Rachel Sennott discussing her hilarious show portraying that grotty glamour of Gen Z life
Rachel Sennott appears on the video call and at once launches into an explanation. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she exclaims, seeming truly remorseful. Although she's only a couple of minutes behind, she needs to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, during an interview, this is precisely what you want to encounter. Besides, it’s fairly predictable. Those familiar with the unapologetically openly gay and unapologetically crass film Bottoms—which Sennott penned with the director and featured in alongside close companion the talented actress—would already know that Sennott possesses a lot to say, be it on identity, intimacy, or the merits of forming a high-school combat group. And, by the end the latest multi-episode show I Love LA, viewers realize that the star has additional insights on the struggles of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, Sennott represents an honorary member to younger audiences, straddling eras skilled for bridging different age groups).
Guiding Lights and Creative Vision
Parallels to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and Sennott is enthusiastic, citing it alongside Sex and the City, Issa Rae’s show and Atlanta as guides for the project, which tracks the struggles of a social media star Tallulah and close companion who is also fledgling talent manager Maia. However, the largest presence on the moodboard went to the popular sitcom, that HBO sitcom depicting an emerging celebrity succeeding in an often-seedy LA scene (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott started watching it throughout the pandemic, became “captivated”, and resolved to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she notes. The inspiration for I Love LA emerged—in part—from personal, at first fractious, transition to Tinseltown and from her saturn return, a popular event for astrology heads. This represented a phase that involved her grasp some big insights, work-wise and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she recalls. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Early Beginnings
Growing up in New England, the star began developing and showcasing comedy while pursuing theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” 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. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott decided to act independently, taking the stage at open mics with her friend and uploading hilarious (and very) unconventional comedy videos online. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, centered on a group of women fetishistically fixated on having babies; another portrayed working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being caught in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she met Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ultimately starring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a religious event with hints of Uncut Gems. The central motif of her career, she notes, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, instead of traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, adding amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Career Breakthrough
Individuals who had doubts about her previously will likely be feeling foolish now. Through she labels a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she seems to have achieved the perfect project. Previously she uploaded a clip titled “it’s LA” online, in which she lampooned film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a show about Angelenos juggling benefits of digital stardom (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your friend being suspected of being a drug-addled stealer, and possibly becoming a unreliable persona non grata). Some could simple to produce a series about digital influence that was overly aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at its subjects. The series does neither, creating a portrait of privileged twentysomething living that’s candid about the chaos and the glamour.
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