Rachel Sennott appears on the digital interview and immediately begins an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, sounding really remorseful. Despite being only a bit behind, she feels compelled to explain. “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!” Luckily, in this context, that’s just what is ideal to encounter. Moreover, it’s fairly unsurprising. Those familiar with her unapologetically queer and unapologetically crass movie Bottoms—that she penned with her creative partner and starred in alongside collaborator Ayo Edebiri—can understand that she possesses plenty to discuss, ranging from on identity, relationships, or the merits of forming a high-school brawl society. And, once you finish the new eight-part HBO series I Love LA, it is clear that the star carries even more perspectives about the struggles of Gen Z life (As a millennial, she represents a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp with a knack for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Influences and Artistic Direction
Parallels to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and the actress admits to being a fan, naming the show in addition to the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and Atlanta as inspirations for I Love LA, which tracks the travails of a social media star Tallulah and her friend who is also new talent manager portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the most significant influence on the moodboard went to Entourage, the program about an up-and-coming Hollywood star making his way in a gritty Hollywood (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott began viewing it throughout the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and resolved 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 says. The idea for I Love LA emerged—in part—from her own, at first fractious, move to LA and from the saturn return, a popular event for enthusiasts. It was a phase that included her grasp some big truths, work-wise and individually. “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 resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Growing up in the East Coast, the star began creating and acting stand-up while pursuing theatre at a prestigious arts school. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she says. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. 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 her friend and uploading uproarious (and distinctly) weird online content online. A particular video, Baby Cult, centered on a group of women obsessively obsessed with pregnancy; another portrayed working at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being trapped in a horror film. Interestingly, she encountered Emma through NYU’s movie community and ultimately appearing in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a Jewish wake with hints of the intense thriller. The big theme of her journey, she says, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, as opposed to the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she emphasizes, adding humorously: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Rising Success
Anyone who had doubts regarding her earlier will likely be kicking themselves now. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” development, she appears to manifested an ideal role. Previously she posted a video named “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a series about LA residents juggling benefits of internet fame (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with downsides (your friend being labeled as being a intoxicated stealer, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). One might tempting to create a series about digital influence that was horribly idealized—or, more problematic, one that belittled at its subjects. This show steers clear of each, creating a representation of advantaged millennial existence that’s candid about the mess and the shine.
Empathetic Approach
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” she says. “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
