Rachel Sennott on her hilarious show portraying that messy appeal of today's youth existence

The performer enters the digital interview and at once launches into an explanation. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, sounding really apologetic. She is only slightly delayed, she feels compelled to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, for a writer, this is precisely what one hopes to hear. Additionally, it’s pretty unsurprising. Anyone familiar with her unapologetically queer and brash project titled Bottoms—that she collaborated on with her creative partner and appeared in with her friend Ayo Edebiri—can already know that Sennott has a lot to share, be it about roles, relationships, or the appeal of starting a teen brawl society. And, after watching her new eight-part program I Love LA, it is clear that she carries even more thoughts about the darker side of young adulthood (At 30, she represents a bridge to younger audiences, on the cusp with a knack for connecting millennials and Gen Z).

Influences and Artistic Direction

The comparisons to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and the actress is an admirer, naming it in addition to the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as influences for I Love LA, which tracks the travails of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and fledgling representative portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the largest presence on the moodboard belonged to Entourage, that HBO sitcom focusing on an emerging A-list actor making his way in a corrupt entertainment industry (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She discovered it during COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and decided to add a fresh perspective 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 inspiration for I Love LA originated—in part—from her own, initially fractious, relocation to Tinseltown and from her astrological phase, a much-talked-about occurrence for followers. That period marked a time that saw her learn significant insights, in her career and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”

Humble Origins

Growing up in New England, the star commenced creating and acting stand-up 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 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. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”

She took matters into her own hands, appearing at open mics with Ayo and sharing uproarious (and distinctly) weird online content on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted characters intensely obsessed with having babies; another envisioned being employed at the brand Hollister as like being stuck in a thriller. Interestingly, she connected with Emma through campus film circles and eventually featuring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a Jewish wake with hints of the intense thriller. The central motif of her path, she notes, has been people her own age giving her a shot, instead of traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, stating with a laugh: “They don’t want us to win.”

Manifesting Dreams

Individuals who questioned regarding Sennott earlier will likely be regretting it now. Through she calls a “incredibly circular” development, she has created an ideal role. Previously she uploaded a video titled on LA life on social media, in which she lampooned film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with Emma Barrie) of a show about Angelenos managing advantages of internet fame (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being labeled as being a substance-abusing stealer, and possibly becoming a risky persona non grata). Some could simple to create a series about digital influence that was extremely aspirational—or, worse, one that belittled at its subjects. This show steers clear of each, resulting in a depiction of privileged twentysomething life that’s honest about the chaos and the shine.

Empathetic Approach

“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