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Rachel Sennott enters the digital interview and immediately starts an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, sounding truly regretful. Despite being only a bit late, she needs to clarify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Fortunately, in this context, this is exactly what one hopes to hear. Besides, it’s pretty predictable. Those who know her boldly openly gay and unapologetically crass movie titled Bottoms—which she co-wrote with Emma Seligman and appeared in alongside her friend the talented actress—would understand that she holds much to discuss, whether about roles, relationships, or the merits of forming a youth brawl society. Plus, after watching the recent eight-part show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she holds additional perspectives regarding the darker side of young adulthood (As a millennial, she serves as a relatable figure to younger audiences, straddling eras with a knack for straddling different age groups).

Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction

Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls are inevitable and Sennott admits to being a fan, referencing the show in addition to the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as guides for her series, which tracks the struggles of an influencer Tallulah and ally and fledgling agent Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the most significant presence on concept belonged to the popular sitcom, that HBO sitcom focusing on an up-and-coming Hollywood star succeeding in an often-seedy LA scene (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it during lockdown, became “captivated”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “for the girls and the gays”.

“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she says. The inspiration for the series originated—to some extent—from firsthand, initially difficult, relocation to LA and from the saturn return, a popular occurrence for enthusiasts. It was a phase that saw her grasp significant truths, professionally and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she says. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”

Humble Origins

Growing up in Connecticut, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing humor while pursuing theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she explains. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”

Sennott decided to act independently, performing at open mics with her friend and sharing uproarious (and distinctly) unconventional skits digitally. A particular video, Baby Cult, followed a group of women fetishistically fixated on motherhood; a different one portrayed working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being stuck in a horror film. By chance, she encountered Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ultimately starring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a Jewish wake with shades of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her journey, she explains, has been peers supporting her, rather than established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, adding humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Career Breakthrough

Individuals who questioned regarding her previously will likely be kicking themselves now. Through she calls a “incredibly circular” turn of events, she has created an ideal role. In 2019 she posted a clip titled about Los Angeles on social media, in which she lampooned film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a show about LA residents balancing the perks of digital stardom (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being accused of being a substance-abusing stealer, and perhaps becoming a unreliable persona non grata). Some could simple to produce a series about internet celebrity that was horribly aspirational—or, worse, one that mocked at the characters. The series avoids both, resulting in a representation of advantaged young adult existence that’s candid about the chaos and the appeal.

Empathetic Approach

“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” she observes. “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