Rachel Sennott enters the video call and immediately launches into an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she exclaims, seeming truly regretful. Despite being only a bit late, she wants 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!” Thankfully, during an interview, this is exactly what one hopes to hear. Moreover, it’s fairly expected. Those familiar with her unapologetically openly gay and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with the director and appeared in alongside collaborator Ayo Edebiri—can understand that she has much to share, whether about roles, sex, or the pros of forming a youth combat group. Plus, by the end the latest seasonal show I Love LA, viewers realize that she has even more insights on the challenges of modern youth (Now in her thirties, Sennott represents an honorary member of the gang, a tale-end millennial skilled for bridging both generations).
Influences and Creative Vision
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s Girls can’t be avoided and the actress is a fan, citing the show alongside the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as inspirations for the project, which details the struggles of an influencer Tallulah and ally and aspiring representative portrayed by Sennott. However, the biggest influence on the moodboard was reserved for the popular sitcom, that show focusing on an emerging celebrity making his way in a gritty Hollywood (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She discovered it throughout COVID-19, became “captivated”, and resolved 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 explains. The inspiration for I Love LA emerged—to some extent—from firsthand, at first fractious, transition to Los Angeles and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed phenomenon for enthusiasts. That period marked a time that involved her grasp some big truths, work-wise and in private life. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she admits. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Growing up in the East Coast, Sennott commenced creating and acting comedy while studying acting at NYU’s Tisch. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she states. “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?”
She seized control, appearing at live shows with her friend and uploading hysterical (and distinctly) weird skits digitally. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted several females fetishistically drawn to pregnancy; another envisioned working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being stuck in a thriller. By chance, she connected with Emma through the university’s film scene and ultimately starring in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a religious event with echoes of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her journey, she explains, has been contemporaries supporting her, as opposed to the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, stating humorously: “They prefer we don’t succeed.”
Rising Success
Those who had doubts about her previously will likely be regretting it currently. Through she calls a “wild, full-circle” story, she seems to have created her dream vehicle. In 2019 she shared a video called about Los Angeles online, in which she lampooned film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a comedy about city dwellers managing advantages of internet fame (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your friend being accused of being a substance-abusing thief, and possibly becoming a unreliable outcast). Some could simple to make a series about digital influence that was horribly glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at those depicted. The series steers clear of each, creating a depiction of advantaged twentysomething existence that’s honest about the mess and the appeal.
Balanced Perspective
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” 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
