Rachel Sennott joins the digital interview and at once launches into an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, seeming truly regretful. Although she's only slightly delayed, she wants to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, during an interview, that’s just what one hopes to experience. Additionally, it’s fairly expected. Viewers who have seen her boldly LGBTQ+ and outspoken film titled Bottoms—which she co-wrote with Emma Seligman and starred in together with collaborator The Bear’s standout—can already know that she has plenty to share, ranging from on roles, relationships, or the pros of forming a high-school combat group. And, after watching the latest eight-part program titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she carries further perspectives on the struggles of Gen Z life (At 30, Sennott is a bridge to younger audiences, on the cusp with a knack for bridging different age groups).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and Sennott is a fan, referencing it alongside Sex and the City, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as influences for I Love LA, which follows the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and ally and fledgling agent Maia. However, the most significant presence on creative vision belonged to Entourage, that program depicting an up-and-coming A-list actor making his way in an often-seedy LA scene (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott started watching it throughout lockdown, became “captivated”, and resolved to put her own twist on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she explains. The idea for this project came—partly—from firsthand, at first difficult, relocation to Tinseltown and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed occurrence for enthusiasts. This represented a time that included her understand major truths, professionally and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she says. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Raised in Connecticut, the star started developing and showcasing stand-up while pursuing performance at a prestigious arts school. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she explains. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She took matters into her own hands, performing at amateur nights with Ayo and posting hilarious (and distinctly) weird online content digitally. One, Baby Cult, followed several females fetishistically obsessed with having babies; another envisioned being employed at the brand Hollister as similar to being caught in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Emma through campus film circles and ultimately featuring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a funeral gathering with echoes of the Safdie brothers’ movie. A recurring idea of her path, she says, has been people her own age supporting her, as opposed to the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, adding with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Career Breakthrough
Those who had doubts about her then will surely be kicking themselves today. As part of she describes as a “astonishingly complete” story, she has created an ideal role. Previously she uploaded a video called about Los Angeles on the internet, in which she parodied movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a comedy about city dwellers balancing benefits of internet fame (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being accused of being a intoxicated criminal, and perhaps becoming a risky persona non grata). Some could tempting to make a program about internet celebrity that was horribly idealized—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at the characters. The series does neither, resulting in a portrait of privileged millennial life that’s candid about the mess and the appeal.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” she comments. “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
