Rachel Sennott appears on the video call and at once launches into an excuse. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she exclaims, sounding genuinely remorseful. Although she's only slightly delayed, she feels compelled to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Luckily, for a writer, this is precisely what you want to hear. Besides, it’s fairly unsurprising. Those familiar with her boldly queer and unapologetically crass film Bottoms—which she co-wrote with Emma Seligman and featured in with collaborator the talented actress—will already know that she has much to say, be it on identity, sex, or the appeal of starting a teen combat group. Furthermore, by the end the new eight-part HBO series I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star holds further thoughts regarding the darker side of Gen Z life (At 30, she represents a bridge of the gang, on the cusp skilled for bridging both generations).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show are inevitable and Sennott is a fan, citing it in addition to the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as guides for the project, which details the travails of a social media star Tallulah and close companion who is also aspiring talent manager portrayed by Sennott. Notably, the biggest spot on creative vision went to the HBO series, that show about an emerging celebrity making his way in a corrupt Hollywood (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott began viewing it throughout COVID-19, became “hooked”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she says. The idea for the series originated—to some extent—from firsthand, at first rocky, relocation to LA and from her saturn return, a popular event for enthusiasts. It was a time that included her grasp significant truths, in her career and in private life. “My twenties began with constant public emotional outbursts and disorganization,” she admits. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Brought up in New England, the star commenced 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 explains. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
Sennott took matters into her own hands, taking the stage at amateur nights with her friend and uploading hilarious (and very) unconventional skits digitally. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, depicted a group of women intensely drawn to motherhood; another envisioned working at the brand Hollister as akin to being trapped in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Seligman through the university’s film scene and ultimately featuring in her first film, Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a Jewish wake with shades of the intense thriller. The central motif of her journey, she notes, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, instead of traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, stating amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Those who had doubts regarding her earlier will likely be feeling foolish currently. In what she labels a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she seems to have created an ideal role. In 2019 she uploaded a clip titled on LA life online, in which she mocked movie previews (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s executive producer (with her partner) of a show about LA residents balancing advantages of digital stardom (such as partying at Elijah Wood’s house) with drawbacks (your friend being labeled as being a intoxicated criminal, and perhaps becoming a risky outcast). One might tempting to make a show about digital influence that was extremely glamorous—or, even less favorable, one that punched down at those depicted. This show does neither, making for a depiction of advantaged young adult living that’s honest about the mess and the shine.
Empathetic Approach
“There have been a lot of shows that depict young people and their relationship to the internet in this very condescending, hateful way,” 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
