Rachel Sennott joins the video call and immediately starts an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, appearing truly regretful. Although she's only slightly late, she needs to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Fortunately, for a writer, this is exactly what one hopes to experience. Besides, it’s pretty unsurprising. Those familiar with the fearlessly openly gay and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—which she collaborated on with the director and starred in with her friend the talented actress—can already know that she has a lot to discuss, ranging from about identity, intimacy, or the appeal of forming a youth brawl society. Furthermore, after watching the recent multi-episode show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has even more perspectives about the darker side of modern youth (Now in her thirties, Sennott serves as an honorary member for this generation, a tale-end millennial adept for connecting different age groups).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and Sennott readily acknowledges an admirer, naming it in addition to the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and Atlanta as inspirations for the project, which tracks the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend who is also new agent Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the largest presence on the moodboard went to the popular sitcom, the program about an up-and-coming A-list actor succeeding in a corrupt LA scene (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She began viewing it during the pandemic, became “hooked”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she explains. The inspiration for this project emerged—to some extent—from personal, initially rocky, move to Los Angeles and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed event for followers. That period marked an era that saw her understand significant truths, professionally and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she says. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Brought up in the East Coast, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing comedy while studying performance at a prestigious arts school. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She decided to act independently, performing at amateur nights with Ayo and sharing hilarious (and distinctly) unconventional online content on the internet. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted a group of women obsessively fixated on pregnancy; another envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being trapped in a thriller. Interestingly, she met Seligman through campus film circles and ultimately appearing in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a funeral gathering with shades of Uncut Gems. The central motif of her path, she explains, has been peers offering opportunities, as opposed to traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she confirms, continuing humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Individuals who had doubts regarding her then will likely be kicking themselves today. Through she describes as a “wild, full-circle” story, she seems to have created her dream vehicle. Previously she uploaded content called about Los Angeles on the internet, in which she mocked film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a series about Angelenos managing the perks of online celebrity (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being accused of being a intoxicated thief, and potentially becoming a risky persona non grata). It would be tempting to produce a show about digital influence that was extremely idealized—or, worse, one that mocked at the characters. I Love LA avoids both, resulting in a portrait of affluent twentysomething life that’s honest about the chaos and the shine.
Balanced Perspective
“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
