Rachel Sennott Spins Life’s Chaos Into Comedy Gold

Rachel Sennott has spent the past six years turning 20-something anxiety into a specific comedic currency. There was 2020’s Shiva Baby, in which Sennott—a Connecticut native raised Catholic—played a young Jewish, bisexual woman forced to attend a mourning ceremony with her parents. Then came the comedy-horror Bodies Bodies Bodies, followed by the queer high school rom-com Bottoms, not to mention roles in I Used to Be Funny and HBO’s The Idol. But her crowning achievement thus far is I Love LA, the HBO series she created, wrote, and stars in.

Sennott, now 30, plays Maia, a talent agent scrambling to get her career off the ground when she reconnects with her ex–best friend, the influencer Tallulah, played by Odessa A’zion. Alongside True Whitaker, Jordan Firstman, and Josh Hutcherson, Sennott navigates the hazards of being a 20-something in Los Angeles. The show was such a hit that it was renewed for a second season less than three weeks after its November 2025 premiere. For W’s TV portfolio, Sennott spoke with Editor at Large Lynn Hirschberg about the therapy-like meeting that led to I Love LA, the reality shows she hasn’t gotten around to watching, and the Shrek song that always makes her cry.

Did you always want to create your own series?

I pitched a lot of shows before this one got made. I had a general meeting with HBO scheduled, and my agent said, “Babe, it’s just a meeting. No pressure. Just talk about yourself.” And I was like, "Totally, got it." Then I immediately hard-pitched them three shows. They were like, "Relax. It's all good, we just want to get to know you." So I talked about moving to L.A., feeling lonely, starting a new relationship, and the feelings of my Saturn return—which I've talked about endlessly. It's sort of my Lady Gaga, “one in 100, 99 people,” whatever, Saturn return. It turned into a therapy session. I was wondering what my worth was. I hung up on the Zoom, and my agent called and said, “You sold the show!” I was like, “Which one?” She said, “The thing that you guys talked about!” This was a few days before the writers strike began, and I spent the entire strike looking at a wall going, “What is the show about?” But because of the strike, I couldn’t contact HBO to ask which show they wanted. When the strike ended, I finally knew the answer, and we started working on the pilot.

Is it hard to write for yourself?

Because I'm in the room with everyone, I can always read a line aloud or say it, and it's pretty clear: Oh, she would or wouldn’t say that. Also, we have such an amazing cast. It's been so awesome to see the whole cast blow up in their own ways in the past year. Getting to write really meaty scenes for them and see them in my head now that I've gotten so close to them and I know their voices, it's only helped.

What’s your pet peeve?

I have so many pet peeves. I'm always getting annoyed. People who are consistently late—it's okay to be late every now and then—but 30 minutes late and above…it drives me crazy. I have a friend who's always late. I just lie to them and I'm like, "Reservation's at 5:30." Reservation's at 6:15. They show up at 6:15. I'm like, perfect, dinner!

What makes you cry?

A lot makes me cry. In Shrek, when they play the song “My Beloved Monster.” It’s really sad. “My beloved monster and me/We go everywhere together.” He's searching for love, but he has a hard exterior. It makes me cry every time.

Do you still get starstruck?

I feel starstruck when there's a character from the Internet or someone who I feel like only I know about, like, "Oh, I followed your alt Twitter account for years, and now you moved to L.A., and I know about your breakup with your boyfriend." Someone that I basically form a parasocial relationship with—but not that many people know of—I can get pretty starstruck by. And then I got to have dinner with Michael Patrick King the other night, me and Jordan [Firstman] did, and I was pretty starstruck by him because any other showrunners or people who can give me advice or tell me things that make me feel more normal, I feel starstruck and very lucky to be around.

Were you a big Sex and the City fan?

Yes. Huge. I was trying to be normal, but then halfway through dinner, I was like, “Okay, tell me the tea on the movie when you guys went to Dubai and blah, blah, blah….” He's a dream.

What’s one of your secret skills?

I'm really good at giving back massages. When I was little, my parents got me a reflexology book for Christmas. I was obsessed with how, on your feet, it was a drawing of your kidneys here, and your sinuses are here. I got really into that for a while. So I think I'm pretty good at giving shoulder and foot massages.

Do you have a favorite reality show?

I'm not locked into a reality show right now. In my writers room, everyone is talking about Housewives and Traitors—and I feel it's too late for me [to start watching]. Everyone's in on Traitors and I'm like, "Well, I already know all about the raw pickle moment!" or whatever.

Do you believe in ghosts?

Of course! I stayed at the Chateau Marmont for my 29th birthday, and they upgraded us to the suite on the sixth floor. I went to bed, and then there was a man on top of me. And then he was on the ceiling. I later learned that the sixth floor is haunted.

Are you more like a cat or a dog?

I’m more like a dog. Maybe a little shih tzu? I’m engaged but protective. And fun—I love to chase after a ball.

What’s your zodiac sign?

I'm a Virgo, but I'm actually a Virgo-Libra cusp. I do identify as a Virgo, but I have a Libra stellium and a Scorpio stellium. And I feel like I have some pretty big placements in Libra. My Venus is in Libra. My Mars is in Scorpio, and my Cancer's in moon. I'm emotional and intense, but I'm meant to live and experience. That's where my art comes through. Do you know that song “Clumsy,” by Fergie? I really connect to it. That's how I feel.

Have you had your chart done?

I've had my chart done, and I do my own chart, and I could do yours if you wanted. I've been into this for a long time, and I think it's because I grew up Catholic and I was really religious. And then I felt not un-Catholic—I still believe in something—but I was like, I need a system: astrology, numerology, tarot, anything. I'm always looking for meaning and purpose.