Rachel Sennott enters the online meeting and immediately starts an explanation. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, appearing really regretful. She is only a couple of minutes delayed, she needs to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, in this context, that’s just what is ideal to experience. Besides, it’s quite unsurprising. Anyone familiar with her boldly openly gay and unapologetically crass film titled Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with her creative partner and starred in together with close companion The Bear’s standout—can already know that she holds plenty to share, ranging from about identity, relationships, or the merits of forming a youth brawl society. And, after watching the recent multi-episode HBO series titled I Love LA, viewers realize that the star carries further insights on the darker side of Gen Z life (At 30, Sennott represents an honorary member for this generation, straddling eras adept for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction
Likenesses to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and Sennott is an admirer, citing it in addition to Sex and the City, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as inspirations for her series, which tracks the journey of a social media star Tallulah and close companion who is also fledgling agent portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the largest influence on the moodboard belonged to the popular sitcom, the program focusing on a rising Hollywood star making his way in a corrupt entertainment industry (notable statement: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott discovered it throughout COVID-19, became “hooked”, and resolved to create a new version on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she says. The inspiration for the series emerged—partly—from firsthand, originally difficult, move to LA and from the saturn return, a frequently discussed phenomenon for enthusiasts. That period marked a phase that saw her understand some big life lessons, in her career and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she says. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Humble Origins
Growing up in the East Coast, the star began writing and performing stand-up while studying acting at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “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. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott seized control, performing at live shows with Ayo and uploading uproarious (and very) unconventional comedy videos online. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, followed several females intensely drawn to motherhood; another portrayed being employed at the brand Hollister as like being caught in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she met Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ended up featuring in her first film, Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a religious event with hints of Uncut Gems. The central motif of her journey, she explains, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, as opposed to traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, continuing humorously: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who had doubts about Sennott previously will certainly be regretting it today. As part of she describes as a “wild, full-circle” story, she has achieved her dream vehicle. In 2019 she posted a video titled on LA life on social media, in which she mocked film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a show about city dwellers balancing the perks of digital stardom (such as socializing at a famous actor’s house) with its pitfalls (your friend being accused of being a substance-abusing thief, and potentially becoming a unreliable persona non grata). Some could simple to create a program about online fame that was horribly aspirational—or, more problematic, one that belittled at its subjects. I Love LA avoids both, resulting in a representation of privileged twentysomething life that’s honest about the mess and the glamour.
Empathetic Approach
“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
