I Love LA Cast on Playing Exaggerated Versions of Themselves
[translate:Plus, their thoughts on how internet culture is depicted in the show.] [translate:I Love LA] is Rachel Sennott's most personal work yet, inspired by her own experience moving from New York City to Los Angeles and the major lifestyle changes that followed.
Sennott told TV Insider that when you see Maia and Tallulah (Odessa A’zion) together, you are witnessing two different, but very “exaggerated, heightened” versions of herself. In fact, the star shares a piece of herself in every character.
Personal and Collaborative Character Creation
Sennott is the creator, executive producer, and star of the HBO comedy. The finale of the series also marks her debut as a director. While deeply personal, she clarifies there isn’t a “clear one-to-one” match between the characters and herself.
“I put pieces of myself in all the characters,” she says, “but there are also bits and pieces of the writers and actors baked into the characters as well.”
Cast and Themes
The show stars Rachel Sennott, Odessa A’zion, Jordan Firstman, True Whitaker, and Josh Hutcherson as a group of friends trying to succeed in LA, each with different ideas of success.
Sennott explains, “I sort of split myself between Maia and Tallulah. Tallulah is a little like who I was when I first moved to New York—a messy party girl, exaggerated for effect, with added inspiration. Maia represents me when I first moved to LA, feeling depressed, isolated, and somewhat controlling.”
Depiction of Internet Culture
The series also explores how internet culture shapes the characters and their experiences, reflecting modern social dynamics through satire and humor.
Author’s summary: [translate:I Love LA] intimately portrays Rachel Sennott's life shifts, blending heightened self-portrayals with internet culture to explore modern LA friendship and success.