Rachel Sennott on the hilarious show depicting the grotty appeal of younger generation existence
The performer enters the digital interview and right away starts an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she exclaims, appearing truly apologetic. Although she's only a bit late, she feels compelled to justify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Fortunately, for a writer, this is precisely what you want to hear. Additionally, it’s quite unsurprising. Those familiar with her boldly openly gay and unapologetically crass movie Bottoms—which she collaborated on with her creative partner and starred in with close companion the talented actress—can be aware that Sennott possesses much to discuss, be it on roles, relationships, or the merits of forming a youth brawl society. Plus, by the end the recent eight-part HBO series titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star carries even more thoughts on the darker side of modern youth (As a millennial, Sennott is a relatable figure to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial with a knack for straddling millennials and Gen Z).
Influences and Creative Vision
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show naturally arise and Sennott readily acknowledges enthusiastic, naming the show alongside the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and Donald Glover’s series as influences for her series, which details the travails of online personality played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also new talent manager portrayed by Sennott. However, the largest spot on the moodboard was reserved for the popular sitcom, the HBO sitcom depicting a rising A-list actor making his way in a corrupt Hollywood (memorable line: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). She discovered it during lockdown, became “captivated”, and decided to put her own twist on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I sought to highlight online platforms as the new industry, since my professional journey launched there,” she says. The inspiration for the series came—in part—from her own, originally rocky, move to Tinseltown and from the cosmic event, a frequently discussed occurrence for astrology heads. It was an era that involved her learn major insights, professionally and individually. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Starting Out
Raised in Connecticut, the star commenced writing and performing humor while pursuing performance at a prestigious arts school. “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 open mics with Edebiri and sharing hilarious (and very) unconventional comedy videos online. A particular video, Baby Cult, followed characters fetishistically fixated on having babies; a different one envisioned working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as similar to being caught in a thriller. Interestingly, she connected with Emma through campus film circles and ultimately starring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a religious event with hints of the intense thriller. A recurring idea of her path, she explains, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, as opposed to the industry at large. So, not the gatekeepers, then? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, adding humorously: “They don’t want us to win.”
Career Breakthrough
Anyone who had doubts about her earlier will surely be kicking themselves today. As part of she labels a “astonishingly complete” story, she seems to have achieved an ideal role. A few years back she uploaded a clip named on LA life online, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s a lead creator (with her partner) of a series about city dwellers juggling benefits of digital stardom (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your client being accused of being a drug-addled thief, and perhaps becoming a unreliable persona non grata). Some could simple to make a series about internet celebrity that was extremely aspirational—or, worse, one that belittled at its subjects. This show steers clear of each, resulting in a portrait of advantaged twentysomething life that’s frank about the chaos and the glamour.
Balanced Perspective
“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” 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