Rachel Sennott enters the digital interview and at once starts an explanation. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, seeming really apologetic. She is only a couple of minutes late, she feels compelled to justify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, in this context, this is just what one hopes to hear. Besides, it’s fairly predictable. Viewers who have seen her boldly queer and brash movie titled Bottoms—that Sennott collaborated on with Emma Seligman and appeared in alongside collaborator the talented actress—would be aware that she possesses plenty to discuss, be it about gender, intimacy, or the merits of creating a teen fight club. Plus, by the end her new multi-episode program titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star holds further perspectives on the challenges of modern youth (Now in her thirties, she represents a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp skilled for connecting both generations).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and the actress admits to being an admirer, citing it in addition to Sex and the City, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as influences for I Love LA, which follows the travails of online personality Tallulah and ally and new agent Maia. However, the largest influence on creative vision was reserved for Entourage, the program focusing on a rising A-list actor making his way in a gritty entertainment industry (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott began viewing it throughout 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 her own, originally difficult, move to LA and from her cosmic event, a frequently discussed phenomenon for enthusiasts. This represented a phase that saw her learn major truths, in her career and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Growing up in New England, Sennott started developing and showcasing humor while enrolled in acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She took matters into her own hands, performing at open mics with Ayo and sharing uproarious (and distinctly) unconventional skits online. A particular video, Baby Cult, centered on a group of women obsessively drawn to having babies; another portrayed working at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being caught in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Emma through campus film circles and ended up featuring in her first film, Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a religious event with shades of the intense thriller. The central motif of her journey, she notes, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, instead of established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, continuing with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Those who questioned about her then will certainly be regretting it currently. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” turn of events, she seems to have manifested the perfect project. In 2019 she posted a video called on LA life on social media, in which she mocked movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a show about LA residents juggling the perks of digital stardom (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being accused of being a intoxicated thief, and potentially becoming a unreliable pariah). It would be tempting to make a program about internet celebrity that was extremely idealized—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at those depicted. The series avoids both, creating a depiction of privileged twentysomething existence that’s honest about the mess and the glamour.
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
