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Rachel Sennott appears on the digital interview and immediately begins an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she exclaims, sounding truly regretful. She is only a bit delayed, she feels compelled to explain. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, for a writer, that’s precisely what is ideal to hear. Moreover, it’s quite expected. Those who have seen her boldly openly gay and brash project titled Bottoms—which she co-wrote with her creative partner and starred in with collaborator the talented actress—can understand that Sennott has plenty to say, ranging from on identity, intimacy, or the merits of creating a youth combat group. And, after watching the recent eight-part program I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she carries further insights on the challenges of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, she represents a relatable figure of the gang, a tale-end millennial skilled for bridging different age groups).

Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction

Parallels to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott is enthusiastic, naming the show alongside the HBO hit, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as influences for the project, which follows the journey of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend who is also fledgling agent portrayed by Sennott. However, the largest influence on concept belonged to the popular sitcom, the show about an emerging celebrity succeeding in a corrupt entertainment industry (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it during the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and resolved to create a new version on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.

“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she says. The concept for this project emerged—partly—from her own, originally fractious, move to LA and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed occurrence for enthusiasts. It was a time that saw her grasp significant truths, in her career and in private life. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” 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

Raised in New England, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing humor while studying theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” “I wondered why I was even there at all.”

She took matters into her own hands, performing at open mics with her friend and sharing hysterical (and decidedly) weird online content digitally. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on a group of women fetishistically drawn to pregnancy; a different one portrayed working at a trendy retail outlet as like being trapped in a scary movie. Interestingly, she encountered Seligman through campus film circles and eventually starring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a funeral gathering with echoes of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The big theme of her path, she explains, has been people her own age giving her a shot, rather than traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, adding amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Rising Success

Anyone who had doubts regarding her then will certainly be feeling foolish currently. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” development, she has manifested her dream vehicle. A few years back she uploaded content called “it’s LA” online, in which she lampooned film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a show about Angelenos managing advantages of online celebrity (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with downsides (your client being labeled as being a intoxicated thief, and possibly becoming a risky outcast). One might tempting to make a program about online fame that was extremely glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at the characters. I Love LA steers clear of each, creating a representation of advantaged millennial life that’s candid about the grot and the appeal.

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 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