Rachel Sennott enters the digital interview and immediately launches into an explanation. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, appearing really regretful. Despite being only slightly delayed, she feels compelled to clarify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, for a writer, this is just what is ideal to hear. Besides, it’s pretty expected. Anyone familiar with the boldly LGBTQ+ and outspoken film titled Bottoms—that she penned with her creative partner and appeared in alongside her friend the talented actress—can already know that Sennott possesses much to say, whether about identity, intimacy, or the pros of forming a teen brawl society. Furthermore, by the end her recent multi-episode show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star carries even more thoughts regarding the struggles of modern youth (As a millennial, Sennott serves as a relatable figure of the gang, on the cusp skilled for bridging millennials and Gen Z).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
The comparisons to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and the actress is enthusiastic, referencing the show in addition to the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as influences for I Love LA, which tracks the journey of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend and new talent manager portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the most significant spot on the moodboard was reserved for the HBO series, that program focusing on a rising Hollywood star succeeding in an often-seedy Hollywood (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She discovered it throughout the pandemic, became “captivated”, and decided to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she explains. The idea for the series originated—to some extent—from firsthand, initially fractious, relocation to LA and from her saturn return, a popular phenomenon for astrology heads. It was a phase that included her grasp major truths, professionally and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Early Beginnings
Brought up in Connecticut, Sennott started creating and acting comedy while pursuing theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She seized control, taking the stage at amateur nights with Ayo and sharing hysterical (and distinctly) bizarre online content on the internet. A particular video, Baby Cult, followed a group of women intensely obsessed with having babies; a different one portrayed working at the brand Hollister as akin to being caught in a scary movie. By chance, she encountered Emma through campus film circles and ultimately appearing in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a Jewish wake with shades of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her journey, she explains, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, rather than established gatekeepers. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she repeats, stating with a laugh: “They don’t want us to win.”
Career Breakthrough
Those who had doubts about Sennott then will surely be kicking themselves now. As part of she calls a “astonishingly complete” story, she has achieved an ideal role. In 2019 she shared a video titled on LA life on social media, in which she parodied movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with the co-writer) of a series about Angelenos balancing the perks of internet fame (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your friend being suspected of being a drug-addled thief, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). It would be tempting to make a show about online fame that was overly idealized—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at its subjects. This show steers clear of each, making for a depiction of affluent millennial life that’s frank about the grot and the glamour.
Balanced Perspective
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” she observes. “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
