Rachel Sennott on her uproarious series portraying the messy glamour of today's youth life
The star joins the video call and right away begins an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she exclaims, appearing truly apologetic. Despite being only a couple of minutes late, she wants to explain. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Luckily, for a writer, this is just what you want to experience. Additionally, it’s fairly expected. Anyone familiar with the unapologetically queer and outspoken film Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with the director and starred in with close companion the talented actress—can understand that Sennott has a lot to say, ranging from on gender, intimacy, or the appeal of forming a teen fight club. Plus, once you finish the recent multi-episode program titled I Love LA, viewers realize that the star holds further thoughts on the struggles of modern youth (As a millennial, Sennott represents a bridge to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial skilled for connecting both generations).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and the actress readily acknowledges an admirer, referencing it in addition to Sex and the City, Insecure and the innovative program as guides for the project, which follows the journey of online personality Tallulah and ally and aspiring agent portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the biggest influence on creative vision belonged to the HBO series, the program depicting an up-and-coming celebrity succeeding in a gritty Hollywood (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it amid lockdown, became “obsessed”, and resolved 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 says. The concept for this project came—in part—from firsthand, initially difficult, transition to LA and from her cosmic event, a popular phenomenon for followers. That period marked a phase that involved her grasp significant truths, professionally and personally. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she recalls. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Brought up in Connecticut, Sennott began developing and showcasing humor while pursuing theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” 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. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
Sennott seized control, performing at amateur nights with Edebiri and uploading hilarious (and distinctly) unconventional online content digitally. A particular video, Baby Cult, followed a group of women obsessively fixated on having babies; a different one portrayed being employed at the brand Hollister as like being trapped in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Emma through the university’s film scene and ultimately appearing in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a funeral gathering with shades of the intense thriller. The central motif of her career, she notes, has been peers giving her a shot, as opposed to established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she confirms, adding humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Career Breakthrough
Individuals who had doubts about Sennott then will likely be regretting it today. In what she labels a “incredibly circular” turn of events, she appears to manifested her dream vehicle. Previously she uploaded a clip titled on LA life on the internet, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a series about city dwellers balancing benefits of internet fame (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your client being accused of being a intoxicated thief, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). It would be easy to produce a show about digital influence that was overly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that punched down at its subjects. The series avoids both, making for a depiction of advantaged twentysomething life that’s honest about the grot and the appeal.
Empathetic Approach
“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