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Rachel Sennott enters the video call and at once begins an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, sounding truly remorseful. She is only a bit delayed, she needs to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, for a writer, that’s exactly what you want to encounter. Additionally, it’s quite unsurprising. Those who know the unapologetically LGBTQ+ and outspoken project Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with her creative partner and starred in with her friend the talented actress—can understand that she possesses much to say, be it about identity, relationships, or the pros of creating a youth brawl society. And, after watching the latest eight-part HBO series I Love LA, viewers realize that the star has even more perspectives on the darker side of modern youth (Now in her thirties, Sennott represents a bridge to younger audiences, straddling eras adept for straddling millennials and Gen Z).

Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach

Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and the actress readily acknowledges a fan, naming the show alongside Sex and the City, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as inspirations for the project, which follows the struggles of a social media star Tallulah and close companion who is also aspiring talent manager portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the biggest presence on creative vision went to the HBO series, that HBO sitcom focusing on a rising A-list actor succeeding in a gritty entertainment industry (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She began viewing it during lockdown, became “captivated”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.

“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she notes. The inspiration for the series originated—partly—from firsthand, at first rocky, transition to LA and from her astrological phase, a popular phenomenon for enthusiasts. That period marked a phase that saw her understand some big truths, in her career and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she says. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”

Humble Origins

Raised in New England, the star commenced writing and performing stand-up while pursuing performance at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”

She seized control, appearing at amateur nights with Ayo and sharing uproarious (and decidedly) bizarre comedy videos on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted characters intensely obsessed with motherhood; another portrayed being employed at a trendy retail outlet as like being caught in a horror film. By chance, she encountered Seligman through the university’s film scene and ended up featuring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a Jewish wake with shades of the intense thriller. The central motif of her journey, she notes, has been peers giving her a shot, rather than traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, continuing humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Manifesting Dreams

Anyone who had doubts about Sennott earlier will surely be feeling foolish currently. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” story, she appears to created her dream vehicle. A few years back she shared a video named “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she parodied movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a show about LA residents managing the perks of online celebrity (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with downsides (your associate being suspected of being a drug-addled stealer, and perhaps becoming a risky pariah). Some could simple to create a program about online fame that was extremely glamorous—or, worse, one that mocked at its subjects. This show steers clear of each, resulting in a depiction of privileged young adult life that’s honest about the grot and the appeal.

Balanced Perspective

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