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Rachel Sennott enters the video call and immediately starts an explanation. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, appearing genuinely apologetic. Despite being only slightly behind, she feels compelled 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!” Thankfully, for a writer, that’s just what one hopes to experience. Additionally, it’s pretty unsurprising. Those who know her fearlessly queer and unapologetically crass movie Bottoms—that she penned with the director and appeared in with close companion the talented actress—can already know that Sennott holds a lot to share, ranging from on gender, relationships, or the pros of starting a youth fight club. Furthermore, once you finish the recent seasonal HBO series I Love LA, it is clear that she holds even more thoughts on the darker side of modern youth (As a millennial, she represents a relatable figure to younger audiences, on the cusp skilled for bridging millennials and Gen Z).

Influences and Artistic Direction

Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls are inevitable and Sennott readily acknowledges enthusiastic, referencing the show alongside the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as guides for her series, which details the struggles of a social media star Tallulah and close companion and fledgling agent Maia. Notably, the largest spot on concept was reserved for Entourage, the show about an up-and-coming celebrity making his way in a gritty entertainment industry (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott started watching it amid lockdown, became “captivated”, and resolved 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 idea for I Love LA came—partly—from firsthand, originally rocky, move to Los Angeles and from the astrological phase, a much-talked-about event for astrology heads. It was a phase that included her learn significant insights, in her career and personally. “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. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”

Early Beginnings

Growing up in New England, Sennott started creating and acting humor while studying acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “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.”

Sennott took matters into her own hands, appearing at amateur nights with Ayo and sharing uproarious (and distinctly) bizarre comedy videos digitally. One, Baby Cult, depicted a group of women fetishistically obsessed with pregnancy; a different one portrayed working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being stuck in a thriller. Interestingly, she encountered Emma through campus film circles and ended up starring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a religious event with echoes of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The big theme of her career, she notes, has been peers supporting her, rather than the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, stating amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Career Breakthrough

Anyone who were skeptical about Sennott earlier will likely be kicking themselves currently. As part of she labels a “incredibly circular” turn of events, she appears to created an ideal role. A few years back she posted a clip titled about Los Angeles on social media, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a comedy about Angelenos managing the perks of internet fame (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being labeled as being a intoxicated criminal, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). One might simple to make a series about digital influence that was horribly aspirational—or, worse, one that mocked at those depicted. This show avoids both, making for a depiction of affluent twentysomething life that’s honest about the mess and the shine.

Balanced Perspective

“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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