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Rachel Sennott appears on the online meeting and immediately launches into an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, sounding truly regretful. Although she's only a couple of minutes behind, she needs to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Fortunately, in this context, this is exactly what is ideal to encounter. Additionally, it’s quite predictable. Viewers familiar with the boldly queer and unapologetically crass movie titled Bottoms—that she collaborated on with her creative partner and appeared in alongside her friend Ayo Edebiri—would understand that Sennott has much to discuss, whether about gender, intimacy, or the appeal of creating a youth combat group. Furthermore, by the end the new seasonal program I Love LA, viewers realize that the star has even more insights on the darker side of Gen Z life (At 30, she is a relatable figure for this generation, straddling eras with a knack for bridging millennials and Gen Z).

Inspirations and Artistic Direction

Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and the actress readily acknowledges enthusiastic, citing the show in addition to Sex and the City, Insecure 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 aspiring representative Maia. Notably, the largest presence on the moodboard went to the popular sitcom, the program focusing on an emerging Hollywood star navigating in an often-seedy LA scene (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott started watching it throughout COVID-19, became “hooked”, and decided to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.

“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she says. The inspiration for I Love LA came—in part—from her own, initially fractious, move to Los Angeles and from her cosmic event, a popular occurrence for enthusiasts. It was an era that saw her learn some big truths, work-wise and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” 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…”

Starting Out

Growing up in Connecticut, Sennott commenced creating and acting stand-up while enrolled in theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”

She decided to act independently, taking the stage at open mics with Ayo and uploading hilarious (and very) weird skits digitally. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted several females fetishistically fixated on pregnancy; a different one portrayed being employed at the brand Hollister as similar to being stuck in a scary movie. Interestingly, she met Emma through the university’s film scene and ultimately featuring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a tense film set at a Jewish wake with hints of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her journey, she says, has been people her own age offering opportunities, as opposed to the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, stating with a laugh: “They don’t want us to win.”

Career Breakthrough

Anyone who had doubts regarding her earlier will likely be regretting it today. As part of she calls a “incredibly circular” turn of events, she seems to have achieved her dream vehicle. A few years back she posted content called on LA life on social media, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with the co-writer) of a series about LA residents managing the perks of internet fame (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with its pitfalls (your associate being suspected of being a drug-addled stealer, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). One might easy to make a series about online fame that was extremely idealized—or, even less favorable, one that mocked at the characters. This show avoids both, creating a portrait of affluent twentysomething living that’s honest about the grot 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