Rachel Sennott appears on the online meeting and right away launches into an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she exclaims, sounding genuinely remorseful. Although she's only slightly late, she feels compelled to clarify. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Thankfully, during an interview, that’s exactly what you want to encounter. Additionally, it’s fairly unsurprising. Viewers who have seen the fearlessly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass movie Bottoms—that Sennott co-wrote with the director and featured in together with close companion The Bear’s standout—would understand that Sennott possesses much to say, ranging from on roles, intimacy, or the appeal of starting a teen fight club. And, once you finish her new seasonal HBO series I Love LA, viewers realize that the star holds even more perspectives regarding the struggles of young adulthood (As a millennial, she serves as an honorary member of the gang, a tale-end millennial with a knack for bridging both generations).
Inspirations and Creative Vision
Parallels to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott is an admirer, referencing the show in addition to the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as guides for I Love LA, which tracks the travails of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and her friend and aspiring agent Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the most significant spot on creative vision went to the popular sitcom, that HBO sitcom depicting an emerging celebrity making his way in an often-seedy LA scene (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott started watching it amid lockdown, became “captivated”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she says. The idea for this project emerged—to some extent—from her own, initially fractious, transition to Tinseltown and from her astrological phase, a frequently discussed event for astrology heads. This represented a phase that involved her understand significant truths, in her career and individually. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” 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, Sennott began creating and acting stand-up while pursuing performance at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott decided to act independently, performing at open mics with her friend and sharing uproarious (and very) bizarre skits online. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted characters obsessively fixated on pregnancy; another portrayed working at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being trapped in a scary movie. By chance, she connected with Seligman through the university’s film scene and eventually appearing in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a funeral gathering with shades of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her path, she notes, has been people her own age supporting her, as opposed to the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she confirms, continuing humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Those who questioned regarding Sennott then will certainly be kicking themselves currently. As part of she labels a “incredibly circular” development, she has manifested her dream vehicle. Previously she uploaded a video titled “it’s LA” on the internet, in which she parodied film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with the co-writer) of a series about LA residents juggling advantages of online celebrity (such as partying at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your associate being accused of being a drug-addled thief, and possibly becoming a risky pariah). It would be easy to make a series about digital influence that was overly idealized—or, more problematic, one that punched down at its subjects. The series avoids both, making for a representation of affluent millennial existence that’s candid about the chaos and the shine.
Nuanced Portrayal
“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
