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Rachel Sennott joins the digital interview and immediately begins an explanation. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, appearing truly apologetic. Despite being only a bit behind, she feels compelled to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Fortunately, in this context, this is precisely what is ideal to experience. Moreover, it’s pretty predictable. Those who have seen her boldly queer and brash movie Bottoms—which she co-wrote with the director and starred in together with collaborator The Bear’s standout—would be aware that Sennott possesses much to say, ranging from on roles, sex, or the merits of forming a high-school combat group. And, by the end the latest seasonal show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star has even more thoughts about the struggles of modern youth (Now in her thirties, she is a relatable figure for this generation, a tale-end millennial with a knack for straddling different age groups).

Inspirations and Artistic Direction

Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls are inevitable and Sennott admits to being enthusiastic, referencing the show alongside the classic series, Insecure and Atlanta as inspirations for the project, which follows the struggles of an influencer Tallulah and ally who is also fledgling talent manager portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the biggest spot on concept went to Entourage, that show about an emerging A-list actor succeeding in a gritty LA scene (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She started watching it throughout COVID-19, became “hooked”, and chose to create a new version 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 inspiration for this project originated—in part—from personal, initially rocky, transition to Los Angeles and from the astrological phase, a much-talked-about event for astrology heads. It was a phase that included her grasp some big truths, work-wise and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she recalls. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”

Early Beginnings

Brought up in Connecticut, the star started creating and acting humor while pursuing acting at a prestigious arts school. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”

Sennott decided to act independently, appearing at amateur nights with Edebiri and posting hilarious (and very) weird skits digitally. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted characters fetishistically obsessed with motherhood; another imagined working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being caught in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up starring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a Jewish wake with echoes of the intense thriller. The big theme of her path, she says, has been people her own age giving her a shot, as opposed to the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she repeats, stating with a laugh: “They don’t want us to win.”

Career Breakthrough

Individuals who were skeptical regarding her then will certainly be feeling foolish now. Through she calls a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she seems to have manifested an ideal role. In 2019 she uploaded a clip called about Los Angeles on social media, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about city dwellers managing the perks of internet fame (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being accused of being a intoxicated criminal, and potentially becoming a unreliable persona non grata). One might simple to make a series about internet celebrity that was horribly idealized—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at those depicted. I Love LA avoids both, making for a representation of affluent millennial living that’s frank about the mess and the shine.

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