Rachel Sennott on her side-splitting comedy about the messy appeal of Gen Z life

The star enters the digital interview and right away starts an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, seeming truly regretful. Although she's only a couple of minutes delayed, she needs to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Fortunately, in this context, that’s exactly what is ideal to encounter. Additionally, it’s quite predictable. Viewers who have seen the fearlessly openly gay and brash project titled Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with the director and starred in together with collaborator Ayo Edebiri—will understand that she has much to share, be it about roles, relationships, or the merits of creating a teen fight club. Plus, after watching the latest eight-part show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star has even more insights on the challenges of modern youth (Now in her thirties, she is a bridge to younger audiences, straddling eras with a knack for bridging both generations).

Guiding Lights and Creative Vision

The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and the actress readily acknowledges an admirer, referencing it in addition to Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as inspirations for her series, which tracks the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and ally and fledgling agent Maia. However, the most significant presence on creative vision was reserved for the HBO series, the program focusing on an up-and-coming Hollywood star navigating in a corrupt Hollywood (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott began viewing it throughout lockdown, became “hooked”, and decided to put her own twist on it “for the girls and the gays”.

“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she notes. The concept for I Love LA originated—to some extent—from firsthand, originally fractious, move to Tinseltown and from the cosmic event, a much-talked-about occurrence for astrology heads. It was a phase that saw her grasp major truths, work-wise and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”

Humble Origins

Raised in New England, the star began creating and acting comedy while enrolled in performance at a prestigious arts school. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she explains. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”

She seized control, performing at amateur nights with Edebiri and sharing uproarious (and decidedly) bizarre skits online. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted characters obsessively drawn to pregnancy; a different one envisioned working at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being stuck in a thriller. By chance, she connected with Seligman through campus film circles and ultimately starring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a funeral gathering with hints of Uncut Gems. The central motif of her journey, she explains, has been people her own age supporting her, rather than established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, stating humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Rising Success

Those who questioned regarding her then will surely be kicking themselves today. Through she labels a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she appears to achieved her dream vehicle. In 2019 she posted a video called about Los Angeles online, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a show about LA residents balancing the perks of digital stardom (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being accused of being a intoxicated stealer, and potentially becoming a unreliable pariah). It would be tempting to produce a series about internet celebrity that was horribly aspirational—or, worse, one that punched down at the characters. This show does neither, making for a portrait of privileged twentysomething life that’s honest about the mess and the shine.

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

Kellie Scott
Kellie Scott

A tech enthusiast and lifestyle writer with over a decade of experience in digital media and innovation trends.