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Rachel Sennott appears on the online meeting and at once begins an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, appearing genuinely regretful. Although she's only a bit delayed, she wants to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Fortunately, in this context, that’s precisely what is ideal to experience. Besides, it’s pretty expected. Anyone familiar with her fearlessly LGBTQ+ and outspoken movie titled Bottoms—which she collaborated on with the director and featured in together with collaborator the talented actress—would already know that Sennott holds a lot to discuss, whether about identity, relationships, or the pros of creating a youth combat group. Furthermore, after watching her new multi-episode show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has additional insights about the challenges of modern youth (Now in her thirties, she is a relatable figure to younger audiences, on the cusp with a knack for bridging both generations).

Inspirations and Storytelling Approach

Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott admits to being enthusiastic, referencing it alongside Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as inspirations for her series, which tracks the journey of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also fledgling representative Maia. However, the largest spot on concept was reserved for the HBO series, that show about a rising celebrity navigating in a gritty entertainment industry (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She discovered it amid lockdown, became “hooked”, and decided to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.

“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she explains. The concept for I Love LA came—partly—from personal, initially rocky, transition to Tinseltown and from the cosmic event, a popular event for astrology heads. It was a phase that included her grasp some big truths, work-wise and in private life. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she recalls. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”

Humble Origins

Raised in Connecticut, Sennott commenced creating and acting humor while pursuing theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “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.”

Sennott decided to act independently, appearing at live shows with Edebiri and uploading hysterical (and very) bizarre comedy videos online. One, Baby Cult, depicted several females obsessively fixated on having babies; a different one portrayed working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being caught in a thriller. By chance, she met Seligman through the university’s film scene and ultimately featuring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a religious event with hints of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her path, she explains, has been people her own age giving her a shot, instead of traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, continuing humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Career Breakthrough

Those who questioned regarding Sennott previously will certainly be feeling foolish currently. Through she calls a “incredibly circular” story, she seems to have created the perfect project. Previously she uploaded a clip titled about Los Angeles online, in which she lampooned movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a series about Angelenos juggling the perks of internet fame (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your associate being suspected of being a intoxicated criminal, and possibly becoming a unreliable persona non grata). One might easy to produce a program about online fame that was horribly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that mocked at the characters. The series steers clear of each, making for a depiction of advantaged millennial living that’s candid about the mess and the glamour.

Nuanced Portrayal

“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” 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