The Town with Matthew Belloni How to Chart a Career Path in Modern Hollywood, With Rachel Sennott
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Mar 6, 2026 
Rachel Sennott, comedian and actor turned writer-showrunner behind HBO’s I Love LA and films like Shiva Baby and Bottoms. She talks about shifting from acting to creating, pitching and selling a show to HBO, the surprises of showrunning, collaborating in development, making internet-era comedy for young audiences, and ambitions to direct, produce, and build a company.
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Show Up On Student Films To Build Your Network
- Rachel Sennott built early career momentum by doing film students' exercises and thesis films at NYU, which led Emma Seligman to cast her in Shiva Baby.
- She credited showing up for others' projects and collaborators like Io Adebri for forming the creative network that launched her career.
Persistently Make Imperfect Work To Find Your Voice
- Keep making imperfect work to discover your voice; early bad standup, tweets, and shorts are part of the learning process.
- Rachel says the first things you make won't match your mental image, so persistently create to improve and find your lane.
Showrunning Is Mostly People Management And Coordination
- Showrunning requires emotional intelligence and constant communication beyond writing or directing.
- Rachel likens parts of the job to running an insurance company: lots of small interpersonal, managerial, and business tasks.