Rachel Sennott enters the online meeting and at once starts an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, sounding truly regretful. She is only slightly late, she wants to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, during an interview, this is precisely what is ideal to hear. Besides, it’s pretty expected. Viewers who have seen the unapologetically openly gay and unapologetically crass movie titled Bottoms—that she co-wrote with the director and featured in together with collaborator Ayo Edebiri—can be aware that she possesses a lot to discuss, ranging from on identity, relationships, or the pros of starting a teen brawl society. Furthermore, by the end her latest eight-part show I Love LA, it is clear that the star carries additional insights regarding the challenges of young adulthood (Now in her thirties, Sennott is an honorary member for this generation, straddling eras adept for connecting millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls are inevitable and Sennott admits to being a fan, referencing the show in addition to the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as influences for the project, which details the journey of a social media star Tallulah and her friend who is also aspiring agent Maia. Notably, the biggest influence on the moodboard went to Entourage, that program focusing on a rising celebrity navigating in a corrupt entertainment industry (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it throughout the pandemic, 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 notes. The idea for I Love LA originated—in part—from firsthand, originally difficult, move to LA and from her saturn return, a frequently discussed occurrence for astrology heads. This represented an era that involved her understand significant life lessons, work-wise and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she says. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Humble Origins
Growing up in New England, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing humor while studying theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She decided to act independently, taking the stage at live shows with her friend and sharing hysterical (and very) weird online content on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, depicted characters obsessively fixated on pregnancy; a different one imagined working at the brand Hollister as like being caught in a thriller. Interestingly, she met Seligman through the university’s film scene and ended up starring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, a tense dramedy set at a Jewish wake with echoes of Uncut Gems. The central motif of her career, she says, has been people her own age supporting her, rather than established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, continuing humorously: “They don’t want us to win.”
Career Breakthrough
Those who had doubts regarding Sennott then will certainly be feeling foolish today. As part of she describes as a “incredibly circular” turn of events, she has manifested her dream vehicle. In 2019 she shared a clip titled on LA life online, in which she mocked film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a series about LA residents juggling the perks of internet fame (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your client being labeled as being a intoxicated stealer, and possibly becoming a risky persona non grata). It would be tempting to create a program about digital influence that was horribly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that mocked at its subjects. The series avoids both, resulting in a representation of affluent millennial living that’s honest about the grot and the glamour.
Empathetic Approach
“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
