The actress and writer discussing her uproarious show portraying the chaotic glamour of younger generation existence

Rachel Sennott joins the online meeting and at once starts an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, seeming genuinely remorseful. Although she's only slightly late, she needs to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, in this context, this is just what one hopes to hear. Additionally, it’s fairly predictable. Those familiar with the boldly openly gay and outspoken movie Bottoms—that she collaborated on with the director and featured in with collaborator The Bear’s standout—would already know that she possesses plenty to discuss, be it on roles, sex, or the pros of starting a youth fight club. And, by the end the recent eight-part program titled I Love LA, it is clear that she holds even more insights about the darker side of young adulthood (Now in her thirties, she represents an honorary member for this generation, a tale-end millennial adept for bridging different age groups).

Influences and Artistic Direction

Likenesses to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and the actress admits to being a fan, referencing it in addition to the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as guides for I Love LA, which tracks the journey of a social media star Tallulah and her friend who is also fledgling talent manager Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the most significant influence on the moodboard was reserved for the HBO series, the program focusing on a rising Hollywood star navigating in a corrupt entertainment industry (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She discovered it throughout COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and resolved to create a new version on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.

“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, originally rocky, relocation to Tinseltown and from her saturn return, a popular phenomenon for astrology heads. It was a time that involved her learn some big truths, professionally and in private life. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she admits. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. It was almost like these biblical tests …”

Early Beginnings

Brought up in New England, Sennott started creating and acting stand-up while pursuing 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. I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”

She took matters into her own hands, appearing at live shows with Ayo and sharing hysterical (and distinctly) bizarre online content online. One, Baby Cult, depicted several females fetishistically fixated on pregnancy; a different one envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being stuck in a horror film. Interestingly, she connected with Emma through the university’s film scene and ultimately featuring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a funeral gathering with shades of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The big theme of her path, she explains, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, instead of established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she confirms, stating with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Career Breakthrough

Anyone who questioned about her earlier will likely be feeling foolish now. As part of she describes as a “incredibly circular” story, she has manifested an ideal role. In 2019 she shared a clip titled “it’s LA” online, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a series about LA residents balancing advantages of internet fame (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being suspected of being a substance-abusing criminal, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). It would be simple to create a show about digital influence that was horribly aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that mocked at the characters. I Love LA steers clear of each, resulting in a portrait of affluent millennial life that’s honest about the chaos and the appeal.

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