Rachel Sennott on the uproarious comedy about the messy glamour of today's youth life

The star joins the video call and at once starts an explanation. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, sounding truly remorseful. Although she's only a couple of minutes late, she feels compelled to clarify. “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 just what you want to hear. Moreover, it’s fairly expected. Anyone who know her fearlessly openly gay and brash film Bottoms—that she collaborated on with her creative partner and appeared in alongside collaborator Ayo Edebiri—would be aware that she holds much to discuss, ranging from on identity, relationships, or the merits of creating a high-school combat group. And, by the end her recent eight-part HBO series titled I Love LA, viewers realize that she has further thoughts regarding the struggles of modern youth (At 30, she serves as a relatable figure to younger audiences, on the cusp adept for straddling millennials and Gen Z).

Inspirations and Storytelling Approach

The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s Girls can’t be avoided and the actress admits to being enthusiastic, referencing the show in addition to the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for I Love LA, which follows the struggles of an influencer Tallulah and ally and fledgling talent manager Maia. Perhaps, the most significant spot on concept belonged to the HBO series, the HBO sitcom depicting an emerging A-list actor succeeding in a gritty Hollywood (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She began viewing it amid COVID-19, became “captivated”, and decided to add a fresh perspective on it “for the girls and the gays”.

“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she says. The concept for the series came—partly—from firsthand, initially difficult, transition to Los Angeles and from her saturn return, a frequently discussed phenomenon for astrology heads. This represented a phase that saw her grasp major insights, professionally and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she recalls. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”

Early Beginnings

Brought up in New England, the star commenced creating and acting humor while enrolled in performance at a prestigious arts school. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”

Sennott took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at open mics with Edebiri and sharing hilarious (and decidedly) weird comedy videos on the internet. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted a group of women fetishistically obsessed with motherhood; another imagined working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being trapped in a scary movie. Interestingly, she connected with Emma through NYU’s movie community and ended up starring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a Jewish wake with echoes of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her journey, she explains, has been people her own age giving her a shot, instead of traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, stating with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Manifesting Dreams

Anyone who were skeptical regarding Sennott previously will surely be kicking themselves today. Through she labels a “incredibly circular” story, she appears to created her dream vehicle. In 2019 she shared content named about Los Angeles online, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a comedy about Angelenos juggling the perks of online celebrity (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being accused of being a substance-abusing criminal, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). One might easy to produce a show about online fame that was extremely idealized—or, worse, one that punched down at its subjects. This show avoids both, creating a depiction of advantaged millennial existence that’s frank about the grot and the glamour.

Nuanced Portrayal

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

Andrea Turner
Andrea Turner

Lieke is een tech-liefhebber en lifestyle-blogger met een passie voor duurzaamheid en innovatie.