precisely what one hopes to experience. Moreover, it’s fairly predictable. Anyone who know her fearlessly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass movie titled Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with the director and starred in alongside close companion The Bear’s standout—would be aware that Sennott has plenty to discuss, ranging from on roles, relationships, or the appeal of creating a youth fight club. And, after watching the recent eight-part program titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star has even more perspectives about the darker side of young adulthood (As a millennial, she serves as a relatable figure for this generation, a tale-end millennial adept for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Influences and Artistic Direction
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and Sennott is an admirer, citing it alongside the classic series, Insecure and Atlanta as influences for the project, which follows the travails of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and ally and aspiring representative portrayed by Sennott. However, the biggest presence on the moodboard belonged to the popular sitcom, that show depicting an up-and-coming A-list actor making his way in a gritty LA scene (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott began viewing it throughout the pandemic, became “hooked”, and resolved to put her own twist 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 notes. The concept for I Love LA originated—in part—from firsthand, originally fractious, transition to LA and from the saturn return, a much-talked-about occurrence for astrology heads. That period marked an era that saw her understand major life lessons, work-wise and personally. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she recalls. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Humble Origins
Growing up in the East Coast, the star started writing and performing stand-up while pursuing theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she explains. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She decided to act independently, performing at open mics with Ayo and posting hilarious (and distinctly) unconventional online content online. One, Baby Cult, centered on characters intensely obsessed with motherhood; a different one portrayed being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being stuck in a thriller. By chance, she connected with Emma through campus film circles and ultimately starring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a religious event with hints of Uncut Gems. The central motif of her path, she explains, has been contemporaries supporting her, rather than established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, stating humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Individuals who were skeptical about Sennott then will likely be feeling foolish currently. As part of she calls a “incredibly circular” development, she appears to created the perfect project. A few years back she posted a video titled “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she lampooned film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a show about LA residents balancing the perks of internet fame (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your associate being accused of being a substance-abusing criminal, and possibly becoming a unreliable persona non grata). Some could simple to produce a series about online fame that was overly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that belittled at the characters. I Love LA steers clear of each, making for a depiction of privileged millennial life that’s honest about the chaos and the shine.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
