Rachel Sennott joins the digital interview and at once begins an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, appearing truly regretful. Although she's only a bit late, she feels compelled to justify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Fortunately, in this context, this is exactly what one hopes to encounter. Additionally, it’s quite predictable. Viewers familiar with the unapologetically queer and brash project Bottoms—that Sennott penned with the director and featured in together with collaborator The Bear’s standout—can already know that she holds a lot to share, whether about roles, intimacy, or the merits of creating a high-school combat group. Furthermore, by the end her recent seasonal show I Love LA, it is clear that she holds additional insights regarding the struggles of Gen Z life (At 30, Sennott is a relatable figure to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial adept for straddling different age groups).
Influences and Artistic Direction
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and the actress admits to being a fan, naming it alongside the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and Atlanta as inspirations for her series, which follows the journey of online personality Tallulah and close companion who is also aspiring talent manager Maia. Notably, the most significant spot on the moodboard went to Entourage, that program depicting a rising celebrity succeeding in a gritty entertainment industry (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott discovered it amid COVID-19, became “hooked”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“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 came—to some extent—from personal, at first difficult, relocation to LA and from her cosmic event, a frequently discussed phenomenon for followers. It was a time that involved her learn significant truths, work-wise and personally. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she recalls. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Early Beginnings
Brought up in the East Coast, the star commenced writing and performing comedy while studying theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott seized control, taking the stage at open mics with Edebiri and uploading hysterical (and distinctly) bizarre comedy videos online. One, titled Baby Cult, depicted a group of women obsessively fixated on pregnancy; a different one portrayed working at the brand Hollister as similar to being caught in a scary movie. Interestingly, she connected with Emma through NYU’s movie community and eventually starring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a religious event with shades of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her career, she notes, has been peers giving her a shot, as opposed to traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, stating amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Career Breakthrough
Those who were skeptical about Sennott earlier will certainly be feeling foolish today. Through she describes as a “wild, full-circle” development, she appears to achieved her dream vehicle. Previously she posted a clip named on LA life on the internet, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a show about Angelenos balancing the perks of digital stardom (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with downsides (your associate being suspected of being a substance-abusing thief, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). It would be easy to make a program about digital influence that was horribly glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that mocked at its subjects. I Love LA steers clear of each, making for a depiction of affluent twentysomething life that’s candid about the grot and the glamour.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
