Rachel Sennott appears on the video call and immediately starts an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, sounding genuinely remorseful. Despite being only a couple of minutes late, she wants to explain. “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!” Thankfully, in this context, this is exactly what is ideal to experience. Additionally, it’s pretty unsurprising. Viewers who have seen her boldly openly gay and brash project Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with her creative partner and appeared in together with close companion Ayo Edebiri—can already know that Sennott has much to say, ranging from on roles, relationships, or the appeal of creating a teen brawl society. Furthermore, after watching the latest multi-episode show titled I Love LA, it is clear that she holds additional perspectives about the darker side of Gen Z life (At 30, she serves as an honorary member for this generation, a tale-end millennial skilled for straddling both generations).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and the actress is a fan, referencing the show alongside the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as inspirations for her series, which follows the travails of online personality Tallulah and close companion and new representative portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the largest spot on the moodboard was reserved for the popular sitcom, the HBO sitcom depicting an emerging celebrity succeeding in a gritty Hollywood (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She discovered it amid lockdown, became “captivated”, and decided 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 concept for the series originated—to some extent—from her own, originally rocky, transition to LA and from the cosmic event, a much-talked-about phenomenon for followers. It was a time that saw her learn significant insights, work-wise and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she says. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Humble Origins
Brought up in the East Coast, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing stand-up while studying acting 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 states. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
She took matters into her own hands, appearing at open mics with Edebiri and sharing uproarious (and decidedly) weird comedy videos on the internet. One, Baby Cult, depicted characters intensely obsessed with pregnancy; a different one envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being trapped in a horror film. Interestingly, she met Seligman through campus film circles and ultimately starring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a Jewish wake with hints of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her career, she notes, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, rather than established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, stating amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Rising Success
Anyone who questioned about her earlier will likely be feeling foolish now. In what she labels a “astonishingly complete” story, she seems to have manifested an ideal role. Previously she posted content called on LA life online, in which she mocked movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a series about city dwellers managing the perks of internet fame (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being labeled as being a intoxicated criminal, and potentially becoming a risky pariah). It would be easy to create a series about online fame that was extremely glamorous—or, worse, one that mocked at those depicted. The series does neither, creating a representation of privileged millennial life that’s candid about the grot and the shine.
Empathetic Approach
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” she says. “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
