Rachel Sennott joins the video call and right away begins an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, sounding truly remorseful. She is only a bit delayed, she wants to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Fortunately, in this context, this is exactly what you want to experience. Besides, it’s quite expected. Those who know the fearlessly queer and unapologetically crass movie Bottoms—which Sennott penned with the director and featured in together with close companion the talented actress—can be aware that Sennott has plenty to say, ranging from about identity, sex, or the appeal of forming a teen brawl society. Plus, by the end the new multi-episode show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has even more perspectives on the challenges of young adulthood (At 30, Sennott is a relatable figure to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial skilled for straddling both generations).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s Girls can’t be avoided and the actress admits to being a fan, referencing the show in addition to the HBO hit, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as influences for I Love LA, which details the journey of an influencer Tallulah and close companion and fledgling agent portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the most significant influence on creative vision belonged to the popular sitcom, that show focusing on a rising Hollywood star making his way in an often-seedy Hollywood (memorable line: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She discovered it throughout COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and decided to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she notes. The idea for the series originated—in part—from personal, originally fractious, transition to LA and from her cosmic event, a popular occurrence for enthusiasts. This represented an era that included her understand some big insights, in her career and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Brought up in the East Coast, the star started developing and showcasing stand-up while pursuing theatre at a prestigious arts school. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “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, taking the stage at live shows with Ayo and sharing hilarious (and decidedly) bizarre comedy videos online. One, Baby Cult, depicted characters obsessively obsessed with motherhood; another envisioned being employed at the brand Hollister as akin to being stuck in a scary movie. Interestingly, she encountered Emma through the university’s film scene and eventually appearing in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a Jewish wake with shades of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her career, she says, has been peers supporting her, rather than traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, stating amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Career Breakthrough
Those who had doubts about Sennott then will likely be regretting it currently. In what she describes as a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she appears to created an ideal role. In 2019 she uploaded a clip called “it’s LA” online, in which she parodied film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a series about city dwellers juggling benefits of online celebrity (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your associate being accused of being a intoxicated stealer, and perhaps becoming a risky pariah). Some could easy to make a series about internet celebrity that was horribly idealized—or, more problematic, one that punched down at the characters. This show steers clear of each, making for a portrait of affluent twentysomething existence 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
