Rachel Sennott joins the video call and immediately launches into an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, sounding truly remorseful. Although she's only a couple of minutes late, she needs 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!” Luckily, during an interview, that’s exactly what one hopes to experience. Moreover, it’s fairly unsurprising. Those who know her fearlessly openly gay and unapologetically crass film Bottoms—which she collaborated on with the director and appeared in with close companion Ayo Edebiri—can be aware that Sennott holds much to say, whether on roles, intimacy, or the pros of starting a high-school fight club. Furthermore, after watching the recent seasonal show I Love LA, viewers realize that she carries additional thoughts regarding the challenges of Gen Z life (As a millennial, she is an honorary member of the gang, on the cusp skilled for bridging millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Creative Vision
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s Girls are inevitable and Sennott admits to being enthusiastic, referencing the show alongside the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as influences for the project, which tracks the journey of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend and aspiring talent manager Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the largest influence on creative vision went to the HBO series, the show depicting a rising A-list actor navigating in a corrupt LA scene (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it during the pandemic, became “hooked”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she notes. The concept for the series came—in part—from personal, initially difficult, transition to Los Angeles and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed event for enthusiasts. That period marked an era that involved her learn some big insights, professionally and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she says. “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
Brought up in Connecticut, the star began creating and acting stand-up while studying theatre at a prestigious arts school. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she states. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She decided to act independently, performing at amateur nights with Edebiri and uploading hilarious (and decidedly) weird online content digitally. One, titled Baby Cult, depicted a group of women intensely obsessed with motherhood; another portrayed working at a trendy retail outlet as like being caught in a thriller. Interestingly, she encountered Emma through NYU’s movie community and eventually starring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a religious event with shades of Uncut Gems. The central motif of her career, she notes, has been peers giving her a shot, as opposed to established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, continuing amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Those who were skeptical about Sennott previously will likely be kicking themselves currently. Through she labels a “incredibly circular” development, she appears to created her dream vehicle. Previously she uploaded a video named about Los Angeles online, in which she mocked movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a show about city dwellers juggling the perks of online celebrity (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being accused of being a drug-addled thief, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). It would be tempting to produce a show about digital influence that was extremely idealized—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at its subjects. I Love LA steers clear of each, making for a representation of privileged millennial living that’s candid about the grot and the appeal.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
