Rachel Sennott joins the digital interview and at once starts an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, appearing really remorseful. Although she's only a bit late, she wants to justify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Fortunately, for a writer, that’s exactly what one hopes to hear. Moreover, it’s quite expected. Those who know her unapologetically openly gay and unapologetically crass film titled Bottoms—that she co-wrote with Emma Seligman and starred in alongside collaborator Ayo Edebiri—would understand that Sennott holds a lot to say, ranging from on identity, sex, or the merits of forming a high-school brawl society. And, by the end her recent multi-episode program titled I Love LA, viewers realize that she carries even more insights on the challenges of young adulthood (As a millennial, she serves as a relatable figure of the gang, on the cusp with a knack for bridging different age groups).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and Sennott readily acknowledges enthusiastic, citing it in addition to the HBO hit, Insecure and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for I Love LA, which details the travails of a social media star Tallulah and her friend who is also aspiring agent Maia. Notably, the largest presence on concept belonged to the HBO series, the HBO sitcom about a rising A-list actor navigating in a gritty LA scene (choice quote: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). She discovered it throughout COVID-19, became “hooked”, and chose to create a new version on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she says. The idea for I Love LA originated—in part—from personal, initially difficult, relocation to Los Angeles and from the cosmic event, a much-talked-about occurrence for astrology heads. This represented a time that involved her understand major truths, professionally and personally. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” 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
Raised in Connecticut, Sennott commenced creating and acting comedy while pursuing performance at a prestigious arts school. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. 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.”
Sennott decided to act independently, taking the stage at amateur nights with Ayo and sharing hysterical (and distinctly) weird online content on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on several females intensely obsessed with pregnancy; a different one envisioned working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being trapped in a scary movie. By chance, she connected with Seligman through the university’s film scene and ultimately starring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a religious event with hints of the intense thriller. The big theme of her career, she notes, has been peers offering opportunities, instead of established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she confirms, continuing amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Anyone who questioned regarding her then will surely be feeling foolish today. As part of she describes as a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she has manifested an ideal role. In 2019 she posted a video called on LA life online, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with Emma Barrie) of a show about LA residents balancing the perks of digital stardom (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your client being labeled as being a substance-abusing criminal, and possibly becoming a risky persona non grata). One might simple to produce a program about digital influence that was extremely idealized—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at the characters. I Love LA avoids both, creating a representation of affluent millennial living that’s candid about the chaos and the glamour.
Nuanced Portrayal
“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” 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
