Rachel Sennott on her side-splitting show portraying the messy glamour of younger generation life

The star joins the video call and right away begins an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she exclaims, sounding really remorseful. Despite being only a couple of minutes delayed, she wants to clarify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Fortunately, in this context, that’s precisely what is ideal to encounter. Moreover, it’s quite expected. Those who have seen her unapologetically LGBTQ+ and outspoken film Bottoms—which she co-wrote with her creative partner and appeared in with collaborator the talented actress—would be aware that she has plenty to discuss, be it about roles, intimacy, or the appeal of forming a high-school combat group. Furthermore, after watching the new eight-part program titled I Love LA, it is clear that the star carries even more perspectives about the darker side of Gen Z life (As a millennial, she represents a bridge for this generation, a tale-end millennial with a knack for connecting both generations).

Guiding Lights and Creative Vision

Parallels to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott admits to being enthusiastic, citing it alongside the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as guides for I Love LA, which tracks the travails of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend and fledgling agent Sennott’s character. However, the biggest spot on concept belonged to the popular sitcom, the show focusing on a rising celebrity making his way in an often-seedy entertainment industry (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She began viewing it amid COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and chose to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.

“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she notes. The idea for this project emerged—to some extent—from her own, at first rocky, relocation to Tinseltown and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed event for enthusiasts. It was an era that included her learn some big insights, professionally and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she admits. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”

Humble Origins

Growing up in Connecticut, the star started creating and acting comedy while pursuing theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she explains. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “I wondered why I was even there at all.”

Sennott decided to act independently, taking the stage at live shows with her friend and sharing uproarious (and decidedly) unconventional online content on the internet. A particular video, Baby Cult, followed a group of women fetishistically obsessed with having babies; a different one envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being trapped in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she met Seligman through the university’s film scene and eventually featuring in her first film, Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a religious event with echoes of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her journey, she notes, has been people her own age supporting her, as opposed to traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, continuing with a laugh: “They don’t want us to win.”

Manifesting Dreams

Anyone who questioned about her earlier will likely be regretting it now. As part of she describes as a “incredibly circular” development, she seems to have achieved the perfect project. Previously she posted a clip named about Los Angeles online, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a show about Angelenos balancing advantages of internet fame (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your client being accused of being a intoxicated stealer, and potentially becoming a unreliable persona non grata). It would be tempting to make a series about online fame that was overly aspirational—or, worse, one that punched down at the characters. I Love LA steers clear of each, creating a portrait of advantaged millennial living that’s honest about the chaos and the glamour.

Nuanced Portrayal

“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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

Michael Robinson
Michael Robinson

A passionate historian and travel writer specializing in Italian medieval architecture and cultural heritage.