Rachel Sennott joins the digital interview and immediately launches into an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, sounding truly regretful. Although she's only slightly behind, she wants to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, during an interview, this is just what is ideal to encounter. Moreover, it’s fairly expected. Those familiar with her unapologetically LGBTQ+ and outspoken film Bottoms—which Sennott penned with Emma Seligman and starred in together with close companion The Bear’s standout—will be aware that Sennott possesses much to share, whether on roles, sex, or the pros of starting a teen fight club. Plus, once you finish her latest eight-part program titled I Love LA, it is clear that she has even more insights on the darker side of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, she serves as a relatable figure of the gang, a tale-end millennial with a knack for connecting different age groups).
Inspirations and Creative Vision
Likenesses to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and Sennott readily acknowledges enthusiastic, referencing the show together with Sex and the City, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as influences for I Love LA, which details the travails of a social media star Tallulah and ally and new representative Sennott’s character. Notably, the biggest presence on the moodboard went to the HBO series, the HBO sitcom depicting an up-and-coming Hollywood star succeeding in an often-seedy LA scene (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She started watching it throughout COVID-19, became “hooked”, and decided to create a new version on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she notes. The idea for the series emerged—partly—from her own, originally rocky, move to Los Angeles and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed event for followers. This represented a phase that saw her understand major truths, professionally and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she says. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Humble Origins
Brought up in Connecticut, Sennott commenced developing and showcasing stand-up while pursuing acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she states. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
She took matters into her own hands, performing at open mics with her friend and sharing hilarious (and very) bizarre online content online. One, Baby Cult, followed characters fetishistically drawn to pregnancy; another portrayed working at a trendy retail outlet as similar to being caught in a horror film. By chance, she met Emma through the university’s film scene and ultimately appearing in her first film, Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a funeral gathering with hints of the intense thriller. The big theme of her journey, she says, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, as opposed to established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she confirms, continuing with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Those who had doubts regarding Sennott then will likely be regretting it now. In what she describes as a “astonishingly complete” development, she has achieved her dream vehicle. Previously she posted a clip titled “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she parodied Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Now, she’s a lead creator (with Emma Barrie) of a series about LA residents managing advantages of online celebrity (such as celebrating at Elijah Wood’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being labeled as being a intoxicated stealer, and possibly becoming a risky pariah). Some could tempting to make a program about internet celebrity that was extremely glamorous—or, worse, one that mocked at its subjects. This show steers clear of each, making for a depiction of advantaged young adult life that’s candid about the mess 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
