🔗 Share this article Rachel Sennott on her side-splitting comedy about the messy appeal of Gen Z life The performer joins the online meeting and immediately starts an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, sounding really regretful. Although she's only a bit behind, she feels compelled to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Luckily, in this context, this is precisely what is ideal to hear. Besides, it’s pretty predictable. Those who have seen the boldly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass movie Bottoms—that she collaborated on with her creative partner and starred in with close companion Ayo Edebiri—would understand that Sennott holds plenty to discuss, whether about identity, relationships, or the merits of starting a youth combat group. Plus, after watching her latest multi-episode program titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she carries additional insights about the struggles of young adulthood (Now in her thirties, she serves as a relatable figure of the gang, a tale-end millennial skilled for bridging both generations). Influences and Storytelling Approach Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and the actress admits to being enthusiastic, citing it in addition to Sex and the City, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as influences for I Love LA, which details the journey of a social media star Tallulah and close companion and aspiring agent Maia. Notably, the most significant spot on creative vision went to Entourage, that HBO sitcom about an up-and-coming A-list actor navigating in a corrupt Hollywood (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She began viewing it during COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and decided 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 idea for the series came—to some extent—from personal, at first rocky, transition to Los Angeles and from her astrological phase, a popular event for followers. This represented a time that included her grasp significant insights, in her career and individually. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. It was almost like these biblical tests …” Humble Origins Growing up in the East Coast, the star began writing and performing comedy while enrolled in theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “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. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.” She seized control, performing at live shows with her friend and sharing hilarious (and decidedly) bizarre online content on the internet. One, Baby Cult, centered on several females intensely obsessed with motherhood; a different one envisioned being employed at a trendy retail outlet as like being caught in a scary movie. By chance, she met Seligman through the university’s film scene and eventually appearing in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a Jewish wake with echoes of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The central motif of her journey, she says, has been people her own age offering opportunities, rather than the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she emphasizes, adding with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.” Manifesting Dreams Anyone who questioned about Sennott earlier will likely be regretting it today. As part of she describes as a “astonishingly complete” story, she seems to have manifested the perfect project. Previously she shared a clip called “it’s LA” on social media, in which she parodied movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with Emma Barrie) of a show about city dwellers juggling benefits of online celebrity (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being suspected of being a drug-addled criminal, and potentially becoming a unreliable persona non grata). One might tempting to create a show about online fame that was extremely aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at those depicted. The series does neither, making for a portrait of affluent young adult living that’s candid about the grot and the appeal. Balanced Perspective “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