The actress and writer on her uproarious comedy about the grotty appeal of Gen Z life

Rachel Sennott appears on the online meeting and immediately begins an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she states, seeming really regretful. Although she's only a couple of minutes late, she needs to explain. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, for a writer, that’s precisely what you want to encounter. Besides, it’s pretty expected. Anyone familiar with the unapologetically queer and unapologetically crass movie Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with the director and starred in with close companion Ayo Edebiri—would already know that she has plenty to discuss, ranging from on gender, relationships, or the merits of forming a teen brawl society. And, by the end the recent seasonal program I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star holds even more insights regarding the darker side of Gen Z life (As a millennial, Sennott represents a bridge for this generation, straddling eras with a knack for connecting millennials and Gen Z).

Inspirations and Storytelling Approach

Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and the actress readily acknowledges enthusiastic, citing the show alongside the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as guides for I Love LA, which tracks the struggles of online personality Tallulah and ally who is also fledgling representative Maia. Notably, the biggest spot on the moodboard was reserved for the HBO series, the show focusing on an emerging celebrity making his way in a corrupt Hollywood (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She started watching it during COVID-19, became “captivated”, and chose to put her own twist on it “for the girls and the gays”.

“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she notes. The idea for this project emerged—partly—from firsthand, at first rocky, move to Los Angeles and from her astrological phase, a much-talked-about occurrence for enthusiasts. That period marked a phase that saw her grasp major truths, work-wise and personally. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she recalls. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”

Humble Origins

Brought up in Connecticut, the star commenced writing and performing humor while studying 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 explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”

She seized control, performing at live shows with Edebiri and sharing hilarious (and distinctly) unconventional skits on the internet. One, Baby Cult, centered on several females fetishistically drawn to motherhood; a different one portrayed working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being stuck in a scary movie. Interestingly, she met Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up appearing in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a religious event with shades of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her path, she notes, has been people her own age offering opportunities, as opposed to established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she repeats, stating humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Career Breakthrough

Anyone who were skeptical about her then will certainly be feeling foolish currently. As part of she labels a “incredibly circular” story, she appears to achieved her dream vehicle. Previously she posted a clip called on LA life online, in which she mocked movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a series about LA residents managing advantages of digital stardom (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your client being suspected of being a drug-addled criminal, and perhaps becoming a unreliable pariah). Some could tempting to produce a program about internet celebrity that was overly idealized—or, worse, one that belittled at the characters. This show avoids both, resulting in a representation of affluent twentysomething living that’s frank about the mess and the shine.

Balanced Perspective

“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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