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Rachel Sennott appears on the digital interview and at once launches into an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, appearing genuinely regretful. Although she's only a couple of minutes behind, she wants to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Thankfully, in this context, this is just what one hopes to experience. Additionally, it’s fairly expected. Anyone who have seen the unapologetically queer and brash project titled Bottoms—that she co-wrote with the director and starred in with collaborator the talented actress—will understand that Sennott holds plenty to discuss, whether on gender, sex, or the pros of forming a youth brawl society. And, after watching the latest multi-episode show titled I Love LA, it is clear that she holds further insights regarding the challenges of modern youth (At 30, she serves as a bridge to younger audiences, on the cusp adept for connecting both generations).

Influences and Artistic Direction

Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls are inevitable and the actress is an admirer, referencing the show together with the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and Atlanta as influences for the project, which details the travails of a social media star Tallulah and ally who is also aspiring agent Maia. Notably, the most significant spot on concept went to the HBO series, the show depicting an emerging celebrity making his way in a gritty Hollywood (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott began viewing it throughout COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and decided to add a fresh perspective 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 concept for this project originated—to some extent—from her own, initially fractious, move to Los Angeles and from the astrological phase, a much-talked-about phenomenon for followers. It was a time that saw her learn major truths, professionally and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”

Humble Origins

Brought up in the East Coast, Sennott started writing and performing comedy while studying acting 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.” And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”

She seized control, taking the stage at open mics with Edebiri and posting hilarious (and distinctly) bizarre comedy videos on the internet. One, Baby Cult, depicted a group of women fetishistically drawn to having babies; another envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being caught in a scary movie. By chance, she met Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ultimately starring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a religious event with echoes of the intense thriller. The big theme of her career, she says, has been peers supporting her, instead of established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, adding with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”

Career Breakthrough

Those who had doubts about her earlier will likely be kicking themselves today. In what she describes as a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she seems to have achieved her dream vehicle. A few years back she shared a clip named “it’s LA” on social media, in which she mocked movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a series about LA residents managing benefits of online celebrity (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your client being suspected of being a substance-abusing thief, and perhaps becoming a unreliable pariah). It would be tempting to produce a series about internet celebrity that was horribly idealized—or, worse, one that belittled at the characters. I Love LA does neither, resulting in a portrait of affluent twentysomething living that’s frank about the mess and the shine.

Nuanced Portrayal

“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