Rachel Sennott joins the online meeting and at once launches into an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, sounding genuinely regretful. She is only a couple of minutes behind, she needs to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, in this context, this is exactly what one hopes to hear. Besides, it’s pretty unsurprising. Viewers familiar with the boldly LGBTQ+ and brash movie Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with her creative partner and appeared in with close companion The Bear’s standout—will be aware that Sennott possesses a lot to share, be it on roles, relationships, or the merits of forming a youth combat group. And, by the end the new eight-part show titled I Love LA, it is clear that the star holds additional insights on the darker side of modern youth (Now in her thirties, Sennott is an honorary member for this generation, straddling eras adept for connecting both generations).
Influences and Creative Vision
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and the actress is an admirer, naming it in addition to the HBO hit, Insecure and Atlanta as guides for her series, which tracks the travails of an influencer Tallulah and close companion who is also fledgling agent portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the largest influence on concept belonged to Entourage, that show focusing on a rising Hollywood star succeeding in a corrupt LA scene (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She began viewing it amid lockdown, became “captivated”, and chose 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 explains. The concept for this project came—partly—from firsthand, at first difficult, move to LA and from the cosmic event, a popular event for astrology heads. This represented a time that included her grasp significant life lessons, in her career and personally. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she admits. “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
Raised in New England, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing humor while studying theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “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.” I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at live shows with Ayo and posting uproarious (and distinctly) unconventional comedy videos digitally. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted a group of women fetishistically obsessed with having babies; a different one portrayed working at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being trapped in a scary movie. By chance, she connected with Emma through campus film circles and ultimately starring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a tense film set at a funeral gathering with hints of the intense thriller. The central motif of her path, she explains, has been people her own age supporting her, instead of traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she confirms, stating amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Those who had doubts regarding Sennott earlier will certainly be kicking themselves currently. Through she labels a “incredibly circular” story, she appears to created an ideal role. A few years back she posted a video called about Los Angeles online, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a series about LA residents juggling benefits of digital stardom (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with downsides (your associate being accused of being a intoxicated stealer, and possibly becoming a risky persona non grata). It would be simple to make a program about digital influence that was overly aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at those depicted. This show does neither, creating a depiction of affluent millennial life that’s frank about the mess and the glamour.
Empathetic Approach
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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
