Rachel Sennott appears on the online meeting and right away begins an excuse. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she exclaims, appearing really apologetic. Despite being only a couple of minutes late, she needs to justify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, in this context, this is precisely what one hopes to hear. Besides, it’s fairly predictable. Those familiar with the fearlessly openly gay and brash movie titled Bottoms—which Sennott penned with Emma Seligman and featured in with collaborator Ayo Edebiri—will understand that she holds plenty to say, be it on roles, sex, or the appeal of starting a teen brawl society. And, by the end the latest seasonal HBO series I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she carries further thoughts on the challenges of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, she serves as a bridge to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial with a knack for bridging millennials and Gen Z).
Inspirations and Storytelling Approach
Likenesses to the iconic series Girls naturally arise and the actress admits to being an admirer, referencing the show alongside the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and Atlanta as guides for I Love LA, which tracks the struggles of online personality Tallulah and close companion who is also new agent Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the biggest influence on creative vision was reserved for the HBO series, that program focusing on an up-and-coming A-list actor making his way in an often-seedy entertainment industry (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it during lockdown, became “obsessed”, and decided to put her own twist on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she notes. The inspiration for this project originated—to some extent—from her own, at first rocky, transition to Los Angeles and from the saturn return, a frequently discussed event for astrology heads. It was a phase that involved her learn major life lessons, in her career and in private life. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she admits. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Humble Origins
Raised in the East Coast, the star started creating and acting humor while enrolled in acting 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. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She took matters into her own hands, appearing at live shows with her friend and posting uproarious (and very) unconventional skits online. One, Baby Cult, centered on several females intensely obsessed with having babies; another imagined being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being caught in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she met Seligman through campus film circles and ultimately starring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a funeral gathering with shades of the Safdie brothers’ movie. The big theme of her path, she notes, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, instead of established gatekeepers. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, continuing amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Rising Success
Those who questioned about her previously will certainly be kicking themselves today. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” story, she has created her dream vehicle. Previously she shared content called on LA life on social media, in which she mocked film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a series about Angelenos juggling benefits of online celebrity (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your associate being suspected of being a intoxicated criminal, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). Some could easy to produce a series about online fame that was extremely aspirational—or, more problematic, one that mocked at the characters. The series does neither, resulting in a representation of affluent young adult existence that’s candid about the chaos and the appeal.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” she comments. “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
