Rachel Sennott appears on the online meeting and right away begins an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, sounding really regretful. Although she's only slightly behind, she feels compelled to justify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, during an interview, this is precisely what one hopes to hear. Besides, it’s quite unsurprising. Those who know her unapologetically queer and brash film titled Bottoms—which Sennott penned with her creative partner and starred in together with collaborator The Bear’s standout—can already know that she has plenty to share, whether about gender, relationships, or the pros of creating a high-school fight club. Furthermore, once you finish the recent multi-episode show titled I Love LA, viewers realize that the star carries further insights regarding the struggles of young adulthood (At 30, Sennott serves as an honorary member of the gang, on the cusp skilled for bridging different age groups).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and the actress admits to being enthusiastic, naming it together with Sex and the City, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for the project, which tracks the journey of an influencer Tallulah and close companion and new representative Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the most significant presence on the moodboard went to the HBO series, that program focusing on an up-and-coming A-list actor succeeding in a corrupt LA scene (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott discovered it during lockdown, became “obsessed”, and chose to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she notes. The inspiration for I Love LA emerged—in part—from her own, at first fractious, transition to LA and from her cosmic event, a much-talked-about phenomenon for enthusiasts. That period marked a phase that included her understand major insights, professionally and in private life. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she recalls. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Starting Out
Raised in the East Coast, Sennott started developing and showcasing comedy while pursuing theatre 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.”
Sennott decided to act independently, taking the stage at open mics with her friend and posting hilarious (and very) unconventional comedy videos online. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, followed characters fetishistically fixated on motherhood; another portrayed being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being caught in a scary movie. By chance, she encountered Emma through NYU’s movie community and ended up appearing in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a funeral gathering with shades of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her journey, she explains, has been people her own age supporting her, rather than the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she emphasizes, stating with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Rising Success
Individuals who had doubts regarding Sennott then will likely be kicking themselves now. As part of she describes as a “incredibly circular” story, she has achieved the perfect project. In 2019 she shared a video called on LA life on the internet, in which she parodied movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a series about LA residents managing the perks of digital stardom (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being labeled as being a intoxicated criminal, and possibly becoming a risky outcast). It would be tempting to create a series about online fame that was extremely glamorous—or, more problematic, one that belittled at those depicted. The series steers clear of each, creating a representation of privileged young adult living that’s frank about the mess and the shine.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
