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Rachel Sennott appears on the digital interview and at once starts an explanation. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, seeming truly remorseful. Although she's only a couple of minutes delayed, she wants to explain. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Luckily, during an interview, this is exactly what you want to hear. Moreover, it’s fairly unsurprising. Viewers who know the fearlessly openly gay and unapologetically crass project titled Bottoms—that Sennott collaborated on with the director and appeared in together with close companion Ayo Edebiri—will already know that she possesses much to say, ranging from on identity, relationships, or the appeal of forming a teen brawl society. Furthermore, by the end the latest multi-episode program I Love LA, viewers realize that the star carries additional perspectives on the struggles of Gen Z life (At 30, Sennott is a relatable figure to younger audiences, on the cusp adept for straddling millennials and Gen Z).

Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction

Likenesses to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and the actress readily acknowledges a fan, referencing the show in addition to the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as guides for the project, which follows the journey of an influencer Tallulah and her friend who is also new representative Sennott’s character. Notably, the biggest spot on concept went to Entourage, that program depicting an up-and-coming celebrity making his way in a corrupt entertainment industry (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott began viewing it throughout COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and chose to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.

“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she says. The inspiration for I Love LA emerged—partly—from personal, originally difficult, move to Tinseltown and from the saturn return, a frequently discussed occurrence for enthusiasts. This represented a phase that saw her understand significant truths, 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 creating and acting comedy while studying theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “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 seized control, taking the stage at amateur nights with Edebiri and uploading hysterical (and decidedly) weird skits digitally. One, Baby Cult, followed a group of women intensely obsessed with having babies; another portrayed working at the brand Hollister as akin to being stuck in a scary movie. Interestingly, she met Seligman through campus film circles and eventually featuring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a funeral gathering with hints of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The big theme of her career, she explains, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, as opposed to the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, continuing with a laugh: “They don’t want us to win.”

Manifesting Dreams

Anyone who questioned regarding her then will likely be regretting it today. In what she calls a “astonishingly complete” development, she seems to have created the perfect project. A few years back she posted a video titled on LA life online, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a series about LA residents balancing the perks of digital stardom (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being accused of being a substance-abusing thief, and possibly becoming a risky outcast). It would be simple to make a series about internet celebrity that was horribly idealized—or, more problematic, one that punched down at the characters. I Love LA steers clear of each, making for a portrait of advantaged millennial living that’s candid about the chaos and the glamour.

Balanced Perspective

“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” 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