Rachel Sennott appears on the video call and at once launches into an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, sounding really apologetic. She is only a bit behind, she wants to justify. “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, during an interview, that’s exactly what is ideal to experience. Additionally, it’s fairly predictable. Viewers who have seen her boldly openly gay and brash movie Bottoms—that Sennott collaborated on with the director and featured in together with her friend The Bear’s standout—will understand that Sennott holds much to discuss, be it about identity, relationships, or the merits of creating a teen fight club. And, after watching her recent multi-episode program titled I Love LA, viewers realize that the star carries additional insights regarding the struggles of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, Sennott is a bridge of the gang, straddling eras with a knack for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Likenesses to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and Sennott is a fan, citing the show alongside the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as inspirations for the project, which follows the journey of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion and fledgling agent Maia. However, the most significant presence on concept went to the HBO series, the program about an up-and-coming A-list actor succeeding in a corrupt Hollywood (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott began viewing it throughout COVID-19, became “captivated”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she explains. The concept for this project emerged—in part—from her own, initially difficult, transition to Los Angeles and from her astrological phase, a frequently discussed occurrence for followers. It was a time that saw her understand significant insights, professionally 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 New England, Sennott began writing and performing comedy while pursuing acting at a prestigious arts school. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She seized control, appearing at live shows with her friend and sharing hysterical (and distinctly) unconventional comedy videos digitally. One, Baby Cult, followed a group of women obsessively obsessed with pregnancy; a different one envisioned working at the brand Hollister as similar to being caught in a thriller. By chance, she connected with Emma through NYU’s movie community and ultimately appearing in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a religious event with hints of Uncut Gems. The big theme of her path, she explains, has been contemporaries supporting her, rather than the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, adding amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who questioned regarding Sennott previously will likely be feeling foolish today. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” turn of events, she has manifested her dream vehicle. A few years back she uploaded a clip called about Los Angeles on the internet, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about city dwellers managing the perks of digital stardom (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your client being suspected of being a substance-abusing criminal, and perhaps becoming a unreliable outcast). It would be easy to create a program about digital influence that was extremely idealized—or, more problematic, one that belittled at those depicted. The series steers clear of each, making for a representation of privileged young adult life that’s honest about the mess and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“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
