Rachel Sennott appears on the video call and at once launches into an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, seeming really remorseful. Although she's only a couple of minutes behind, she needs to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, in this context, that’s precisely what you want to experience. Moreover, it’s pretty predictable. Those familiar with her fearlessly LGBTQ+ and outspoken film titled Bottoms—that she collaborated on with her creative partner and featured in alongside collaborator Ayo Edebiri—will already know that she possesses much to discuss, ranging from on roles, relationships, or the merits of forming a teen combat group. And, after watching her latest seasonal show I Love LA, it is clear that she holds additional thoughts on the challenges of modern youth (As a millennial, Sennott serves as a relatable figure to younger audiences, on the cusp with a knack for connecting different age groups).
Guiding Lights and Storytelling Approach
The comparisons to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and Sennott admits to being a fan, citing the show in addition to the classic series, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as guides for the project, which tracks the travails of a social media star Tallulah and ally who is also fledgling agent Maia. Perhaps, the biggest presence on concept was reserved for the HBO series, the program depicting a rising Hollywood star succeeding in a corrupt entertainment industry (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott discovered it during the pandemic, became “hooked”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she says. The inspiration for the series originated—in part—from personal, at first rocky, relocation to Los Angeles and from the saturn return, a frequently discussed occurrence for followers. That period marked an era that included her learn some big truths, in her career and individually. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she admits. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Starting Out
Brought up in Connecticut, the star commenced writing and performing comedy while pursuing performance at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “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.”
Sennott decided to act independently, appearing at live shows with Ayo and sharing hysterical (and decidedly) unconventional online content on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, followed characters fetishistically obsessed with having babies; another imagined working at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being stuck in a horror film. Interestingly, she met Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ended up featuring in her initial project, Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a Jewish wake with shades of the intense thriller. The central motif of her career, she notes, has been peers offering opportunities, instead of established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, continuing humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Anyone who questioned about her previously will certainly be regretting it currently. In what she labels a “wild, full-circle” story, she has manifested an ideal role. Previously she posted a clip called “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she parodied film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a comedy about Angelenos managing benefits of online celebrity (such as partying at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being labeled as being a drug-addled criminal, and potentially becoming a risky outcast). Some could tempting to produce a series about online fame that was horribly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that punched down at those depicted. This show steers clear of each, making for a representation of affluent millennial living that’s frank about the chaos and the glamour.
Balanced Perspective
“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
