The comedic talent discussing her uproarious comedy portraying that grotty allure of today's youth existence

Rachel Sennott enters the video call and immediately starts an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, sounding genuinely regretful. Despite being only a bit delayed, she needs to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, for a writer, this is just what you want to experience. Additionally, it’s quite predictable. Viewers familiar with the unapologetically openly gay and brash project titled Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with Emma Seligman and featured in together with her friend The Bear’s standout—would already know that Sennott possesses plenty to say, ranging from about roles, intimacy, or the appeal of creating a teen combat group. And, once you finish the new multi-episode show I Love LA, viewers realize that she holds even more thoughts about the struggles of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, she represents an honorary member for this generation, on the cusp with a knack for bridging different age groups).

Inspirations and Creative Vision

The comparisons to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and Sennott is an admirer, citing it alongside Sex and the City, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as inspirations for the project, which details the journey of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and ally who is also new representative Maia. However, the most significant spot on concept was reserved for the HBO series, that HBO sitcom depicting an emerging A-list actor succeeding in a corrupt LA scene (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott started watching it throughout lockdown, became “hooked”, and chose to put her own twist on it “for the girls and the gays”.

“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she explains. The idea for the series came—partly—from firsthand, initially rocky, move to Los Angeles and from her cosmic event, a frequently discussed phenomenon for astrology heads. That period marked an era that included her learn major insights, work-wise and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she admits. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. It was almost like these biblical tests …”

Starting Out

Growing up in New England, the star started developing and showcasing humor while studying theatre at a prestigious arts school. “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.”

She decided to act independently, taking the stage at open mics with Edebiri and sharing hysterical (and very) bizarre skits online. A particular video, Baby Cult, centered on several females intensely obsessed with motherhood; another imagined being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being caught in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Seligman through campus film circles and eventually appearing in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a funeral gathering with shades of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The big theme of her career, she notes, has been contemporaries supporting her, instead of the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, stating amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Manifesting Dreams

Those who had doubts regarding her previously will certainly be kicking themselves currently. As part of she describes as a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she has achieved her dream vehicle. A few years back she shared a clip named “it’s LA” online, in which she parodied film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a show about LA residents balancing benefits of internet fame (such as socializing at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being suspected of being a drug-addled thief, and possibly becoming a unreliable persona non grata). One might easy to make a series about internet celebrity that was horribly aspirational—or, worse, one that mocked at its subjects. This show steers clear of each, creating a depiction of affluent young adult living that’s honest about the grot and the appeal.

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 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

Lisa Payne
Lisa Payne

A passionate content curator and digital enthusiast with a focus on Czech online media and blogging trends.