Rachel Sennott exploring her uproarious comedy portraying the grotty appeal of Gen Z existence

The performer joins the video call and at once launches into an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, appearing really apologetic. Despite being only a couple of minutes behind, she feels compelled to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Fortunately, during an interview, that’s just what you want to hear. Moreover, it’s pretty expected. Those who know her fearlessly openly gay and brash movie Bottoms—which Sennott penned with Emma Seligman and appeared in with close companion The Bear’s standout—would already know that Sennott holds a lot to share, be it about gender, intimacy, or the merits of forming a high-school combat group. Plus, by the end her new eight-part show titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has additional insights regarding the challenges of modern youth (At 30, she is a relatable figure of the gang, a tale-end millennial adept for connecting millennials and Gen Z).

Guiding Lights and Creative Vision

Likenesses to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott is a fan, naming the show alongside the classic series, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for I Love LA, which details the struggles of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also fledgling representative Maia. However, the biggest spot on the moodboard went to the HBO series, the program about an up-and-coming celebrity succeeding in an often-seedy entertainment industry (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She began viewing it during COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and chose to create a new version on it “for the girls and the gays”.

“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—in part—from personal, originally difficult, transition to Tinseltown and from the cosmic event, a much-talked-about event for astrology heads. It was an era that saw her learn major truths, work-wise 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. It was almost like these biblical tests …”

Starting Out

Brought up in the East Coast, the star commenced developing and showcasing humor while enrolled in acting 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.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”

She decided to act independently, performing at amateur nights with her friend and uploading hilarious (and distinctly) weird comedy videos digitally. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, centered on several females obsessively fixated on pregnancy; a different one portrayed being employed at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being stuck in a horror film. Interestingly, she met Emma through the university’s film scene and ultimately featuring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a funeral gathering with hints of the intense thriller. The big theme of her journey, she notes, has been peers supporting her, rather than established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, continuing humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Career Breakthrough

Individuals who had doubts about her earlier will certainly be kicking themselves currently. In what she describes as a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she seems to have created the perfect project. In 2019 she posted content titled on LA life on social media, in which she parodied film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a series about LA residents juggling advantages of online celebrity (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being suspected of being a substance-abusing stealer, and potentially becoming a risky persona non grata). Some could easy to create a series about online fame that was overly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that mocked at those depicted. I Love LA avoids both, creating a depiction of advantaged young adult living that’s honest about the grot and the appeal.

Nuanced Portrayal

“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

Christopher Mccarthy MD
Christopher Mccarthy MD

Elena Vance is a financial analyst specializing in precious metals, with over a decade of experience in UK investment markets.