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Rachel Sennott enters the digital interview and right away launches into an explanation. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, appearing really apologetic. Although she's only a bit behind, she feels compelled to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, during an interview, this is just what is ideal to experience. Besides, it’s quite predictable. Anyone who know her fearlessly LGBTQ+ and brash film Bottoms—which she penned with the director and featured in alongside her friend the talented actress—will be aware that she possesses much to say, ranging from on gender, intimacy, or the appeal of forming a teen combat group. And, by the end her latest multi-episode HBO series titled I Love LA, it is clear that the star holds additional perspectives regarding the struggles of young adulthood (As a millennial, Sennott is a relatable figure to younger audiences, straddling eras with a knack for straddling millennials and Gen Z).

Influences and Artistic Direction

Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and Sennott readily acknowledges a fan, referencing the show in addition to the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as influences for her series, which follows the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also aspiring representative portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the largest spot on the moodboard belonged to the HBO series, the program focusing on an emerging Hollywood star making his way in a gritty entertainment industry (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott began viewing it amid COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and chose 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 says. The concept for the series emerged—in part—from her own, originally fractious, move to Tinseltown and from the saturn return, a frequently discussed occurrence for enthusiasts. This represented a time that involved her grasp some big life lessons, work-wise and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she recalls. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”

Humble Origins

Raised in New England, the star commenced 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 explains. “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.”

She took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at amateur nights with Edebiri and posting hysterical (and decidedly) unconventional online content on the internet. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted several females obsessively drawn to pregnancy; another envisioned working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being caught in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she met Emma through campus film circles and ended up appearing in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a Jewish wake with shades of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her journey, she says, has been contemporaries supporting her, instead of established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, stating humorously: “They don’t want us to win.”

Manifesting Dreams

Anyone who were skeptical about her earlier will likely be kicking themselves now. As part of she calls a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she seems to have manifested the perfect project. Previously she uploaded a clip titled on LA life online, in which she mocked movie previews (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with Emma Barrie) of a series about Angelenos managing the perks of online celebrity (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with downsides (your friend being suspected of being a substance-abusing criminal, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). It would be easy to make a series about internet celebrity that was horribly idealized—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at those depicted. This show steers clear of each, making for a depiction of privileged young adult life that’s honest about the grot and the appeal.

Nuanced Portrayal

“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” 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