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Rachel Sennott enters the video call and immediately launches into an explanation. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, sounding really remorseful. She is only slightly late, she wants 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!” Luckily, for a writer, this is exactly what is ideal to encounter. Moreover, it’s fairly unsurprising. Anyone familiar with the unapologetically LGBTQ+ and brash film Bottoms—that Sennott penned with the director and featured in with her friend The Bear’s standout—will already know that she has a lot to say, ranging from on identity, relationships, or the merits of starting a high-school brawl society. And, by the end her latest seasonal HBO series I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star carries additional thoughts on the darker side of young adulthood (At 30, she serves as a relatable figure of the gang, straddling eras adept for connecting different age groups).

Inspirations and Creative Vision

Likenesses to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and Sennott is an admirer, referencing the show together with Sex and the City, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as guides for I Love LA, which details the travails of an influencer Tallulah and close companion who is also aspiring talent manager Maia. Perhaps, the most significant influence on concept belonged to the popular sitcom, the show focusing on a rising Hollywood star making his way in a gritty Hollywood (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott began viewing it amid lockdown, became “captivated”, and decided to add a fresh perspective on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.

“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she says. The idea for I Love LA emerged—to some extent—from firsthand, initially difficult, transition to LA and from the astrological phase, a popular occurrence for followers. This represented a time that saw her understand major truths, in her career and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” 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

Raised in New England, the star commenced writing and performing humor while pursuing acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”

Sennott decided to act independently, appearing at amateur nights with Ayo and uploading hilarious (and very) unconventional comedy videos on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on several females obsessively drawn to motherhood; another portrayed working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being stuck in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Seligman through the university’s film scene and eventually appearing in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a Jewish wake with shades of Uncut Gems. The central motif of her career, she explains, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, rather than the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, stating with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Manifesting Dreams

Anyone who were skeptical regarding her then will certainly be feeling foolish today. Through she calls a “wild, full-circle” development, she has created the perfect project. Previously she posted content titled “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she mocked film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a series about city dwellers managing the perks of internet fame (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being suspected of being a drug-addled stealer, and perhaps becoming a risky persona non grata). One might easy to produce a series about internet celebrity that was overly idealized—or, more problematic, one that punched down at those depicted. I Love LA steers clear of each, creating a depiction of advantaged young adult existence that’s candid about the chaos and the shine.

Nuanced Portrayal

“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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