Rachel Sennott enters the online meeting and immediately begins an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, sounding truly remorseful. Although she's only slightly behind, she wants to clarify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Fortunately, in this context, that’s just what you want to encounter. Additionally, it’s quite predictable. Those who know the unapologetically queer and outspoken project Bottoms—that she co-wrote with Emma Seligman and starred in alongside her friend the talented actress—will understand that she has plenty to discuss, whether on gender, sex, or the merits of starting a high-school brawl society. And, once you finish her new eight-part show titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she carries further thoughts on the struggles of modern youth (As a millennial, Sennott is a bridge to younger audiences, on the cusp skilled for bridging different age groups).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and the actress is an admirer, referencing the show in addition to Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as guides for I Love LA, which tracks the travails of a social media star Tallulah and ally who is also aspiring representative Sennott’s character. However, the biggest influence on concept belonged to the popular sitcom, the show about an up-and-coming A-list actor making his way in an often-seedy entertainment industry (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott started watching it throughout lockdown, became “captivated”, and chose to put her own twist on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she says. The idea for the series emerged—to some extent—from personal, originally difficult, transition to Tinseltown and from her cosmic event, a much-talked-about occurrence for followers. It was an era that involved her grasp some big life lessons, work-wise and in private life. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she says. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Growing up in Connecticut, Sennott began developing and showcasing humor while studying theatre at a prestigious arts school. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she states. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She decided to act independently, taking the stage at open mics with Ayo and uploading hysterical (and decidedly) weird skits on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on several females obsessively fixated on pregnancy; another envisioned working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being stuck in a scary movie. Interestingly, she met Emma through campus film circles and eventually featuring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a religious event with echoes of the Safdie brothers’ movie. A recurring idea of her path, she notes, has been peers offering opportunities, as opposed to established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, stating with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Anyone who were skeptical regarding her previously will certainly be regretting it today. In what she describes as a “astonishingly complete” story, she has manifested an ideal role. In 2019 she posted a video called about Los Angeles on the internet, in which she lampooned film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a show about Angelenos managing benefits of internet fame (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with downsides (your associate being labeled as being a drug-addled criminal, and potentially becoming a risky pariah). It would be simple to make a program about online fame that was extremely idealized—or, worse, one that mocked at those depicted. I Love LA steers clear of each, creating a representation of advantaged twentysomething living that’s candid about the chaos and the glamour.
Balanced Perspective
“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
