The actress and writer discussing the hilarious series portraying that grotty appeal of younger generation lifestyle
Rachel Sennott enters the video call and immediately starts an explanation. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, appearing genuinely regretful. Although she's only a couple of minutes late, she needs to explain. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Luckily, in this context, this is precisely what you want to hear. Additionally, it’s quite expected. Those familiar with her unapologetically openly gay and outspoken film Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with her creative partner and appeared in with her friend the talented actress—will already know that Sennott has plenty to say, ranging from about identity, relationships, or the merits of forming a teen fight club. Furthermore, once you finish the recent eight-part program I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has further perspectives about the struggles of Gen Z life (At 30, she is a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp adept for straddling both generations).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and Sennott readily acknowledges enthusiastic, citing the show in addition to Sex and the City, Issa Rae’s show and Atlanta as guides for I Love LA, which tracks the journey of online personality Tallulah and close companion who is also aspiring talent manager Maia. However, the largest spot on the moodboard belonged to the popular sitcom, the show depicting an emerging celebrity making his way in an often-seedy entertainment industry (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott began viewing it throughout the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and decided to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she explains. The idea for I Love LA originated—partly—from her own, at first difficult, move to LA and from her saturn return, a frequently discussed occurrence for astrology heads. It was a time that saw her understand major life lessons, work-wise and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Starting Out
Brought up in New England, the star commenced developing and showcasing humor while pursuing theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she explains. “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. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She decided to act independently, taking the stage at open mics with Edebiri and uploading uproarious (and distinctly) weird online content digitally. One, Baby Cult, centered on several females obsessively fixated on motherhood; another portrayed working at the brand Hollister as akin to being trapped in a thriller. By chance, she encountered Seligman through the university’s film scene and ultimately featuring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a tense film set at a Jewish wake with hints of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her path, she says, has been contemporaries supporting her, as opposed to established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, continuing with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Individuals who had doubts about her previously will likely be kicking themselves today. Through she calls a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she seems to have achieved her dream vehicle. In 2019 she uploaded content named about Los Angeles on the internet, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a show about Angelenos juggling benefits of digital stardom (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your associate being suspected of being a intoxicated criminal, and potentially becoming a unreliable pariah). It would be simple to make a program about internet celebrity that was overly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that punched down at the characters. The series steers clear of each, making for a portrait of advantaged young adult existence that’s frank about the grot and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” she says. “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
