Rachel Sennott enters the digital interview and immediately begins an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, sounding genuinely remorseful. Although she's only a bit delayed, she needs to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, during an interview, that’s precisely what one hopes to hear. Besides, it’s quite unsurprising. Those familiar with her fearlessly queer and unapologetically crass film Bottoms—that she penned with Emma Seligman and appeared in alongside her friend The Bear’s standout—would understand that she has much to discuss, ranging from about identity, intimacy, or the pros of forming a youth combat group. Furthermore, after watching the recent multi-episode program titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she carries additional insights about the struggles of Gen Z life (At 30, Sennott is a relatable figure to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial with a knack for bridging both generations).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and Sennott readily acknowledges a fan, naming it in addition to the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as guides for the project, which follows the struggles of online personality Tallulah and her friend and new agent Maia. Notably, the most significant spot on the moodboard went to the HBO series, that HBO sitcom about a rising A-list actor navigating in a corrupt entertainment industry (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She discovered it throughout COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and decided to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she notes. The concept for this project originated—in part—from personal, initially fractious, relocation to Los Angeles and from the saturn return, a much-talked-about occurrence for followers. This represented a time that saw her grasp major truths, work-wise and in private life. “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 resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Early Beginnings
Brought up in New England, the star began writing and performing comedy while enrolled in performance at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at open mics with Edebiri and uploading hilarious (and very) bizarre online content on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, followed a group of women obsessively obsessed with having babies; another envisioned working at a trendy retail outlet as like being stuck in a scary movie. By chance, she connected with Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ultimately featuring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a funeral gathering with shades of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her path, she notes, has been people her own age supporting her, rather than established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, continuing with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Those who had doubts regarding her then will surely be kicking themselves today. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” story, she has manifested an ideal role. A few years back she uploaded content titled “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a series about LA residents juggling benefits of internet fame (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your associate being suspected of being a drug-addled criminal, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). One might easy to create a program about digital influence that was overly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that belittled at those depicted. This show avoids both, resulting in a depiction of privileged twentysomething living that’s candid about the mess and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” 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
