Rachel Sennott has revealed that she pitched "a lot of shows" before her HBO comedy series I Love LA was eventually brought to life.
The U.S. actress and screenwriter had spent years developing TV ideas before creating the comedy series, which was inspired by her experiences of life in Los Angeles.
Speaking to W Magazine, Sennott explained that she met with HBO executives before the 2023 writers' strike with a list of potential projects she hoped to discuss.
"I pitched a lot of shows before this one got made," she said. "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."
The 30-year-old recalled that HBO executives encouraged her to relax and focus on sharing her own experiences, which ultimately led to the idea that would become I Love LA.
"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," she stated. "It turned into a therapy session. I was wondering what my worth was."
After the meeting ended, the Bottoms star's agent told her that HBO officials had already chosen one of her ideas to develop, but she wasn't sure which one.
"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," she shared. "When the strike ended, I finally knew the answer, and we started working on the pilot."
Released late last year, I Love LA follows a co-dependent group of twenty-somethings as they navigate ambition, internet culture and the often surreal world of fame in Los Angeles.
The series marked Sennott's first major television project as creator, writer and star.
