Rachel Sennott appears on the video call and at once begins an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, sounding really regretful. She is only a couple of minutes late, she feels compelled to explain. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Fortunately, during an interview, that’s just what one hopes to hear. Besides, it’s fairly unsurprising. Those who have seen her fearlessly queer and unapologetically crass film titled Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with Emma Seligman and appeared in together with collaborator the talented actress—will already know that she possesses much to discuss, ranging from on gender, intimacy, or the merits of starting a teen fight club. Plus, by the end her recent seasonal program I Love LA, it is clear that she holds further perspectives about the darker side of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, Sennott represents a bridge of the gang, a tale-end millennial skilled for straddling both generations).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and the actress admits to being enthusiastic, naming it alongside the classic series, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as influences for I Love LA, which follows the journey of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and ally and aspiring representative Maia. Perhaps, the largest spot on concept was reserved for Entourage, the HBO sitcom about an emerging celebrity making his way in a corrupt Hollywood (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott discovered it amid the pandemic, became “captivated”, and resolved 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 says. The inspiration for the series emerged—partly—from personal, originally rocky, relocation to Tinseltown and from the cosmic event, a much-talked-about event for enthusiasts. It was a time that included her understand major life lessons, work-wise and in private life. “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.” “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Starting Out
Raised in New England, the star began creating and acting comedy while pursuing acting at a prestigious arts school. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “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. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She took matters into her own hands, appearing at amateur nights with Ayo and posting hilarious (and distinctly) unconventional comedy videos online. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted a group of women fetishistically drawn to having babies; another portrayed being employed at the brand Hollister as like being trapped in a scary movie. Interestingly, she connected with Seligman through campus film circles and ended up starring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a religious event with shades of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her career, she notes, has been people her own age offering opportunities, instead of traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, stating humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Those who had doubts regarding Sennott earlier will surely be feeling foolish currently. In what she labels a “astonishingly complete” story, she appears to created an ideal role. In 2019 she shared a clip called “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she lampooned movie previews (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a comedy about city dwellers juggling benefits of internet fame (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being labeled as being a substance-abusing criminal, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). One might simple to create a program about online fame that was extremely glamorous—or, worse, one that belittled at its subjects. The series avoids both, making for a representation of affluent millennial life that’s honest about the grot and the shine.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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
