Rachel Sennott appears on the digital interview and right away launches into an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, seeming really 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, for a writer, this is just what is ideal to experience. Besides, it’s quite expected. Those who know the boldly openly gay and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—which Sennott penned with Emma Seligman and appeared in alongside collaborator The Bear’s standout—can be aware that she has plenty to share, ranging from on roles, sex, or the appeal of starting a high-school brawl society. Plus, after watching her recent multi-episode show titled I Love LA, it is clear that the star has even more insights regarding the challenges of Gen Z life (At 30, Sennott is an honorary member of the gang, on the cusp adept for connecting different age groups).
Inspirations and Creative Vision
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and Sennott readily acknowledges a fan, citing it in addition to the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for I Love LA, which tracks the struggles of a social media star Tallulah and close companion and fledgling representative Maia. Perhaps, the most significant presence on the moodboard belonged to the popular sitcom, the program depicting a rising Hollywood star navigating in an often-seedy entertainment industry (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She started watching it amid lockdown, became “captivated”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she notes. The inspiration for the series originated—partly—from personal, initially difficult, transition to LA and from her astrological phase, a much-talked-about occurrence for astrology heads. It was an era that involved her understand some big life lessons, professionally and individually. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Humble Origins
Growing up in Connecticut, the star began creating and acting stand-up while pursuing theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she states. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. 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 open mics with Ayo and sharing hysterical (and decidedly) unconventional skits on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, followed a group of women fetishistically obsessed with having babies; another imagined being employed at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being caught in a thriller. Interestingly, she met Seligman through the university’s film scene and ultimately appearing in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a funeral gathering with hints of the intense thriller. The central motif of her path, she notes, has been peers supporting her, as opposed to established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, adding amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Rising Success
Individuals who questioned about Sennott previously will likely be kicking themselves now. As part of she calls a “astonishingly complete” story, she seems to have created an ideal role. In 2019 she posted a clip called on LA life on the internet, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a show about Angelenos balancing the perks of internet fame (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being suspected of being a substance-abusing stealer, and possibly becoming a risky pariah). It would be easy to create a program about digital influence that was horribly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that mocked at the characters. The series steers clear of each, making for a representation of affluent twentysomething living that’s candid about the chaos and the appeal.
Empathetic Approach
“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” 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
