Rachel Sennott exploring the uproarious show depicting that chaotic glamour of today's youth lifestyle
The star enters the digital interview and right away launches into an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, seeming genuinely regretful. She is only a couple of minutes late, she wants to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Luckily, for a writer, that’s precisely what one hopes to experience. Additionally, it’s fairly expected. Those familiar with the boldly LGBTQ+ and outspoken project titled Bottoms—which she penned with the director and featured in together with close companion The Bear’s standout—would already know that she holds a lot to share, whether on gender, relationships, or the merits of forming a teen fight club. Furthermore, after watching her new eight-part show I Love LA, it is clear that she holds further insights about the challenges of Gen Z life (As a millennial, Sennott is a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp with a knack for straddling both generations).
Influences and Artistic Direction
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and the actress admits to being enthusiastic, citing the show in addition to Sex and the City, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as influences for the project, which follows the journey of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and aspiring agent portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the biggest presence on creative vision was reserved for the HBO series, the HBO sitcom depicting an emerging celebrity making his way in a corrupt entertainment industry (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott began viewing it amid the pandemic, became “hooked”, and resolved to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she notes. The idea for the series originated—to some extent—from firsthand, originally fractious, move to Los Angeles and from her astrological phase, a much-talked-about occurrence for followers. That period marked a phase that saw her grasp significant life lessons, professionally and individually. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she says. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Raised in the East Coast, the star commenced developing and showcasing humor 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?”
Sennott seized control, taking the stage at open mics with her friend and posting hysterical (and decidedly) unconventional online content on the internet. One, Baby Cult, followed characters intensely obsessed with pregnancy; a different one envisioned working at the brand Hollister as like being stuck in a thriller. By chance, she encountered Seligman through campus film circles and ended up starring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a religious event with shades of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her path, she explains, has been peers giving her a shot, instead of traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, stating with a laugh: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Individuals who had doubts regarding her earlier will likely be kicking themselves today. In what she labels a “astonishingly complete” story, she has manifested an ideal role. In 2019 she shared a clip named about Los Angeles on social media, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a series about LA residents balancing the perks of online celebrity (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your friend being accused of being a drug-addled thief, and possibly becoming a unreliable outcast). Some could simple to make a series about digital influence that was horribly idealized—or, worse, one that belittled at the characters. I Love LA avoids both, resulting in a representation of affluent millennial existence that’s frank about the grot and the glamour.
Empathetic Approach
“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