Rachel Sennott appears on the digital interview and at once launches into an explanation. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, seeming genuinely regretful. Although she's only a bit behind, she feels compelled 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, that’s just what one hopes to encounter. Moreover, it’s pretty predictable. Viewers familiar with the fearlessly openly gay and unapologetically crass film Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with Emma Seligman and featured in alongside her friend Ayo Edebiri—can be aware that she possesses plenty to discuss, be it about identity, relationships, or the pros of forming a high-school brawl society. Furthermore, by the end her latest eight-part show I Love LA, it is clear that the star carries further insights on the darker side of young adulthood (As a millennial, she serves as a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp adept for connecting different age groups).
Inspirations and Creative Vision
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and Sennott is enthusiastic, naming it alongside the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as guides for her series, which tracks the journey of an influencer Tallulah and ally who is also fledgling talent manager Maia. Notably, the biggest presence on creative vision was reserved for the popular sitcom, the show depicting a rising Hollywood star succeeding in a corrupt Hollywood (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She began viewing it throughout the pandemic, became “captivated”, and chose to add a fresh perspective 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 explains. The inspiration for the series emerged—partly—from her own, initially difficult, relocation to LA and from the saturn return, a popular phenomenon for followers. This represented an era that included her learn major truths, in her career and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Starting Out
Brought up in the East Coast, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing comedy while enrolled in theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” 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. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She seized control, performing at open mics with Ayo and uploading hysterical (and very) unconventional skits online. One, titled Baby Cult, followed a group of women intensely obsessed with motherhood; another imagined working at the brand Hollister as like being stuck in a thriller. By chance, she connected with Emma through campus film circles and ultimately starring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, a tense comedy set at a Jewish wake with shades of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her journey, she explains, has been peers supporting her, rather than traditional networks. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, adding amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Those who were skeptical regarding her then will certainly be regretting it currently. As part of she describes as a “incredibly circular” story, she appears to achieved the perfect project. In 2019 she shared a clip named “it’s LA” online, in which she parodied film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with Emma Barrie) of a show about Angelenos managing benefits of online celebrity (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being labeled as being a substance-abusing stealer, and perhaps becoming a unreliable outcast). It would be tempting to make a series about internet celebrity that was horribly idealized—or, more problematic, one that punched down at the characters. This show does neither, making for a depiction of privileged young adult life that’s frank about the chaos and the appeal.
Empathetic Approach
“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
