Rachel Sennott joins the online meeting and at once starts an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, sounding really apologetic. Although she's only a couple of minutes behind, she needs to clarify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Luckily, for a writer, that’s precisely what you want to hear. Besides, it’s quite expected. Those who know the fearlessly openly gay and unapologetically crass film Bottoms—which Sennott penned with Emma Seligman and starred in alongside her friend the talented actress—will understand that she possesses a lot to say, ranging from on identity, relationships, or the appeal of forming a teen fight club. Plus, after watching the new seasonal program I Love LA, viewers realize that she holds even more insights regarding the darker side of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, she represents a relatable figure for this generation, straddling eras with a knack for straddling different age groups).
Influences and Creative Vision
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and Sennott is a fan, citing the show alongside the HBO hit, Insecure and the innovative program as guides for her series, which follows the struggles of an influencer Tallulah and ally who is also fledgling agent Maia. However, the biggest spot on the moodboard went to Entourage, the show about an emerging celebrity making his way in an often-seedy LA scene (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She discovered it throughout COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and decided to create a new version 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 emerged—partly—from firsthand, originally difficult, move to Tinseltown and from her saturn return, a frequently discussed occurrence for enthusiasts. That period marked an era that included her grasp major life lessons, work-wise and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she admits. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Brought up in New England, the star began creating and acting stand-up while studying acting at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she states. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” 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 seized control, taking the stage at live shows with her friend and sharing uproarious (and distinctly) unconventional online content on the internet. One, Baby Cult, centered on characters fetishistically obsessed with having babies; a different one imagined being employed at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being stuck in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she encountered Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up appearing in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a religious event with echoes of the intense thriller. The big theme of her path, she explains, has been people her own age giving her a shot, rather than the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, stating with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Those who were skeptical about Sennott earlier will likely be kicking themselves currently. In what she describes as a “wild, full-circle” development, she has achieved her dream vehicle. In 2019 she shared content called “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she lampooned film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a series about LA residents balancing benefits of internet fame (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with downsides (your client being accused of being a intoxicated stealer, and potentially becoming a unreliable outcast). It would be easy to create a show about online fame that was overly idealized—or, worse, one that belittled at those depicted. The series does neither, creating a representation of advantaged young adult life that’s honest about the grot and the glamour.
Empathetic Approach
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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
