Rachel Sennott discussing the uproarious comedy about that chaotic glamour of younger generation lifestyle

The performer appears on the video call and right away launches into an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, sounding really apologetic. Despite being only slightly delayed, she wants to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Thankfully, during an interview, this is precisely what you want to encounter. Additionally, it’s pretty unsurprising. Viewers familiar with the unapologetically queer and unapologetically crass film titled Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with the director and starred in with close companion The Bear’s standout—would understand that she holds much to discuss, whether on roles, relationships, or the pros of starting a high-school brawl society. Furthermore, after watching the new seasonal HBO series titled I Love LA, it is clear that the star has additional perspectives about the darker side of Gen Z life (At 30, she represents a relatable figure of the gang, straddling eras adept for straddling different age groups).

Influences and Creative Vision

The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and Sennott admits to being a fan, citing it in addition to the HBO hit, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as guides for I Love LA, which details the journey of a social media star Tallulah and her friend who is also new representative Maia. However, the biggest influence on concept was reserved for Entourage, that program focusing on a rising celebrity succeeding in a corrupt Hollywood (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott discovered it amid the pandemic, became “hooked”, and decided to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.

“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she explains. The inspiration for I Love LA came—in part—from her own, at first difficult, relocation to LA and from her cosmic event, a frequently discussed event for followers. This represented a phase that involved her grasp some big life lessons, in her career and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”

Starting Out

Raised in New England, Sennott started developing and showcasing stand-up while studying acting at a prestigious arts school. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. 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 decided to act independently, appearing at live shows with Ayo and posting hilarious (and distinctly) unconventional skits digitally. One, Baby Cult, followed several females obsessively obsessed with motherhood; another portrayed being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being caught in a thriller. Interestingly, she met Seligman through campus film circles and eventually featuring in her first film, Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a Jewish wake with echoes of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her path, she notes, has been contemporaries supporting her, rather than traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, adding with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”

Rising Success

Anyone who had doubts regarding her earlier will certainly be kicking themselves today. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” development, she appears to achieved the perfect project. A few years back she posted a clip called about Los Angeles online, in which she lampooned movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a comedy about Angelenos managing advantages of internet fame (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with downsides (your client being accused of being a intoxicated criminal, and perhaps becoming a risky pariah). It would be simple to make a series about digital influence that was horribly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that belittled at the characters. The series does neither, making for a depiction of privileged young adult existence that’s frank about the grot and the glamour.

Empathetic Approach

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

Karen Ortega
Karen Ortega

Fashion journalist and footwear enthusiast with a decade of experience in sustainable style and trend analysis.