Rachel Sennott appears on the digital interview and immediately begins an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she says, sounding truly apologetic. Although she's only a bit late, she wants to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Fortunately, for a writer, this is precisely what one hopes to hear. Additionally, it’s fairly predictable. Those who know the boldly openly gay and brash movie titled Bottoms—that she penned with Emma Seligman and starred in with her friend the talented actress—will understand that she holds plenty to share, ranging from about identity, intimacy, or the merits of creating a high-school fight club. And, once you finish her new seasonal show titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she carries additional perspectives on the darker side of Gen Z life (At 30, Sennott serves as a bridge for this generation, straddling eras adept for straddling both generations).
Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction
Parallels to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and the actress readily acknowledges a fan, referencing it in addition to the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Atlanta as influences for her series, which tracks the travails of online personality Tallulah and close companion who is also aspiring talent manager portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the biggest presence on concept belonged to the HBO series, that HBO sitcom about a rising celebrity succeeding in a gritty LA scene (notable statement: “nobody’s happy in this town except for the losers”). Sennott began viewing it amid lockdown, became “captivated”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she explains. The idea for this project originated—to some extent—from firsthand, at first difficult, transition to LA and from the saturn return, a frequently discussed phenomenon for astrology heads. It was a phase that included her understand significant truths, work-wise and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Humble Origins
Raised in Connecticut, the star began writing and performing comedy while pursuing theatre at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I followed traditional paths to get on stage, but nothing clicked,” she says. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” I tried out for all the NYU plays and didn’t make it into any of them. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott seized control, taking the stage at amateur nights with Edebiri and posting hilarious (and very) bizarre skits on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, centered on characters obsessively fixated on having babies; a different one portrayed working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being stuck in a scary movie. By chance, she met Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up featuring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a religious event with echoes of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her career, she explains, has been people her own age supporting her, instead of the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, adding humorously: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who questioned regarding Sennott earlier will likely be feeling foolish today. In what she describes as a “incredibly circular” development, she has manifested her dream vehicle. A few years back she shared a clip called about Los Angeles on social media, in which she mocked film promos (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a show about city dwellers balancing the perks of online celebrity (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being accused of being a substance-abusing thief, and perhaps becoming a unreliable persona non grata). It would be tempting to produce a show about digital influence that was overly aspirational—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at the characters. This show avoids both, creating a portrait of affluent millennial existence that’s frank about the grot and the appeal.
Empathetic Approach
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
