The comedic talent exploring her side-splitting series depicting that messy appeal of younger generation life

Rachel Sennott joins the online meeting and right away starts an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, appearing really regretful. Although she's only a couple of minutes behind, she wants to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Fortunately, for a writer, that’s exactly what is ideal to hear. Besides, it’s fairly predictable. Viewers familiar with her boldly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass project titled Bottoms—which Sennott penned with the director and starred in alongside close companion Ayo Edebiri—will be aware that she has a lot to share, be it on roles, relationships, or the merits of starting a youth brawl society. Plus, by the end her recent multi-episode show I Love LA, it is clear that the star has additional thoughts on the struggles of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, she represents a relatable figure for this generation, a tale-end millennial with a knack for straddling both generations).

Influences and Creative Vision

Likenesses to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and the actress admits to being an admirer, referencing the show alongside the classic series, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as guides for the project, which details the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and ally who is also aspiring agent portrayed by Sennott. However, the most significant presence on the moodboard belonged to the HBO series, that HBO sitcom focusing on a rising Hollywood star succeeding in an often-seedy entertainment industry (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott started watching it throughout lockdown, became “captivated”, and decided to add a fresh perspective on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.

“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she notes. The idea for I Love LA emerged—partly—from firsthand, originally rocky, relocation to Tinseltown and from the cosmic event, a much-talked-about event for enthusiasts. This represented an era that included her grasp significant life lessons, in her career and in private life. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she says. “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

Growing up in New England, Sennott started creating and acting comedy while pursuing acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” “I wondered why I was even there at all.”

Sennott took matters into her own hands, appearing at open mics with her friend and uploading uproarious (and decidedly) weird online content on the internet. One, Baby Cult, depicted several females fetishistically fixated on having babies; another envisioned being employed at a trendy retail outlet as like being stuck in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she met Seligman through NYU’s movie community and eventually featuring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a funeral gathering with echoes of the intense thriller. The central motif of her career, she says, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, instead of established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, stating amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”

Career Breakthrough

Those who questioned about Sennott earlier will surely be kicking themselves now. In what she labels a “incredibly circular” story, she seems to have achieved the perfect project. In 2019 she uploaded content named about Los Angeles online, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a comedy about Angelenos juggling the perks of digital stardom (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being accused of being a intoxicated thief, and potentially becoming a unreliable pariah). Some could tempting to produce a show about digital influence that was overly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that punched down at the characters. The series steers clear of each, creating a depiction of affluent millennial life that’s frank about the chaos and the shine.

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 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