Rachel Sennott appears on the video call and at once launches into an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, sounding genuinely apologetic. She is only a couple of minutes behind, she feels compelled to clarify. “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!” Luckily, for a writer, this is exactly what you want to experience. Additionally, it’s quite unsurprising. Those who know her boldly LGBTQ+ and brash project Bottoms—that she penned with the director and starred in together with her friend The Bear’s standout—can already know that Sennott possesses plenty to discuss, ranging from on identity, sex, or the merits of creating a teen fight club. And, by the end the new eight-part show I Love LA, it is clear that the star holds even more perspectives about the darker side of Gen Z life (As a millennial, she represents a bridge for this generation, straddling eras adept for bridging both generations).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls are inevitable and the actress admits to being enthusiastic, naming the show alongside the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as inspirations for her series, which details the travails of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also fledgling talent manager Sennott’s character. However, the biggest spot on concept belonged to the HBO series, that show depicting an up-and-coming Hollywood star succeeding in a corrupt LA scene (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She began viewing it amid COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and chose to put her own twist 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 notes. The inspiration for the series originated—to some extent—from her own, initially difficult, move to LA and from her astrological phase, a much-talked-about event for enthusiasts. It was a time that involved her understand significant insights, work-wise and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she says. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Raised in New England, Sennott began creating and acting comedy while pursuing theatre at a prestigious arts school. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” 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.”
Sennott seized control, performing at open mics with her friend and posting hilarious (and very) unconventional comedy videos online. One, Baby Cult, depicted several females obsessively obsessed with having babies; another envisioned being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being trapped in a thriller. By chance, she met Seligman through the university’s film scene and ended up starring in her first film, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a funeral gathering with echoes of the Safdie brothers’ movie. A recurring idea of her journey, she explains, has been peers supporting her, as opposed to traditional networks. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “They were not involved”, she confirms, stating with a laugh: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Career Breakthrough
Individuals who questioned regarding Sennott then will likely be regretting it currently. In what she labels a “wild, full-circle” turn of events, she appears to manifested the perfect project. Previously she uploaded a clip called on LA life on social media, in which she parodied film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Now, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a show about Angelenos balancing the perks of digital stardom (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your friend being suspected of being a substance-abusing criminal, and perhaps becoming a unreliable persona non grata). One might simple to create a show about digital influence that was horribly aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at those depicted. The series avoids both, making for a representation of privileged young adult living that’s candid about the mess and the shine.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
