The actress and writer discussing the uproarious series depicting the grotty appeal of Gen Z life
Rachel Sennott joins the online meeting and immediately launches into an explanation. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, seeming genuinely apologetic. Although she's only slightly delayed, she wants to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Fortunately, for a writer, that’s precisely what one hopes to encounter. Moreover, it’s pretty expected. Anyone who have seen her boldly queer and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—that she collaborated on with Emma Seligman and appeared in alongside close companion the talented actress—can understand that she holds a lot to share, whether on roles, intimacy, or the merits of forming a youth fight club. Furthermore, once you finish her new eight-part show titled I Love LA, it is clear that she carries even more thoughts about the struggles of modern youth (At 30, she represents a relatable figure of the gang, straddling eras with a knack for connecting millennials and Gen Z).
Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and Sennott is enthusiastic, referencing the show together with the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as influences for the project, which follows the journey of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also aspiring agent Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the most significant presence on concept was reserved for the popular sitcom, the program about an up-and-coming A-list actor making his way in a corrupt Hollywood (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott started watching it throughout the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and chose to create a new version on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she explains. The inspiration for this project emerged—partly—from personal, initially fractious, relocation to LA and from the cosmic event, a popular occurrence for enthusiasts. It was a phase that involved her learn some big truths, professionally and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she recalls. “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
Raised in the East Coast, the star commenced writing and performing comedy while enrolled in theatre 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 states. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. 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?”
Sennott seized control, appearing at amateur nights with Edebiri and uploading hysterical (and very) bizarre skits digitally. A particular video, Baby Cult, centered on a group of women obsessively drawn to having babies; a different one portrayed working at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being caught in a horror film. By chance, she connected with Seligman through the university’s film scene and ended up appearing in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a Jewish wake with echoes of the intense thriller. The central motif of her career, she explains, has been peers offering opportunities, instead of established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she confirms, adding amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Those who were skeptical about Sennott then will certainly be kicking themselves today. Through she labels a “incredibly circular” story, she appears to manifested an ideal role. In 2019 she shared content titled on LA life on social media, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a show about city dwellers balancing the perks of digital stardom (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your associate being labeled as being a intoxicated criminal, and potentially becoming a unreliable outcast). Some could simple to create a show about digital influence that was extremely idealized—or, more problematic, one that mocked at its subjects. I Love LA does neither, resulting in a representation of affluent young adult existence that’s candid about the chaos and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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
