Rachel Sennott appears on the digital interview and right away starts an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, sounding truly apologetic. Despite being only slightly late, she wants to explain. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, in this context, that’s exactly what one hopes to encounter. Besides, it’s fairly predictable. Those who have seen her boldly queer and outspoken movie Bottoms—which Sennott penned with her creative partner and starred in alongside her friend Ayo Edebiri—would be aware that Sennott possesses a lot to discuss, whether on roles, relationships, or the merits of starting a youth fight club. Plus, by the end the new multi-episode show titled I Love LA, viewers realize that she carries additional perspectives regarding the struggles of modern youth (Now in her thirties, Sennott serves as a relatable figure to younger audiences, on the cusp with a knack for straddling both generations).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Parallels to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and Sennott is enthusiastic, citing the show in addition to the HBO hit, Insecure and Atlanta as influences for her series, which details the struggles of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and new agent portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the most significant influence on concept went to Entourage, that program focusing on a rising Hollywood star succeeding in an often-seedy LA scene (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She discovered it amid the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and decided to create a new version on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she notes. The concept for the series originated—to some extent—from personal, originally fractious, transition to LA and from her astrological phase, a popular occurrence for enthusiasts. That period marked a time that involved her learn some big truths, professionally and individually. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she says. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Early Beginnings
Growing up in New England, the star started developing and showcasing humor while enrolled in performance at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She seized control, appearing at live shows with Ayo and sharing hilarious (and decidedly) weird skits digitally. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on several females fetishistically fixated on motherhood; a different one portrayed being employed at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being trapped in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she met Seligman through the university’s film scene and ultimately appearing in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a religious event with echoes of Uncut Gems. The central motif of her career, she says, has been people her own age offering opportunities, instead of the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, stating with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Rising Success
Anyone who had doubts regarding her then will likely be feeling foolish now. In what she describes as a “astonishingly complete” story, she has created her dream vehicle. A few years back she posted a video called “it’s LA” online, in which she mocked film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a comedy about LA residents managing the perks of online celebrity (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being suspected of being a intoxicated criminal, and potentially becoming a risky outcast). Some could tempting to make a program about online fame that was horribly idealized—or, more problematic, one that belittled at the characters. This show avoids both, creating a portrait of affluent millennial life that’s honest about the mess and the shine.
Balanced Perspective
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
