Rachel Sennott exploring the uproarious series depicting the messy appeal of Gen Z life

The performer joins the online meeting and at once begins an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, seeming really remorseful. She is only a couple of minutes delayed, she feels compelled to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, in this context, that’s just what one hopes to encounter. Besides, it’s quite predictable. Those familiar with her boldly LGBTQ+ and brash movie titled Bottoms—that Sennott collaborated on with the director and appeared in alongside collaborator Ayo Edebiri—would already know that Sennott holds a lot to say, whether about roles, intimacy, or the pros of forming a youth combat group. And, by the end the new eight-part program I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star holds additional insights on the struggles of young adulthood (At 30, Sennott is a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp with a knack for connecting both generations).

Influences and Artistic Direction

Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott is a fan, naming the show in addition to Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as inspirations for the project, which details the travails of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also fledgling talent manager Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the biggest spot on the moodboard belonged to the popular sitcom, the HBO sitcom depicting a rising celebrity making his way in an often-seedy Hollywood (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott discovered it amid the pandemic, became “hooked”, and chose to create a new version 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 explains. The inspiration for the series originated—to some extent—from her own, at first difficult, move to LA and from her cosmic event, a popular event for astrology heads. That period marked a phase that saw her learn major truths, professionally and individually. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”

Starting Out

Growing up in New England, the star began creating and acting humor while pursuing theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she says. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”

She took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at live shows with Ayo and sharing uproarious (and decidedly) bizarre comedy videos online. One, titled Baby Cult, depicted a group of women fetishistically drawn to pregnancy; a different one portrayed working at a trendy retail outlet as like being trapped in a horror film. By chance, she connected with Seligman through the university’s film scene and ultimately featuring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a religious event with hints of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her career, she says, has been peers offering opportunities, instead of established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, continuing amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Rising Success

Those who were skeptical about her earlier will certainly be kicking themselves now. Through she describes as a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she appears to manifested an ideal role. A few years back she posted a clip called about Los Angeles on the internet, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a comedy about Angelenos juggling the perks of online celebrity (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your client being suspected of being a substance-abusing criminal, and possibly becoming a risky outcast). It would be easy to produce a show about online fame that was horribly idealized—or, worse, one that punched down at its subjects. The series avoids both, creating a representation of affluent millennial living that’s candid about the grot and the appeal.

Balanced Perspective

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

Michael Oneal
Michael Oneal

A design enthusiast and lifestyle blogger with over a decade of experience in interior styling and sustainable home solutions.