🔗 Share this article The actress and writer on her uproarious show about that chaotic glamour of younger generation existence Rachel Sennott joins the video call and immediately begins an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, appearing truly remorseful. Although she's only a bit behind, she wants to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Luckily, in this context, that’s just what you want to encounter. Besides, it’s pretty expected. Those who know her unapologetically openly gay and brash movie titled Bottoms—which she co-wrote with her creative partner and appeared in with collaborator the talented actress—would understand that she holds a lot to say, ranging from on gender, relationships, or the appeal of forming a teen brawl society. And, after watching her new eight-part show titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has even more thoughts regarding the darker side of young adulthood (At 30, Sennott is a bridge of the gang, on the cusp skilled for connecting both generations). Inspirations and Creative Vision Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and Sennott admits to being enthusiastic, referencing it in addition to Sex and the City, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as guides for I Love LA, which tracks the struggles of an influencer Tallulah and ally and aspiring talent manager portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the largest influence on concept went to Entourage, that program depicting a rising A-list actor succeeding in an often-seedy Hollywood (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She discovered it throughout COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and chose to create a new version 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 notes. The inspiration for I Love LA originated—in part—from her own, at first fractious, move to Los Angeles and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed event for enthusiasts. This represented a time that involved her learn some big insights, work-wise and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she says. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…” Humble Origins Brought up in the East Coast, Sennott started writing and performing comedy while pursuing theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “I wondered why I was even there at all.” Sennott decided to act independently, taking the stage at open mics with Ayo and sharing hysterical (and very) bizarre skits on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, followed several females intensely obsessed with having babies; another envisioned being employed at the brand Hollister as akin to being stuck in a thriller. By chance, she connected with Emma through NYU’s movie community and ended up appearing in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a funeral gathering with echoes of the intense thriller. The central motif of her career, she explains, has been peers giving her a shot, rather than established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, adding humorously: “They prefer we don’t succeed.” Career Breakthrough Anyone who were skeptical about her previously will likely be regretting it today. As part of she calls a “wild, full-circle” story, she appears to achieved the perfect project. A few years back she uploaded a video called “it’s LA” on social media, in which she parodied film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a series about city dwellers managing advantages of online celebrity (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your client being suspected of being a intoxicated thief, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). Some could tempting to make a program about internet celebrity that was horribly aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at the characters. I Love LA avoids both, making for a depiction of privileged young adult existence that’s honest about the grot and the glamour. Empathetic Approach “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