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Rachel Sennott joins the video call and right away launches into an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she exclaims, seeming truly remorseful. Despite being only a couple of minutes behind, she wants to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, for a writer, this is just what one hopes to hear. Moreover, it’s fairly unsurprising. Viewers who know the fearlessly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with Emma Seligman and appeared in with collaborator Ayo Edebiri—can understand that she possesses plenty to say, be it about identity, relationships, or the merits of forming a high-school brawl society. Furthermore, after watching her recent multi-episode HBO series I Love LA, it is clear that she carries even more insights on the struggles of Gen Z life (At 30, she is an honorary member to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial skilled for straddling different age groups).

Influences and Artistic Direction

Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and the actress readily acknowledges enthusiastic, referencing the show together with the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as influences for I Love LA, which follows the journey of a social media star Tallulah and close companion and fledgling representative portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the largest influence on the moodboard was reserved for the HBO series, the program focusing on a rising Hollywood star succeeding in a gritty Hollywood (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it amid COVID-19, 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 explains. The concept for the series came—in part—from personal, at first fractious, transition to LA and from the astrological phase, a much-talked-about occurrence for enthusiasts. It was an era that included her grasp major truths, in her career and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she recalls. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”

Early Beginnings

Brought up in Connecticut, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing humor while enrolled in theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “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 decided to act independently, appearing at amateur nights with her friend and posting hysterical (and very) weird online content online. One, titled Baby Cult, followed a group of women fetishistically drawn to motherhood; a different one portrayed being employed at the brand Hollister as similar to being trapped in a thriller. Interestingly, she met Emma through NYU’s movie community and ended up featuring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a funeral gathering with hints of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her career, she says, has been people her own age offering opportunities, instead of the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, adding with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Career Breakthrough

Individuals who had doubts regarding Sennott earlier will likely be feeling foolish currently. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” story, she appears to created an ideal role. In 2019 she uploaded a clip called about Los Angeles on the internet, in which she parodied movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about LA residents balancing the perks of internet fame (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your client being accused of being a drug-addled thief, and possibly becoming a risky outcast). It would be simple to create a series about digital influence that was extremely glamorous—or, worse, one that belittled at those depicted. This show avoids both, creating a depiction of advantaged millennial existence that’s frank about the grot and the glamour.

Nuanced Portrayal

“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” she comments. “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