Rachel Sennott appears on the digital interview and right away starts an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, appearing truly apologetic. She is only a bit late, she feels compelled to explain. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, during an interview, this is just what is ideal to hear. Besides, it’s fairly predictable. Anyone who have seen the unapologetically openly gay and brash film Bottoms—that she co-wrote with the director and featured in alongside collaborator The Bear’s standout—would be aware that Sennott possesses plenty to say, whether on roles, intimacy, or the merits of forming a teen brawl society. Plus, after watching the new multi-episode program titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star holds additional perspectives regarding the challenges of modern youth (Now in her thirties, she serves as a bridge of the gang, a tale-end millennial skilled for bridging millennials and Gen Z).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
The comparisons to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and the actress readily acknowledges an admirer, naming it in addition to Sex and the City, Insecure and Atlanta as inspirations for I Love LA, which tracks the travails of online personality Tallulah and her friend who is also new talent manager Maia. Perhaps, the largest spot on the moodboard was reserved for the HBO series, that show depicting a rising Hollywood star navigating in a corrupt LA scene (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it throughout lockdown, became “hooked”, and decided to create a new version on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she notes. The idea for the series came—in part—from firsthand, at first fractious, transition to Tinseltown and from her cosmic event, a popular event for astrology heads. It was a phase that included her learn significant truths, in her career and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Humble Origins
Growing up in New England, the star started creating and acting stand-up while enrolled in acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott seized control, performing at open mics with Ayo and uploading hilarious (and very) unconventional skits online. A particular video, Baby Cult, followed a group of women intensely fixated on having babies; a different one envisioned working at the brand Hollister as like being caught in a thriller. In a neat twist of fate, she met Emma through NYU’s movie community and ended up featuring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a funeral gathering with echoes of the intense thriller. The big theme of her path, she explains, has been peers offering opportunities, instead of established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she repeats, continuing with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Individuals who had doubts about her earlier will likely be feeling foolish currently. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” turn of events, she has created the perfect project. A few years back she posted content called on LA life online, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a show about city dwellers balancing advantages of internet fame (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with downsides (your associate being accused of being a intoxicated criminal, and perhaps becoming a risky pariah). One might tempting to produce a program about online fame that was overly glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that mocked at the characters. The series avoids both, resulting in a representation of advantaged young adult existence that’s honest about the mess 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
