Rachel Sennott enters the video call and right away launches into an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, seeming really remorseful. Although she's only a couple of minutes late, she needs to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, in this context, that’s just what is ideal to encounter. Besides, it’s fairly expected. Those who have seen the fearlessly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass movie Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with the director and starred in alongside close companion Ayo Edebiri—will already know that Sennott possesses much to say, whether on roles, sex, or the pros of forming a youth fight club. And, by the end the recent eight-part program titled I Love LA, it is clear that she holds further insights regarding the struggles of modern youth (As a millennial, Sennott represents a bridge of the gang, a tale-end millennial with a knack for connecting different age groups).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and the actress readily acknowledges an admirer, citing the show alongside Sex and the City, Insecure and the innovative program as guides for the project, which follows the struggles of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend and new representative portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the biggest influence on creative vision went to the popular sitcom, the show focusing on an up-and-coming Hollywood star making his way in a gritty entertainment industry (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She discovered it amid COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she explains. The concept for the series came—in part—from her own, at first difficult, transition to Tinseltown and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed phenomenon for enthusiasts. It was a phase that saw her learn some big truths, work-wise and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Early Beginnings
Growing up in New England, the star began creating and acting comedy while pursuing acting at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she explains. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. 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 took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at open mics with her friend and sharing hysterical (and very) unconventional skits on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted characters obsessively fixated on motherhood; a different one envisioned being employed at the brand Hollister as similar to being trapped in a scary movie. Interestingly, she connected with Seligman through campus film circles and ended up featuring in her first film, Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a religious event with hints of Uncut Gems. The central motif of her career, she notes, has been people her own age offering opportunities, as opposed to the industry at large. Does that mean bypassing the usual powers? “Not the gatekeepers”, she emphasizes, continuing with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Those who questioned about Sennott then will certainly be kicking themselves now. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” development, she seems to have manifested an ideal role. Previously she shared a video titled “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a comedy about Angelenos balancing advantages of internet fame (such as socializing at Elijah Wood’s house) with downsides (your friend being labeled as being a intoxicated stealer, and perhaps becoming a risky persona non grata). Some could easy to produce a series about digital influence that was horribly glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at its subjects. This show does neither, resulting in a portrait of privileged young adult life that’s frank about the mess and the shine.
Empathetic Approach
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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
