Rachel Sennott joins the video call and at once launches into an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, appearing really regretful. Despite being only a bit delayed, she feels compelled to explain. “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, this is precisely what is ideal to experience. Besides, it’s quite expected. Viewers who know the fearlessly queer and outspoken movie titled Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with Emma Seligman and starred in with collaborator The Bear’s standout—will be aware that Sennott possesses a lot to say, ranging from on identity, relationships, or the pros of forming a high-school fight club. Plus, after watching her new eight-part HBO series I Love LA, it is clear that she holds additional perspectives about the struggles of young adulthood (At 30, Sennott is a relatable figure of the gang, straddling eras skilled for bridging different age groups).
Influences and Artistic Direction
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls are inevitable and Sennott readily acknowledges a fan, citing it together with Sex and the City, Issa Rae’s show and Atlanta as influences for I Love LA, which tracks the journey of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also aspiring talent manager Maia. Notably, the biggest influence on creative vision was reserved for Entourage, the show depicting an emerging Hollywood star succeeding in a corrupt Hollywood (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott discovered it amid the pandemic, became “obsessed”, and chose 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 says. The concept for this project came—to some extent—from her own, initially rocky, transition to Los Angeles and from her saturn return, a much-talked-about event for astrology heads. That period marked a time that saw her understand major life lessons, in her career and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Early Beginnings
Raised in Connecticut, the star started developing and showcasing humor while pursuing theatre 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.”
Sennott seized control, appearing at amateur nights with Edebiri and uploading hysterical (and decidedly) unconventional comedy videos digitally. One, titled Baby Cult, followed a group of women obsessively fixated on having babies; another imagined being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being trapped in a scary movie. Interestingly, she connected with Emma through NYU’s movie community and eventually starring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a tense film set at a Jewish wake with shades of the intense thriller. The big theme of her career, she explains, has been people her own age supporting her, rather than the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she repeats, continuing amusedly: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who had doubts about Sennott earlier will likely be feeling foolish now. As part of she describes as a “astonishingly complete” story, she has achieved her dream vehicle. Previously she posted content named about Los Angeles on the internet, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a series about city dwellers juggling benefits of internet fame (such as socializing at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your associate being suspected of being a intoxicated criminal, and possibly becoming a risky outcast). One might tempting to produce a show about online fame that was horribly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that mocked at its subjects. The series does neither, creating a depiction of privileged twentysomething existence that’s honest about the mess and the glamour.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
