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Rachel Sennott appears on the video call and at once starts an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, sounding really apologetic. Although she's only slightly late, she feels compelled to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. 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 experience. Additionally, it’s quite predictable. Those familiar with her fearlessly openly gay and brash project Bottoms—that Sennott collaborated on with her creative partner and starred in alongside close companion Ayo Edebiri—can understand that she has plenty to say, whether about identity, relationships, or the merits of creating a teen fight club. Plus, once you finish her latest multi-episode HBO series titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has additional perspectives regarding the challenges of modern youth (Now in her thirties, Sennott represents a bridge for this generation, on the cusp with a knack for bridging both generations).

Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction

Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and Sennott admits to being enthusiastic, citing the show alongside Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as guides for I Love LA, which details the struggles of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and new talent manager Sennott’s character. However, the biggest presence on the moodboard belonged to the popular sitcom, the show about an up-and-coming Hollywood star succeeding in an often-seedy entertainment industry (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott began viewing it during lockdown, became “obsessed”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “for the girls and the gays”.

“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she explains. The inspiration for I Love LA originated—to some extent—from firsthand, at first difficult, transition to LA and from her saturn return, a frequently discussed event for astrology heads. That period marked a time that involved her grasp some big truths, professionally and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she says. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”

Humble Origins

Growing up in Connecticut, Sennott began writing and performing comedy while enrolled in performance at a prestigious arts school. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”

She seized control, appearing at amateur nights with Edebiri and posting hysterical (and distinctly) bizarre comedy videos on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, followed characters obsessively fixated on motherhood; a different one imagined working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being stuck in a horror film. By chance, she met Emma through campus film circles and ultimately starring in her first film, Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a religious event with echoes of the intense thriller. The central motif of her path, she explains, has been people her own age supporting her, instead of the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she confirms, stating amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Career Breakthrough

Anyone who were skeptical about her earlier will surely be feeling foolish now. Through she describes as a “incredibly circular” story, she has achieved her dream vehicle. In 2019 she posted content named about Los Angeles on the internet, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a series about Angelenos juggling advantages of digital stardom (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being accused of being a substance-abusing criminal, and potentially becoming a unreliable pariah). One might easy to produce a program about digital influence that was overly idealized—or, worse, one that belittled at those depicted. This show avoids both, resulting in a portrait of affluent young adult living that’s candid about the grot and the shine.

Balanced Perspective

“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