Rachel Sennott joins the online meeting and at once launches into an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, sounding truly apologetic. Despite being only a bit behind, she needs 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!” Luckily, for a writer, that’s exactly what is ideal to experience. Additionally, it’s fairly predictable. Those who know the fearlessly queer and brash movie Bottoms—that Sennott collaborated on with the director and appeared in alongside collaborator Ayo Edebiri—would be aware that she holds a lot to share, ranging from on gender, intimacy, or the appeal of creating a high-school fight club. And, once you finish her latest seasonal HBO series I Love LA, it is clear that she has additional insights on the struggles of Gen Z life (At 30, Sennott is a bridge for this generation, straddling eras skilled for bridging different age groups).
Inspirations and Creative Vision
Likenesses to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and the actress admits to being a fan, naming the show in addition to Sex and the City, Insecure and Atlanta as inspirations for her series, which tracks the struggles of online personality Tallulah and close companion who is also new talent manager portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the largest influence on creative vision belonged to the HBO series, the program about a rising Hollywood star succeeding in a corrupt LA scene (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She discovered it amid lockdown, became “captivated”, and decided to put her own twist 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 idea for I Love LA originated—in part—from firsthand, at first fractious, transition to Los Angeles and from her astrological phase, a frequently discussed event for enthusiasts. That period marked an era that saw her grasp some big insights, professionally and individually. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she admits. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Early Beginnings
Growing up in New England, Sennott started developing and showcasing humor while enrolled in acting at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “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. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
Sennott decided to act independently, performing at amateur nights with her friend and posting uproarious (and very) bizarre comedy videos online. A particular video, Baby Cult, centered on characters obsessively obsessed with motherhood; another envisioned working at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being trapped in a horror film. Interestingly, she connected with Seligman through campus film circles and ultimately appearing in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a tense film set at a funeral gathering with hints of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The big theme of her path, she says, has been peers supporting her, as opposed to traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, continuing amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who questioned regarding Sennott then will surely be feeling foolish now. In what she describes as a “astonishingly complete” story, she appears to manifested an ideal role. Previously she shared a video titled “it’s LA” online, in which she parodied movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a show about Angelenos balancing the perks of online celebrity (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being labeled as being a substance-abusing stealer, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). One might tempting to make a show about online fame that was extremely idealized—or, even less favorable, one that mocked at the characters. This show avoids both, making for a depiction of advantaged millennial living that’s frank about the grot and the shine.
Nuanced Portrayal
“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
