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Rachel Sennott joins the digital interview and at once launches into an explanation. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, sounding really regretful. Despite being only slightly late, she needs to justify. “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 you want to experience. Besides, it’s fairly predictable. Viewers who have seen her boldly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass film titled Bottoms—which she collaborated on with her creative partner and featured in alongside collaborator Ayo Edebiri—can already know that she possesses much to share, be it on gender, relationships, or the pros of starting a high-school combat group. And, after watching the recent multi-episode program I Love LA, it is clear that she holds further perspectives on the challenges of young adulthood (At 30, Sennott is a relatable figure for this generation, a tale-end millennial with a knack for bridging both generations).

Inspirations and Storytelling Approach

Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and the actress is an admirer, citing it alongside the classic series, Insecure and the innovative program as influences for I Love LA, which tracks the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and ally who is also aspiring talent manager Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the largest spot on concept went to the HBO series, that HBO sitcom depicting a rising A-list actor making his way in a corrupt entertainment industry (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott began viewing it during lockdown, became “hooked”, and chose to put her own twist 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 inspiration for the series came—to some extent—from firsthand, originally rocky, move to Tinseltown and from the saturn return, a frequently discussed occurrence for followers. That period marked a time that saw her learn major life lessons, in her career and personally. “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 resembled a series of extreme challenges…”

Early Beginnings

Brought up in Connecticut, Sennott began writing and performing stand-up while pursuing performance at a prestigious arts school. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”

She decided to act independently, taking the stage at amateur nights with Edebiri and sharing hilarious (and decidedly) unconventional skits digitally. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, centered on characters intensely obsessed with having babies; a different one imagined working at a trendy retail outlet as like being stuck in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Seligman through campus film circles and ended up starring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a Jewish wake with echoes of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her career, she says, has been peers giving her a shot, as opposed to the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, adding amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Manifesting Dreams

Those who were skeptical regarding Sennott earlier will likely be feeling foolish currently. Through she labels a “astonishingly complete” development, she has manifested her dream vehicle. Previously she posted a video titled about Los Angeles online, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a series about Angelenos balancing advantages of online celebrity (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your client being suspected of being a intoxicated thief, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). Some could tempting to make a series about internet celebrity that was horribly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that mocked at the characters. This show avoids both, creating a portrait of affluent twentysomething existence that’s honest about the grot and the glamour.

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 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